Korean Ramen Shop With Michelin Cred Opens Today

Joining the West Village restaurant scene today is Jeju Noodle Bar, a Korean ramen shop from a chef-owner with a Michelin background. Douglas Kim is bringing his take on the genre to 679 Greenwich Street with four types of ramyun, plus appetizers starting tonight.

Kim’s background — he has been working in NYC fine dining kitchens like Per Se, Chefs Table at Brooklyn Fare, and Bouley since 1999 — draws some high expectations to this opening, including his own. The Korean chef has Michelin ambitions, hoping to reel in a coveted star to his little shop.

Stefanie Tuder

The restaurant is named for an island off the Southern coast of Korea, and thus the menu is full of seafood with dishes such as a tuna take on yook hwe (Korean beef tartare), hwe dup bap (raw fish bibimbap), and more. Meat lovers are courted with jeju-ramyun among others, a pork-broth base in a dish that includes braised pork belly, scallion, white kimchi, perilla leaf, scallion oil, mung bean sprouts, and gochujang. Chashu pork is featured in several orders. Drinks include wine, makgeolli, soju, and beer. The full menu is below.

Japanese ramen is plentiful in New York City, though ramyun — the Korean version — is a little harder to track down. The traditionally instant dish in Korea can be found here in New York at places like Mokbar and Hanjan, but this is the first standalone restaurant solely dedicated to the soup.

The 40-seat Jeju Noodle Bar is on track to open daily from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Per Se Alum Pivots to West Village Korean Ramen Shop [ENY]
• Jeju Noodle Bar [Official Site]