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| Rating | Avg. Dinner Entrée |
|---|---|
| $$$$$ | Greater than $25 |
| $$$$ | $18.01 - $25 |
| $$$ | $12.01 - $18 |
| $$ | $7.01 - $12 |
| $ | Less than $7 |
Reviews + Photos from nymag.com
| Food | ![]() |
Value | ![]() |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service | ![]() |
Atmosphere | ![]() |
Posted by Anonymous on 06/04/2009
Another Eh Korean Place by NYU
I agree with a past reviewer who comments that for the number of Korean and Korean-American students at NYU you think there'd be a good Korean place nearby if for no other reason than to capitlize on that market. Sadly there isn't. WaWa Canteen is counter-service Korean (there aren't nearly enough of these in the city though if you're looking for quick self-service Korean check out Woorijip in K-Town) which is nice but the food takes an awfully long time to come. I agree that waiting for fresh food isn't always the worst thing in the world but if you have a short lunch break you probably won't want to put up with the wait you will endure here. Anyway, on to the food. To be fair the food here isn't terrible. It's not inedible. The vegetables are fresh. That being said this place is not authentic Korean at all. The tastes are flat, muted and lacking. They serve plain old white rice. I had the Denjang Chigae (Korean Miso Soup) and it wasn't bad, it was prepared with Denjang and not Miso (there were crushed soybeans at the bottom) but I was a little sad they didn't throw in a container of Gochujang or something to spice it up. Maybe I should've asked? If you desperately need to have something remotely Korean to eat WaWa Canteen will do in a pinch but the food isn't authentic nor is the service fast nor are the prices cheap (7 bucks for prepacked Kimbap sitting in a fridge? You get that for much less at M2M or in K-Town). WaWa Canteen might do if you've never tried Korean food before and are in the are and want to give it a shot. However once you've had the real thing (and this is coming from a white guy who's had meals in Seoul and Busan) you'll see why WaWa Canteen leaves a lot to be desired and why it's worth getting on the subway to 34th street.
Posted by Bryan H. on 04/27/2009
Inauthentic, Expensive, Disappointing
This is NOT Korean food. The flavors are completely off. My ramen tasted like they just put some kimchi flavoring and spices into hot water; instant Korean ramen noodles are WAY better than the ramen that they charge $8 for. I'm actually insulted that this place calls itself a Korean restaurant--you can even get tastier stuff at deli buffets. I don't believe this place is under Korean ownership, and the food definitely shows. As for service and value, you would think that with its proximity to the NYU campus, they would attempt to be friendlier or offer lunch specials to draw in students and faculty. With the amount of good Korean restaurants in K-town, do not waste your time and money here. I honestly don't think this place will be around much longer.
Posted by anonymous on 04/14/2009
good stuff
This is an excellent place for a delivery/takeout. Simple and fresh, and good value.
Posted by Julianna on 02/04/2009
Puny portions
I can't believe that I spent $5 for 5 tiny, pathetic, tasteless, soggy steamed dumplings! But for $3 I got more edamame than 3 people could eat. I was extremely disappointed in the dumplings. I'm not trying to replace Rickshaw Dumplings (one more dumpling for about the same price, but they are meaty and tasty) for my dumpling fix, but this certainly isn't the place. I don't know why people would eat here except for the hipster atmosphere.
Posted by Anonymous on 11/07/2008
I want to like this place more...
Working in the area, I would love to eat here more because I really do enjoy the food. However every time I go, I end up being disappointed. The man who works the register is never friendly and often rude. The other workers behind the counter are often on their phones and the food takes a while. I can deal with the last part because freshly made food should not be immediately available but the flaws in the service greatly effect the experience.
Posted by Anonymous on 10/02/2007
Convenient, but that's about it.
The location on the NYU campus makes it an easy place to stop by, but the food was so bland and the portions so small that I'd rather walk an extra block and find something else. I need the exercise anyways.
Posted by Ernest M. Skinner on 03/27/2007
Tasty, but flawed
If you're in a hurry, forget about it. The place was empty, and it took forever to get a simple bowl of soup. But once the dumpling soup came, it was really quite good. HOWEVER, for the price, they were stingy with the dumplings -- three. The loud, offensive music choice was completely against the grain of what is supposed to be a restful, peaceful, Eastern setting. Despite other reviews saying that the staff was nasty, they were very nice to me, just clueless about how to create a good eating experience.