Is there such a thing as a meal that’s just too rich? No, say the folks over at HYUN, who run one of the best Korean BBQ spots outside of Korea.
Korean BBQ is always a special meal, but at HYUN, it’s something even more as they primarily focus on Japanese A5 Wagyu beef and an overall elevated experience. HYUN has been around since 2019, receiving Michelin recognition and high praise from the press and public alike. What’s new is their “HYUN-makase” menu which has been streamlined to just one tasting menu (three-courses) priced at $159 per person.
The price may seem intimidating but this may be one of the best opportunities for beginners to get into Korean BBQ. Oftentimes, the menus at other spots throughout K-town here in New York or anywhere else can be difficult to navigate or understand, but with the curated HYUN-makase menu, the ordering process is simplified and made novice friendly while remaining a truly elegant and elevated Korean BBQ experience.
For the experience, guests are assigned a personal server to provide one-on-one service and guide diners through the meal. The first course features 12 daily cuts of beef, selected and butchered by the chef, some of which include ribeye, striploin, culotte body and short rib, followed by the next course of Marinated Wagyu (portioned based on party size). Then, guests can indulge in an encore course of three of the customer’s favorite cuts. As part of the HYUN-makase experience, diners are served house-made sides; a-la-carte accompaniments are also available.
My time here was phenomenal. To begin, the ambience was bar none, especially for a Korean BBQ spot. As you can imagine, the typical KBBQ spot is a little smoky and features open spaces for the servers to easily move around and cook. However, here, most of the tables were in secluded booths that offered a nice bit of privacy and elegance. This was definitely one of my favorite places to visit and be in. Another nice touch was the hot towel we were offered to start before any menu or food was brought to the table.
Ambience aside, we came for the food and it certainly did not disappoint. For our first course, we had 12 cuts of ribeye, loin, and short rib which were unmarinated as the deep, rich flavor of the meat was worth being savored. Again, this is some of the highest quality beef you can get and A5 Wagyu beef is unlike anything else in the world. The only comparison is a very beefy slab of butter. Even now, my mouth is watering thinking back on the meal. Our server presented the meat to us before greasing the grill with Wagyu tallow and then grilling it with great precision and cooking it to perfection. Uniquely, they also used several pieces of toast to absorb all of the rich beefy flavor that covered the grill and served as a bit of a plate for the meat. We also got the cheese course, which I highly recommend, and were able to assemble the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had.
After devouring the first course, we moved on to the second course of the Marinated Wagyu. Like the previous course, it was fantastic but emphasized the fantastic flavors of Korean seasoning which is a sweet complement to the savory, rich meat. Before we knew it, this course was done and we were on to the encore course. In addition to the final course, we had also ordered the Sot-bap, which is essentially pot-cooked rice. However, nothing at HYUN is ever just that basic. After all, this is the elevated Korean BBQ experience and this fit in perfectly. The Sot-bap, in addition to being perfectly cooked and fluffy, was topped with copious amounts of white truffles and Japanese Uni from Hokkaido. This was an underrated star that helped supplement this decadent meal. To finish things off, we had the hojicha ice cream and the shiso sorbet. Both were incredibly refreshing and light, which was the perfect way to round out such a rich meal. The sorbet in particular caught my attention as one of my favorite desserts from this year. The food was so good that I nearly forgot to highlight the cocktail, which was grapefruit forward and incredibly refreshing, perfectly pairing with the meal.
This new HYUN-makase menu is a magnificent triumph and was a joy to experience. It’s clear to see why they’re highlighted in the Michelin guide as well. It was a meal so opulent, I was just a bite shy of developing a rather regal level of gout, and that is a wonderful feeling. HYUN is not the place you go to dinner on a whim or because you’re bored. This place is an event worth saving and salivating for when the next big occasion in life comes up, especially for the meat and steak lover in your life (or yourself). Highly recommend you try out the new menu when you get a chance and go for the cheese and sot-bop as well. It is opulent and rich and decadent, but it is so worth it.