Tucked away behind a banchan shop, Meju offers an intimate eight-seat dining experience where Chef Hooni Kim shares his passion for fermentation and Korean cuisine.
"This Korean tasting menu for $215 — and one star — is tucked in the back of Hooni Kim’s Little Banchan Shop, a Queens provisions store." - Eater Staff
"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
"Price: $215 Noksu, Atomix, Jua—there are so many Korean fine dining options nowadays. But Meju exists in a category of its own. This eight-seat counter in Long Island City is essentially a one-man show, led by a chef who will talk your head off about Korean fermentation techniques. Consisting of around seven courses, the food is more homey than it is modern, with dishes like an ultra-concentrated doenjang jjigae, and fried seaperch served alongside a dab of 128-year-old soy sauce. " - bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja, molly fitzpatrick
"Unlike many other fine dining spots, Meju doesn’t seem to care about foie gras and caviar. The focus at this eight-seat spot is on probiotics. Around a U-shaped counter hidden behind a shop in Long Island City, you’ll eat a roughly seven-course meal that makes heavy use of traditional Korean fermentation techniques. Expect things like short rib with ssamjang, amberjack with gochujang, and fried seaperch accompanied by a dab of 128-year-old soy sauce. For an intimate night out with a chef who'll talk your ear off about healthy bacteria, Meju is well worth the $215 price tag." - bryan kim, kenny yang
"Meju, named for fermented soybean paste, bases most of its menu on fermentation and is led by Chef Hooni Kim." - The MICHELIN Guide
