Sinsa

"Sinsa is sister to Rice Thief, one of our Best New Restaurants of 2024. And like its Astoria sibling, this East Village wine bar is a good choice for a night out with friends, with shareable plates and soju and rice-wine-based cocktails. It’s also a pleasant place to linger, especially if you’re seated within sight of the long brick gallery wall, decorated with sweeping landscapes and at least one portrait of a horse. The food here is less traditional than at Rice Thief, but it’s still exciting, and for the most part works quite nicely. Instead of raw marinated seafood, there’s an emphasis on fusion-y dishes like a donkatsu au poivre, or a play on caesar salad with funky-sweet candied anchovies. Food Rundown photo credit: Sinsa The Boat This romaine salad incorporates ground, charred shishito peppers into its creamy dressing for a subtle smoke and sweetness. They should bag and sell the candied anchovies because they’d make an excellent afternoon snack. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Rice Thief A nod to Sinsa’s sister restaurant, this luxe starter features uni, marinated red shrimp that’s sweet and tender, a quail egg, and tiny bursts of tobiko. It’s very nice, though the portion feels a bit small for $37. photo credit: Sinsa Southern KFC Outstanding. The breading on the buttermilk-brined fried chicken fractures into crunchy, cornflake-like shards with every bite, and pairs perfectly with a side of smoky gochugaru ranch. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Donkatsu Au Poivre Though it took a few bites for our brain to adjust to the almost-familiar, not-quite au poivre, this juicy pork cutlet submerged in a doenjang soy pepper sauce—and topped with a refreshing cucumber salad—is quite good, and a successful handshake between unexpected flavors. Duk-Galbi Bourgignon The short rib is a little on the tough side, and you may find yourself longing for the typical sweetness of galbi, rather than this slightly uncanny in-between. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Sinsa Granita This complex shaved ice with candied pear, green apple, and pink peppercorns is tart, floral, and refreshing, though we wish there were even more dollops of date crème fraîche." - Molly Fitzpatrick

"A Korean American wine bar that combines bistro classics with Korean flavors, offering a vibrant social atmosphere." - Bettina Makalintal

"A Korean American wine bar offering creative dishes and drinks." - Emma Orlow