Profile

There are several Korean strongholds in New York City where bulgogi and kimchee are as prevalent as hot dogs and hamburgers. Bay Ridge is not one of those places. So it’s odd to find a Korean restaurant in the middle of such a conservative enclave, especially an eatery that refuses to underestimate the local palate. Likable renditions of standards like gurgling soft-tofu casserole and crispy, elastic seafood pancakes share menu real estate with obscure soups like Boo Dae Jun Gol—a wartime creation that spices up spam, hot dogs, and ramen—and Bo Yang Jun Gol, a goat-meat soup with shiso-like sesame leaves. A waitress comes to the table to hand-mix the Yook Whe, an ice-cold steak tartare with egg yolk, sesame seeds, and matchsticks of cucumber and Asian pear. French doors on two sides of the dining room stream light onto wide, wood tables with built-in grills, but unless those doors are open, have your barbecue prepared in the kitchen. There aren’t any ventilation hoods over the tables, which means the meaty smoke just hangs in the air. — Ganda Suthivarakom

Soft tofu casserole, $10; jae yook kim chee bok-um, $16; hae mool pa jun, $6