"Little Banchan Shop is to banchan lovers what Graceland is to Elvis fans. And Meju, an eight-person chef's counter hidden inside this neighborhood pantry, is kind of like the Jungle Room. If you already make your own kimchi, you’ll geek out over the $185 tasting menu here, with each course highlighting a different Korean ferment. Otherwise, be warned: Dinner may feel like an initiation ritual, and the chef's enthusiasm for microbes is infectious. If dishes like buttery amberjack with gochujang, or Miyazaki beef topped with small-batch ssamjang don't convert you, your first taste of 128-year-old soy sauce will." - neha talreja, bryan kim, hannah albertine, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick
Alex Staniloff