Pete Wells Awards Two Stars to Hooni Kim's Hanjan

Pete Wells is thrilled by many of the dishes at Hanjan, chef Hooni Kim's new restaurant on 26th Street. After sampling the diverse menu of Korean fare here, Wells writes that "Mr. Kim is now the city's leading interpreter of Korean cuisine." On the difference between Hanjan and Kim's other restaurant, Danji:

Hanjan does not cast out any obvious chum for food bloggers the way Danji did with its bulgogi sliders and bacon paella. Mr. Kim may be more confident in his cooking this time around, or more certain that New Yorkers will get it. On a menu of mostly small dishes, one of the two substantial enough to anchor a meal is a large bowl of cod roe in a cloudy seafood broth that contains so much chile paste, it's pink. Both the esoteric main ingredient and the fearless seasoning in this remarkable stew suggest that Mr. Kim trusts his audience, and vice versa.

A few dishes fall flat, and Wells notes that the banchan must be ordered a la carte, which is a shame. In the end, Wells gives the restaurant two stars, and he recommends sticking around for the late-night ramen.
· Splitting the Difference [NYT]
· All Coverage of Hanjan [~ENY~]
[Photo: Daniel Krieger]

Foursquare

Hanjan

36 West 26th Street, Manhattan, NY 10010 (212) 206-7226 Visit Website

Hanjan

36 West 26th St., New York, NY