Koreatown’s New Food Court Is Drawing Lines Down the Block

Last week, Koreatown was agog over Speedy Korea Grill, a two-level, just-opened food court, causing long lines to wind down Broadway. The space — entrance at 1271 Broadway and 32nd Street — features stalls with a single ordering system for the most part: options include school-lunch-style dosirak; egg sandwiches; espresso beverages; gimbap; DIY instant ramen in a manner similar to Instant Noodle Factory; several varieties of banchan; and a type of filled waffle, gold coin cakes, which have gone viral.

I went the first week, and was discouraged by the long lines of customers mainly in their teens and 20s, but went back Monday to find the place nearly empty, so I could easily try almost everything.

Right inside the front door is a display counter behind a sneeze guard with a dozen dishes. Somewhat confusingly, everything except the ramyun (Korean ramen) and the contents of the reach-in refrigerator case must be ordered at a pair of electronic kiosks, which still have a few bugs: Prepare to be challenged on your first go-round. Pick-up is at three counters as either your name or order number are called. Things like kimchi and sodas from the refrigerator cases must be carried to the coffee counter to be rung up.

I started with the classic egg sandwich ($6), which featured airy beaten eggs on a puffy milk bun. When I picked it up as my number was called, the attendant squirted the face of my sandwich with mayo and French dressing before I could stop him. It was pretty good anyway, with the optional addition of ham and cheese.

I ordered one dosirak, which came on a black plastic tray, and included rice and miso soup, for $15. I picked LA-style galbi — swatches of sweet beef short rib; tofu teriyaki; dumplings — small, fried, and shriveled; and a wonderful spicy chicken stew with onions and carrots that packed a bit of welcome heat. This is plenty of food for lunch or dinner. Other dishes in a similarly obvious vein were available, including rice cakes in gochujang sauce (tteokbokki), fried rice, and fried chicken.

Gimbap ($9) is fit for a light lunch. The Spam was the most desirable of the options, with the chunks of meat jammed in the dried laver with yellow daikon pickle, shredded carrots, sushi rice, spinach, and a scatter of sesame seeds. The tub of kimchi ($5) I got with it was nicely aged and piquant.

Downstairs, there’s no seating and it can get crowded. Upstairs is bright green and more chill, with a few standing tables, and a very nice standing counter overlooking Greeley Square (commemorating the founder of the New York Herald Tribune). This would be one of the better cheap dining spaces in town if only there were seats — but the proprietors of Speedy Korea Grill clearly want you to carry out or eat quickly.

Also upstairs is what might be the main attraction of the place: A do-it-yourself ramyun facility with eight machines that make it easy for you to prepare the instant noodles ($8 per packet), and a wall full of choices — though they only had a dozen available when I visited. Additionally, you can buy add-ins like boiled eggs, slabs of Spam, scallions, etc. at the counter where you purchase the noodles.

I couldn’t resist the noodles called Chapaghetti, a type of jjajangmyeon cooked to the consistency of Bolognese. I wasn’t a fan, but it was somehow fascinating, too. So I just kept on eating, looking through the window at the backside of Horace Greeley, who is portrayed in a statue sitting in a humongous chair. It made me wish I were sitting down, too.

Unfortunately, the vaunted coin cakes were not up and running. These were not the first in town; I’d tried them before at Shingane in the Village, where they are filled with mozzarella, red bean paste, or chocolate.