Danji Review

A quirky minimal Korean restaurant near the Theater District. The food and ambience are amazing but there are strange aspects that give the experience "character". Expect to be led through everything from finding the menus hidden in table drawers to consuming the dishes correctly. It delivers on flavor but isn't a destination I would choose for a second meal. Go here after theater or on a I want to impress some one dinner date.

It's hard to go wrong with Korean, and the ambiance is vintage neighbourhood NYC resto. The kimchi was fine, of course. And the sizzling fried rice with eggs and bacon was a fave item. However, there was an unnecessary level of grease that weighed down the meal. Also, there should be better guidance to the spice level of individual menu items, because not everyone is looking for hot dishes. Add to this a plethora of fried food and you will understand why this resto cannot crack 4 stars in my view, even if it is fun as an occasional treat. The drinks were really great.

The food is excellent here. Had the set menu for two and really enjoyed all the dishes.

Danji was very good, we tried a number of dishes and they were all delicious and interesting. We let the staff know that we had a show to get to and they did their best to get us out on time (about an hour). The atmosphere was small and intimate but energetic. All in all we had a great experience here and would go back and recommend it to friends.

Me bad. Made the same error twice, walking over from Cha Pa..... so I repeat - For those Asian tourists in New York City, unless you are really home sick, don t try. The taste is just not the same.

I like this restaurant very much. there is a friendly ambiance. The kitcen is very tasty. the service is powerful and the personel is polite. The pay is decent. I warmly recommend.

Very homy and comfy atmosphere. The servers are very attentive. Most importantly the food is super tasty. When I look around I see some Korean couples which also confirms that this restaurant is a genuine and good restaurant.

Korean tapas, in a pleasant setting.
Perfect tasting menu!

A restaurant specializing in high-class Korean food courses!
I ate to burst my stomach. It is not traditional Korean food, but it has a lot of new flavors. It was like a restaurant trying various new attempts based on Korean food. There was a little price point, but it is worth finding. In particular, the ice cream served as a dessert at the end was also delicious.

This spot never fails to impress. They serve fresh food for reasonable rates, there is no waiting time even when the spot is packed.

We went here because the owner was in the famous cooking show in Korea and the restaurant got a Michelin. We are Korean and we've been a quite number of Korean restaurants in Manhattan. Some of them were really disappointing for Korean.

This one is very different. We sat outside dinning and ordered three menu (two side dishes and one main menu). All the three dishes were AWESOME. They certainly understand what kind of taste it should have as a Korean dish, at the same time, they have one special tweak differentiating them from the traditional Korean cuisine.

1st dish: Yellow Tail with Salad. We're great fans of Yellow Tail back in Korea. We wanted it so bad every winter. Finally we have it here. The fish were so soft, and red sauce (sour & spicy) was AWESOME.

2nd dish: Spicy Crispy Chicken Wing: I love Korean Fried Chicken. I love they also served picked radish with chicken. Such a classic way. We apparently could see the chef understands the Korean cuisine deeply, and gave it a lot of thought to create this menu. The dish was served so hot that the taste cannot escape until we finished the dish.

3rd dish: Beef Bi-bim-bap: a lot of ingredient. The chef seems to have a lot of respect about the ingredient. Bibimbap is such a normal cuisine back in Korea, so I'm usually hesitant to order. But here because of its excessive ingredient, it fulled me enough with delicious taste.

Indeed, I didn't expect that every dish would hit home-run every time. What a pleasant discovery. Thanks to the owner and the chef who gave us great time during this horrible pandemic season.

(Instagram: @ pain.paris) Just unfolding traditional Korean food with a new perspective. It was more suitable for snacks than meals :)

I absolutely love this restaurant. The Pork Belly sliders though steal the show. We had both the bulgogi sliders and the pork belly ones. Both are awesome, but a slight edge to the pork belly ones for the unique flavor. The cocktails are the work of true mixologist and the ambiance made for a great date spot.

Thanks again and I look up at the top of my head I will have the most pure love

Good food, quick service. Constantly refilling our waters and getting us new plates. Favorite dishes were spicy Korean fried chicken (not very spicy and like chicken wings) and sweet potato noodles with beef. Beef sliders delicious but not much quantity for the price. Tight seating. Between $18-25 per dish

This is delicious Korean with organic commitment. Nice kimchi and other pickles and good sharing food all in all. It's a small room so not a fancy affair, book ahead to avoid a wait on the street. Wine list also ok.

This restaurant is right in my neighborhood and I couldn t be happier about it. It s the perfect place to catch up with friends and enjoy great cocktails / food when you don t want to see or be seen. It s vibey, but intimate. Small but beautiful. Depending on what you order, it s easy to run a big bill here if you re not careful. But everything is worth it!

Expect an hr wait if you don't rsvp on a weeknight/weekend dinner. Its a snug small restaurant with just the right lighting. Great ambiance, service and food. Tried the tasting menu this time. Yellowtail and Bossam dishes were my favorite. Dont get the pork sliders (too much sauce, the flavor was overwhelming). Great drinks too!

Good eats. Korean food very well prepared. I went to see what 1 star Michelin restaurant is all about.

Superb Korean dishes, tummy satisfying, left very full. Service was fine. :)

Really great food. Serving sizes are large and reasonably priced

Came at the last min and even though they were full and busy they accommodated us and thank god they did! It was great food.

Had an awesome dinner with friends here! We had the fried chicken wings, kimchi poutine, and black cod. Everything was point and delicious!

Food was average and service was OK. Compared to some of my favorite Korean restaurants on 32nd ave, it was too pricey for the quality.

