JOOMAK BANJUM: COULD THIS BE THE BEST NEW RESTAURANT IN KOREATOWN?
The Cost - $85 per person for the tasting menu. $112 per person after add-ons and upcharges.
The Atmosphere – Just a short two-minute walk from the Empire State Building, Joomak Banjum has a very contemporary, minimalist interior. It is a perfect restaurant to celebrate a significant occasion or for a date. The meal options consist of a 4 or 6-course tasting menu, with the ability to add on dishes. The 4-course menu allows you to choose your dishes, whereas the 6-course tasting menu is preset. Reservations are a must.
New York – what more do I need to say? Some people were born to live there, others just to visit. New York is known for being one of the world’s most diverse places and it is where you can find some of the best restaurants on the planet. In the city’s Koreatown neighborhood, which lies within the Garment District, you will find Joomak Banjum, a new restaurant where Executive Chef and Owner Jiho Kim prepares Korean-Chinese fusion with French techniques.
The Order – Triggerfish, Lobster, Lamb Tartare, Weakfish, Sichuan Ribeye, and Brioche Pudding.
The Fantastic – Both the Triggerfish and Lobster were exceptional. The cured triggerfish is served with pistachio, green apple, celery and muscat-like red grapes which are like tiny little pearls that burst with flavor. The fish was cooked perfectly, was absolutely delicious and really went nicely with the grapes. The Lobster, served in a curry with yellow nectarines and foie gras, contained a flavor combination sent down from heaven. While there was a $20 upcharge for this dish, I didn’t mind it because of the lobster and the larger-than-expected potion of foie gras. Make sure lap up every bit of that curry.
The Great –The Lamb Tartare is a creative dish that includes gojuchang, a Korean fermented red chili paste, daikon, and plum. It is a risk to include strong flavors in a tartare, but Chef Kim did this right. The gojuchang gave the dish the kick it needed to offset the sweetness of the daikon and plum without overpowering the tender raw meat. The Weakfish was served in a Korean bouillabaisse with shogun maitake mushrooms, seafood and spinach. While weakfish, which is similar to trout, isn’t my favorite fish, I really enjoyed the foamy, and slightly spicy, bouillabaisse and think it is an excellent way to work this fish onto a menu. The Sichuan Ribeye was quite good. was cooked to my desired doneness and was plated over a tasty sauce, but the portion (2 narrow pieces of meat) seemed small considering that selecting this dish required an upcharge of $20 (or $55 as an add-on). The dish was served with celtuce, deliciously prepared baby eggplant, and caraflex cabbage.
As we started getting closer to the end of the meal, my mouth started to water as I knew that Chef Kim and his partners had all been former pastry chefs at Michelin starred restaurants. I ordered the Brioche Pudding which was beautifully placed inside a tall cylindrical structure that was foaming at the top. Between the liquid berry sauce, the edible cylindrical structure, the brioche pudding and the coconut curry sorbet on the side, the dish was creatively put together and had an amazing texture profile . But while the bread pudding owns the name of the dish, the coconut curry sorbet stole the show.
The Verdict – The first bite of every dish at Joomak Banjum elicited a large smile from me and the creative food and excellent service kept me smiling throughout the entire meal. I highly recommend making a reservation at this fantastic restaurant and I hope to see Chef Kim and his partners continue to delight diners for years to come.