Soogil

Soogil is named for its chef, who cooked for seven years at Daniel and another four as executive chef at the acclaimed Korean restaurant Hanjan. Here, he combines those experiences by using the ingredients and flavors of his native South Korea with techniques he learned from years of French culinary training. French touches or no, the menu reads familiar to anyone acquainted with Korean food. There are glass noodles with oyster mushrooms, a pan-fried mung-bean-sprout pancake, pork belly with little kimchee rolls that are wrapped around crunchy radish, and a spicy soft tofu with seafood. The space feels low-key elegant, with a low-lying bar, a relatively spacious communal table, and a handful of smaller tables.