When Sam Yoo of Golden Diner took over his parents’ lease across from Rockefeller Center, he decided his next act would pay homage to them and their heritage. Inside the 6,500-square-foot space sits two concepts of his own making: Korean pub Golden Hof and Korean raw bar and steakhouse NY Kimchi.
Compared to the lively drinking den up above, NY Kimchi acts as a calming sanctuary. Upon descending the stairs, the eye is immediately drawn to the massive rock wall that lines the back wall, with tufts of green and yellow moss sprouting from the edges and cracks. Successfully evoking the idea of a rock garden, the sound structure is softened with rows of bamboo and round paper lanterns that hang from the ceiling. And yet, among such Zen-like interiors, each table houses a fire.
With barbecues built right into wooden tables, incredibly friendly staff come around to converse, take your order and expertly cook your food right in front of you. Yes, of course, you can go for the 30-day, dry-aged porterhouse for $140, but Yoo has made it a point to keep affordability in mind, serving soy-marinated short rib priced at $44, while ssamjang-slicked lamb chops come in at $46. Served alongside are all manner of banchan—cubes of pickled radish, marinated cucumbers, and a round of potato salad, to name a few. You could easily eat like a purist, but the steaks do come with perilla-soy and kimchi-heavy dipping sauces, so we do recommend a quick dip. But before you go all in on steak, know that Yoo has taken just as much care to the steaks as he has the starters, serving a cooling black bass "Naengmyum" crudo so chilled that lemon zest-laden ice chips are a feature; and a jiggly Parmesan egg souffle that balances that right amount of cheese and airiness, making it ever so easy to spoon it from dish to mouth until done.
The vibe: Yoo's steakhouse solidly hits in the middle of fine dining and a Korean steakhouse, meaning tables do away with white tablecloths (because how would you fit one over an open grill?) and tables are lively but not overly boisterous.
The food: While steaks are central, the selections of the sea are special in their own right. Nodding to the location, Yoo has made his own Oysters Rockefeller, fire-roasting oysters with kimchi butter and sesame. The crudos are some of the best raw selections (once again, shout out to the Naengymun crudo), as is the half or whole-cracked lobster tossed in a housemade ggan pung saeu sauce and crowned with a beautiful mess of chives, scallions and jalapeno rounds.
The drinks: There are ten cocktails on the menu, divvied up between shaken and stirred. Korean ingredients find their way to a few tipples, like The NYK Martini shaken with kimchi brine sourced from Yoo's father. Korean beers, soju, makegeolli and sool sit also make the list.
Time Out tip: Peep the art around the basement level, including the six-foot-long tapestry that hangs above the stairwell. It is all sourced from The Korean American Artist Collective.