Gaonnuri

Reviews 6

ME

Melanie Tam

If youre looking for great Korean food at a reasonable price, Gaonnuri isnt for you. However, if youre looking for decent (but expensive) Korean food but an amazing view of the city, then Gaonnuri is for you. With large groups and drinks, expect to spend around $75 per person. Our group of 6 came in on a Friday with 7:15 reservation. I would definitely recommend making reservations because the place look packed. To get into the restaurant, you have to go into an office-like looking building and then take the elevator up. Im not sure if they seat you immediately (even with ressos) since I was late (MY BAD) but it seems like theyre pretty organized. For food, we decided to just order a bunch of dishes and share everything. That way, we can try a little bit of everything. Plus, thats how most Korean restaurants work anyway - theyre family style. Heres what we had: Calamari salad (fried calamari tossed in honey wine go-chu-jang sauce served on a bed of seasonal mixed greens with pear dressing) - this was good but I didnt really taste the pear dressing. Nonetheless, its a good option for a starter. Yuk-Hoe, or beef tartare (raw Korean-style prime ribeye tartare seasoned with sesame oil & pear and apple sauce) - you can skip this one. It tastes like they bought some beef from a supermarket, chopped it up, then tossed it with sesame oil. It was my first beef tartare experience and it wasnt a very good one, but Im not going to let that deter me from trying other ones. Haemul Pajun (scallion pancake with calamari and chopped clam, shrimp) - tasted like your average Korean place scallion pancake. Nothing bad, nothing good. Octopus Bokkeum (octopus sautéed in spicy sauce with vegetables) - the sauce tastes very similar to that of the calamari salad but I would recommend this one too. But you can get one or the other - the calamari or the octopus. You dont need both - they taste similar. Spicy Pork Bibimap - really just rice to fill you up. Marinated gabli and bulgogi - tasted good but again, nothing to write home about. Baked Alaska - this was actually my first time trying this dessert. For those of you who dont know what this is (like me at the time), its ice cream and cake, topped with browned meringue. It was pretty cool because they torch it in front of you. I cant really speak on this because I only had a couple of bites since Im not a huge fan of sweets. Drinks - are pretty expensive. The cheapest bottle of wine is about $40. A glass of whiskey is about $25. So like I mentioned at the beginning of the review, maybe save Gaonurri for a special occasion, if youre trying to impress a date, or if you just want to have a few drinks to catch the view. But if youre just looking to have good Korean BBQ/food, head to the other various restaurants nearby without bringing the bank. Youll probably spend about half the amount.

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CH

Chulho Park

한인타운에 있을법한 곳이라 많은기대를 같었지만, 아직은 준비가 많이 필요하다고 생각됩니다. 음료나 술을 시킬땐 문제되지 않지만 굴이와선 누가 시키고 무엇을 기켯는지 알지 못햇고, 예약을 했음에도 8명이 6명 테이블에 앉았으며, 음식은 6시30분에 오더 했는데도 8시넘어서 다 떨어졌다고 전해들었고, 고기 주문한것은 순서없이 구워져서 식감을 잃었고, 오리고기는 아무도 도와주질 않아 태워먹었다. 물론 바뻐서 그러려니 하지만 반도 채워지지 않은곳에 무엇이 그리 바쁜지....... 물론 다 나쁘다는것이 아니라, 명소가 될것이라는 기대감에 조금이라도 도움 됩으면 하는바램으로 몇자 더 적고 싶다. 우선 종업원의 음식에 대한 기본 숙지가 필요할것이다.특히 음식 설명보단 음식과 손님대한 배려가 저욱 절실하다. 예) 고기와 냉면중 먼져와 나중이 무엇인지? 예)음식의 패턴에 대한 테이블의 정리상태. 예)여러종류의 고기를 먹늘때 우선과 나중. 등등. 좀더 시간이 지나면 나아지겠다는 생각을 하면서 조금이라도 도움이 될거라 하며 ....미안합니다.

