Oiji

Oiji is a refined Korean restaurant that has been getting a lot of buzz since it opened (particularly for its honey butter chips) so T and I decided to check it out. The food was all well done but the one dish that would really get me to return were the honey butter chips.

Beef Tartare with Ramp Aioli 
This is definitely the most beautiful steak tartare I've ever seen but I felt that the flavors were quite 1 dimensional. It was a bit too sweet in general and the mustard was much too tart as compared to the rest of the dish and was unable to balance the dish. I understand that Korean beef tartare is usually on the sweeter side with the pear but usually the sesame oil helps add another element to that it. This got a bit boring after a few bites. 

Fried Chicken with Spicy Soy Vinaigrette 
This is one of their most popular dishes. I really enjoyed how the chicken was very juicy and the coating was light and crunchy. The soy was also refreshing and balanced out the oilier aspect of the chicken. However, I personally prefer a creamier sauce such as Japanese chicken nanban as compared to this more tart sauce. 

Slow Cooked Pork Belly with Kimchi 
The sauce was very flavorful and sweet with a slight kick of spice from the kimchi. The pork belly was very tender but not overly fatty. I enjoyed this dish.

Special of the Day: Sausage Patties
I thought these were very sub-par. They weren't bad, but nothing special. 

Honey Butter Chips 
These were absolutely amazing. The chips were thin and crispy and was drenched with the most decadent mixture of honey and butter. It wasn't too sweet and it was so creamy and luscious. We did not know that we could add ice cream but that would have taken it to the next level! 

Overall everything was well prepared but I just wasn't blown away by the meal. The honey butter chips really do live up to the hype but apart from that I wouldn't say its a must visit. However, if you are looking for smaller plates of Korean dishes that aren't are heavy as traditional Korean BBQ, I would recommend Oiji.

Oiji

119 1st Avenue 

New York, NY 10003