Photography by Banny Zhang and Larry Dai
Amid the bustle of the holiday season, it is essential to remember that the most important part of the holidays is spending quality time with those you love. One of the best ways to do so is over a good meal. Located in vibrant Koreatown, Manhattan, missKOREA offers an elegant fine dining experience with Korean imperial cuisine.
Korean imperial cuisine
Culturally speaking, food can evoke nostalgia and provide important connections to family and society. Nine summers ago, Sophia Lee introduced Korean royal cuisine to New York City, with the establishment of missKOREA. Since then, she has showcased the finest culinary traditions of her homeland to guests from all over the world. It’s Sophia’s hope that everyone who dines at missKOREA can leave feeling blissful and satisfied.
The Distinctive Ambiance
The restaurant is split into three floors, each with a unique theme. The first floor, “Celebration,” takes inspiration from nature. This can be seen in the use of stone walls adorned with tufts of grass, a muted mural of a forest, and the irregular and naturalistic edges of the tables. The second floor, “Success,” has peaceful and elegant private rooms inspired by traditional Korean sarangbangs. In historical times, these were study rooms where people practiced writing, calligraphy, and painting. The third floor, “Progress,” is inspired by “three wonders of Kaesong“ from the Joseon Dynasty. It is the ideal meeting spot, whether for a first date or a business meeting.
A Well-Curated Menu
To bring Korea’s imperial cuisine to New York City, Sophia sought out renowned South Korean food consultant Sun Kyu Lee to be the head chef. As the founder of a leading school in traditional Korean cuisine, Sun Kyu Lee has nearly 40 years of culinary experience.
The menu at missKOREA includes a wide variety of barbecued meats, each with its own distinctive appeal. These include dry-aged rib eye, beef rib, beef bulgogi, beef tongue, thin-sliced beef brisket, pork ribs, pork belly, and more. missKOREA’s signature dish is the Clay Pot Galbi, which is made from short ribs and marinated in its own original sauce, before being placed in a special clay pot for over 48 hours. The meticulous two-day process brings out the best texture and finest flavor.
Clay Pot Galbi, marinated beef short ribs at the Miss Korea restaurant in New York. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)
To allow guests to enjoy a diverse sampling of meats, missKOREA has curated three barbecue set meals: the Longevity Set, the Happiness Set, and the Love Set.
The Longevity Set wishes guests a long and healthy life, with unmarinated barbecued meats that are free of any potentially harmful additives. The Happiness Set offers four different meats marinated in missKOREA’s delightful special sauces. The Love Set combines both marinated and unmarinated meat. The eclectic mix “symbolizes friendship and love,” and aptly mirrors New York City, “an international metropolis where diverse ethnic groups live in harmony,” Sophia explains.
Besides set meals, missKOREA recently introduced a new BBQ dish: Haemul-gui, a delectable seafood assortment that includes lobster tail, tuna, and scallops. The BBQ grill seals in the juices and locks in the flavor, while giving the outside that perfect crispiness.
-
- new BBQ dish: Haemul-gui
Colorful, Tasty Cuisine
Established during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), Korean imperial cuisine follows the concept of the Five Elements. The five elements correspond to five colors (black, white, red, green, and yellow) and five flavors (salty, spicy, bitter, sour, sweet). At missKOREA, every dish seeks to nourish and rejuvenate the body, reflecting the traditional belief that medicine and food are intimately related.
If you are planning an annual year-end banquet, make sure you don’t miss the newly introduced Miko Chef Special, which comes with a wide variety of colors, flavors, and textures. It’s a combination of prime beef brisket, shrimp, baby octopus, chicken, ramen noodles, and assorted vegetables, topped with a special hot and sweet sauce.
Miko Chef Special
Take refuge from the cold winter winds and try the Chodol Busot Ramen-jeong, the perfect dish to warm your body and soothe your spirit. It’s a mild hotpot made with prime brisket, mushrooms, assorted vegetables, and ramen.
Chodol Busot Ramen-jeong
At missKorea, you’ll get more than just a good meal—guests receive an overall experience, as well as an introduction to a new cultural perspective. Simply put, it is satisfaction not only for your mouth but also your mind.
