[title]
Clear some space on the table—and in the group chat: Baekjeong is back in Koreatown.
Baekjeong, the beloved Korean barbecue destination, has returned to Manhattan as Baekjeong Black, an 8,000-square-foot restaurant at 49 West 32nd Street inside the landmarked Martinique New York building. Restaurateur Joseph Ko, who opened the original Manhattan outpost, is behind the revival.
The two-story space splits the evening: downstairs, Yangban (which means “nobleman” in Korean) serves small plates developed by chef Sol Han alongside Korean-inspired cocktails from beverage director and head mixologist Gregory Kong. Upstairs, Baekjeong (“butcher” in Korean) gets down to the delicious business of tableside grilling.
Before you settle in, a butcher display inspired by Seoul’s Majang Meat Market lets you select cuts of USDA Prime, dry-aged and Wagyu beef. The menu’s shareable “Butcher Sets” include a premium beef-and-pork assortment featuring “Snowflake” boneless short rib, skirt steak, Kurobuta pork belly, Iberico presa and 72-hour marinated short rib.
RECOMMENDED: A massive K-beauty pop-up is taking over Hudson Yards this week with 30+ brands and $300 gift bags
If you're feeling particularly flush, the Mother of Pearl Set combines Korean abalone, diver scallops and American Wagyu brisket tips with a perilla leaf kimchi wrap. Meals come with seasonal banchan, a choice of stew and egg soufflé with Baekjeong’s signature corn cheese grill ring.
Beyond the grill, there's chilled raw fluke in cold chili broth, a silk seaweed and oyster pancake, and gujeolpan, a platter associated with Korean royalty featuring delicate buckwheat crêpes and an assortment of fillings.
Downstairs, cocktail options include Hwachae, inspired by Korean fruit punch and topped with Milkis foam, and Banana Milk Keopi, which draws on banana milk and instant coffee, with fermented soybean paste adding a savory note.
The surroundings deserve a look, as well. Antique Korean cabinet doors line the staircase, while a two-story digital mural by artist Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic glows behind the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Traditional furnishings and decorative pieces come from across South Korea.
“In a time when many Korean restaurants are hypermodernizing and losing their cultural essence, Baekjeong Black is designed to stay deeply anchored in the true culture and heritage of Korea,” Ko says.
Baekjeong Black is currently open Wednesdays through Sundays from 5–11 pm, with reservations available through Resy and lunch service planned. Classic Baekjeong locations in Long Island City and Downtown Brooklyn are also in the works. Time to start recruiting your most enthusiastic grill companions.