Samwoojung Korean Meal

From the minimal signage at Samwoojung, you wouldn’t likely guess that pounds and pounds of marinated meat are getting a makeover right inside. But step into this Korean restaurant in Chelsea, and you’ll find every table equipped with a burner, and every burner piled with thinly sliced beef. Samwoojung has been a bulgogi specialist in Seoul since 1963, and when you go their outpost near Penn Station, that’s what you should focus your attention on too.

Samwoojung makes a slightly different style of bulgogi than what you might find at Korean BBQ spots around the city. Instead of being grilled hot and fast, the meat is piled on a copper vessel, topped with cabbage, mushrooms, noodles, and scallions, and then cooked in a sweet and peppery soy broth at your table. The result is as perfect for a casual weeknight meal as it is for a get-together that might result in a slew of empty bottles and a spur-of-the-moment ticket purchase to Madison Square Garden.

The menu is simpler compared to other restaurants, with bulgogi as the main dish, and other popular items include kimchi rolled noodles, soy sauce marinated crab, and shrimp pancakes. Bulgogi is available in small, medium, and large sizes, with the small size being sufficient for two people. Considering the high cost of living in New York, the prices are regarded as reasonable

The bulgogi was tender and distinctively sweet(er) than what I’ve had before, even in Seoul. But the meat was succulent and perfectly cooked in front of your eyes on an iron grill- something that those who cook will enjoy, appreciate.

The cold raw soy soaked crabs was also spectacular. Perfectly marinated, the blue crabs came out very flavourful.

These were the highlights, both at 7/10. The banchan, side dishes, especially the kimchi was above average. The first time I’ve had fried fish as a banchan.

The kimchi mandoo was above average 6.5/10.

We had some prawn pancakes too but didn’t get a picture. That wasn’t bad too at 6/10.

Definitely more on the upscale side, Samwoojung is a perfectly place to chillax near Madison Square Garden.

New York has a full blown Korea town, but Samwoojung is not in its epicentre.

That’s alright because if you want a little piece of Seoul a few thousand miles away from home, you’ve found it at Samwoojung.