Okdongsik New York Korean Restaurant

I had a great experience at Okdongsik, where I tried their dwaeji gomtang. The restaurant itself is lovely — clean, cozy, and thoughtfully designed, making it a very comfortable place to enjoy a meal. The soup was excellent: clean, deeply comforting, and full of pork flavor without being heavy. You can really taste the care that goes into the broth. What truly elevated the experience, though, was the service. The staff were incredibly kind, friendly, and knowledgeable. They took the time to answer questions and made sure everything was just right, which made the meal feel even more special. This is the kind of place where good food and great hospitality come together. I’d absolutely come back.

Tiny spot with bar seating only, but I had a reservation and was seated right away. I overhead people trying to walk in and the wait was 2+ hours so def fight for a reservation. Food came out quickly since the menu is small and the space is tight. 10/10 would get the gomtang again. It’s a clear broth, so I know some people might find it bland or overrated, but if you appreciate clean, simple flavors, this really hits. The kimchi mandoo isn’t your typical texture filling so beware if you have an issue with texture but it was still tasty. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the naeng jeyuk just because it was thick and I’m not a big fan of chilled meats but the chili dip for it was great and made it better in my opinion. From the moment I stepped in and walked out was about 50 minutes

I was surprised that the pork soup had such a clear broth! The kimchi was a bit disappointing compared to traditional Korean gukbap places, and there was no kkakdugi either. But considering how the dish has been localized, that’s understandable. The clean, light pork broth is something most people would probably enjoy. + It was a bit unfortunate that there wasn’t a reception area or a proper waiting space, and the space felt quite tight. I recommend arriving exactly at your reservation time.

Okdongsik was a huge hit when it first opened -- definitely one of my favourite restaurants in NYC at the time -- and while I still enjoy my meals here, I fear it has somewhat lost some its allure. The menu is simple and limited -- other than drinks, you can order the dweji-gomtang (pork broth with pork shoulder and rice) and kimchi mandu (dumplings). The dwegi-gomtang is consistently delicious. You can already smell how fragrant the broth is throughout the small restaurant, and each sip is filled with the light-yet-savoury flavour of the pork, gently cooked inside for hours. Each slice of pork is so thinly cut -- soft, tender, and practically melts in your month. The rice is a lovely textural contrast -- perfectly cooked to a light fluffiness and pairing so well with the savoury flavours of the broth. Such a lovely dish that brings out all the natural flavours with simplicity. The mandu, I fear, has slightly tempered my overall feelings about Okdongsik. Whereas I felt they used to be an amazing complement to the pork broth, on recent visits they have been much more ... normal? Certainly nothing grossly problematic, but it feels like the quality of the skin (thicker and heavier than before) and the filling (smaller in size and increasingly less flavourful) has been trending in a disappointing direction. To a certain extent, I think they may have set the bar too high for themselves haha -- expectations were Very High after how impressed I was on my first few visits. I am still eager to come when the chance arrives, but perhaps just with slightly less enthusiasm as a few years ago. The intimate environment has kept its charm -- seeing your soup ladled over your rice right in front of you while seated at a small countertop with ~10-12 other seats is a lovely experience. Some of the small touches, though, seem to be less consistent -- on my latest visits, we were offered a plate of spicy pickled radishes. While I do like radishes, their kimchi was one of the most delicious I've ever had, and I was sad to see that it wasn't necessarily a given here anymore. Reservations are of course highly recommended -- although surprisingly for a restaurant of this renown, they are not too hard to come by with a little bit of foresight.

It was a little bit overrated if considering the price. Everything was fine but nothing stood out. The signature soup rice was mild. For me it was a little bit watery, like the meat/ bone was not cooked into the soup. Kimchi dumplings were delicious. The skin was pliable even it was thin. Kimchi has a nice flavor too.

Totally hit the mark and didn’t disappoint. I don’t know how they manage to make the soup so clear - not greasy, yet still rich in flavor. Every element felt minimal, but so thoroughly thought through. I tried cold jokbal for the first time as a Korean, and I really enjoyed it - not only was the pork flavorful without that unpleasant pork smell, but the sweet side topping you layer on the pork was just incredible. Of course, the main dish was excellent too. The only thing I didn’t love was the plum drink - it didn’t have much flavor beyond the soda water. The setting itself was lovely. Even the lighting at the bar felt intentional, and it added to the atmosphere I really liked. Overall, such a great experience.