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YU

yu new

Came to celebrate my boyfriends birthday, which conveniently falls during Restaurant Week! Weve been wanting to come to this place for the views and of course some yummy Korean BBQ. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. I was a bit hesitant that this was going to be a tourist trap given the location and views (Im hesitant of almost all restaurants with amazing city views in the city). However, the portions were generous and the food was yummy. Restaurant Week consisted of a 3 course meal for $42. I ordered the Beef Japache as my appetizer, and my boyfriend ordered the baby octopus salad. For our main, we ordered the Bulgogi and Chicken and shared so we could get a taste of each. We BBQd the food at our table, and it was accompanied by an array of side items. For dessert, we had something called PLCP which was described as: Lemongrass Coconut Panna Cotta, Rum-Lime Poached Pineapple, Coconut Meringue Disc, Passionfruit Kaffir Lime Sorbet. Very tasty. We also ordered some cocktails - the Ginger Poire and Pear Margarita, both of which were enjoyable. As far as Restaurant Week goes, I think this is one of the better ones meaning the experience is similar to that of non-Restaurant week, generous portions, good service, etc. Definitely an upscale setting that is enforced, so leave the hawaiian t-shirt, shorts and flip flops at home. Pro Tip: Request a window seat!

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JA

Jamie Choi

I am a regular at all popular K-town restaurants and I dine at Gaonnuri quite often. It is located on the 39th floor of an inconspicuous office building. Upon entering the lobby, a hostess grants access with a security card to allow the customer to use the express elevator to the penthouse restaurant. I have consistently received great service even during the lunch and dinner rush. The food is authentic Korean with a modern twist, meaning that the presentation of the dishes is nicely done. The interior is beautifully decorated, and it has a breathtaking view through the floor-to-ceiling windows exposing an unobstructed 180 degree view of Midtown Manhattan. The bathrooms are very clean with a beautifully decorated powder room. It has many stalls which allows customers to use the bathroom immediately without having to wait. The elevator opens up to a modern bar. Customers can enjoy their drink either at the bar, or in the separate cocktail lounge attached to the bar. The cocktail lounge has a direct close-up view of the Empire State Building and a northern unobstructed view of Manhattan. The price is comparable to the other restaurants in the area. Surprisingly enough, it is not expensive. Overall, it is a great place for business meetings, romantic dinners, and casual meet-ups with friends.

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SA

Sara Lee

Gaonnuri means center of the world. They raise the bar on typical Korean dining. Located on the 39th penthouse floor at the corner building of Broadway, it offers panoramic floor to ceiling views of the city. Decor is modern and very appealing. Service here was much better than expected. For starters, we had the Oyster Jun and Bossam. For main, marinated galbi. The appetizers were good, but note that portion sizes are smaller than typical Korean restaurants. The Oyster Jun wasnt entirely what I had in mind. It was individual oysters versus being a full pancake. Bossam was a nice dish, and the kimchi was well made. The seasoned octopus was delicious. The pork belly was fatty, complemented well by the sesame leaves. The galbi was good, but not great. I found the beef dry and slightly tough. The banchan seemed quite ordinary. We did opt on dessert, the Yuzu Parfait. It wasnt really a parfait, but I still really liked this dish; sweet but tarty, beautifully presented, and a great way to end the meal.

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MI

Miguel Angel Gallego Preciado

Un atico elegante y exclusivo con unas vistas estupendas gracias a sus grandes ventanales. Es necesario reservar con antelación y os recomiendo que soliciteis una mesa cerca de los ventanales y que tenga barbacoa. Para dos personas tomamos el plato de aperitivos (Goan appetizers) y carne de ternera para hacer en la bbq de la mesa (Seng galbi, marinated galbi, rib finger and ribeye). Son unos 500 gramos de carne limpia que junto con la guarnicion es una buena cantidad.

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