Oiji
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119 First Ave., New York, NY, 10003
646-767-9050
Known For
The lowdown
Oiji is another sparely decorated (distressed-wood walls, dangling Edison bulbs, etc.), oddly named (for Korean cucumber kimchee) new restaurant in the East Village (it occupies the former Dok Suni space on First Avenue, directly across from Noreetuh). Only instead of one young, highly credentialed chef in the kitchen cooking the beloved delicacies of his youth, there are two. Like Chung Chow across the street, Brian Kim and co-owner Tae Kyung Ku learned their cooking technique in some of the city’s grandest kitchens (Bouley and Gramecy Tavern, respectively). Their menu is small and modestly priced, like Chow’s (most of the dishes fall under $20), and it’s filled with a variety of Korean home-cooked classics (smoked mackerel, braised oxtail, handmade dumplings) filtered in all sorts of deft and generally pleasing ways through the chefs’ modern, gourmet sensibilities.
What you need to know
Recommended DishesSmoked mackerel; braised oxtail; steak tartare.
DrinksFull Bar, Sake/Soju
Noise LevelCivilized