The night we had dinner there, this restaurant could kill our daughter if she was severely allergic to chillies.
When we ordered our dinner we firmly asked for NO chillies and sesame seeds but she was served heaps of chilli-paste in it but waitress and manager didn't take that seriously when I called her so it shocked us.
It could be life and death situations for many people when they asked special dietary needs.

Authentic Korean food, ate there before a Broadway show. The waiters are very attentive and asked us if we re seeing any shows so they can have us out the door on time.

Very elegant and welcoming place. They serve generous portions and for economical prices. I loved the meals a lot and the staff were super affable and explanatory. Will definitely recommend this restaurant.

A bit disappointed.. There are a lot of Korean restaurants way better than this place. I couldn't understand why this one has the best reputation. Warning: never try Kimbap here. As a kimbap lover, it was such a shame..

I ordered a spicy pork stone pot bibimbap, and the rice was crispy and delicious. The amount of the dish is quite large, but the amount of rice is not large, and it does not feel like the American rice. The amount of bibimbap sauce is quite large, and if it is added, the taste may be heavier.

Portions were small and expensive, but the food was good.

A Korean version fusion cuisine, offered in the form of tapas. The ones we took were really excellent.

Great people. I was open to suggestions and I was not disappointed

I went for lunch on a Friday during restaurant week 2018. Luckily I made reservations for 1pm because the place was packed. I've been to a lot of Korean restaurants in Manhattan and this place I would have to say had the tastiest food. The More

couple things were really delicious. couple things weren't so great. nice, nice venue. ask them what SPE Certified means.

Descent food.. worst wings EVER. Poke bowl was good but had way too much sauce. Dumplings were decent but the "korean fried chicken"... one of the worst chicken i ever had. As a korean.. i demand that you stop calling these "korean fried chicken". Service was average. I wouldnt mind trying here again but wouldnt go out of my way to eat here like i did the first time...

The only michelin starred Korean restaurant that I know of. It's got great food and great service, and at a decent price as well. Make sure to make a reservation. This is an especially good place to eat before a show, just let them know what time your show is.

We had golbangyi muchim and duckbockyi with few bottles of IPAs. Food was a bit salty but good atmosphere and service made me forget all this at the end.

Loved it. Food was amazing. Have the shrimp scallion pancake!

What an awesome gem in the west side! This restaurant takes a modern approach to Korean cuisine and executes it very well. The dishes still scream Korean but every plate has a surprising and pleasant twist to it. They serve things tapas-style but I thought the portions were big enough; two people became full with only 3 dishes.

This is definitely a must-try. I might go back.

BTW, this is close to Totto Ramen and it's just as small and packed as Totto. Make sure you get there early or have a place in mind to chill while you wait. I had to wait 45 minutes!

Tiny cozy spot. Great dishes for sharing. Really nice wait staff, delicious sliders and tuna appetizers. Limited wine list but great cocktails.
Perfect place pre-theater. Only a 8 Minute walk to the heart of theater district.

Wait was too long even though we made reservations early in the afternoon

Food was so good. Very savory, creative spin on traditional Korean dishes. Food came quickly and timed the dishes out perfectly. My only comment is that the service was efficient but could be a little friendlier and welcoming.

Good food & cocktails, friendly staff, nice decor, but overpriced and a bit cramped

Love the ambiance and design. Food was great and love the way it was presented. Nice date spot.

Very good Korean food but small portions. A "medium plate" of bulgogi sliders is only 2 tiny sliders.

if you are are there early, grab a bar seat and ask for that really good pear cocktail ricky makes. then enjoy the bulgogi or pork belly sliders and the wickedly delicious spicy wings with a bottle of rioja. really good food!

Their black cod jorim is my personal favorite as a Korean. Also their bulgogi sliders are amazing. If visiting at winter, I highly recommend the pear vodka cocktail.

Awesome spin on Korean classics! Yellowtail sashimi and tofu stew were absolutely delicious. Great decor and atmosphere inside. Friendly staff. Make reservations ahead of time if you can the space is very small.

God i love this place. Tasting menu. Enough said.

Hands down the best meal of my entire life. The bulgogi beef sliders alone were unbelievably delicious. Attention to every detail from the cozy decor to the plating of each dish makes this place a treasure.

A special place - a small jewel with tremendous care in their foods.

We came here for restaurant week and got way more than we bargained for with Eduardo as our server making excellent recommendations and providing equally fantastic service. His advice on the toasted rice ice cream was perfect for finishing the meal, as was the Asian pear cocktail. Highly recommended spot!

Amazing food. Got lucky and picked up a great wine bottle at half the price.

Fantastic delicious taps style food. Banquet is very filly but yummy. Cosy hip place.

Good, modern Korean food; priced for Manhattan though.

Brilliant Korean Tapas with great friendly service. Highly recommended. Small but excellent

Extremely slow service, usually takes over 25 minutes to get my food. Place is also always a complete mess. And for whatever reason, they close off most of the seating area at 10pm when there are still plenty of customers so there aren't even enough tables.

[Service]: Came here for lunch right when it opened. There was no line, so I cannot really comment on how service would be if it were a full house.

[Food]: I would have liked to try their other dishes. Ordered both sliders, bibimbop, and bulgogi dupbap. Overall I would say they were solid dishes. The pork belly slider was a bit on the spicier side. The bibimbop is not served in hot stone (not sure if that was an option).

[Decor]: There are caged lights, high top tables, and some weird spoon rack. Cool.

[Atmosphere]: We were the only people in here right when it opened, so I can't say what it would be like during peak times.

Food was okay.
The ambience was great and cozy.
HOWEVER, you need to educate and train your staffs how to BEHAVE towards customers.
One of the staff who was in charge of reservations was literally talking back at me while I was speaking which was VERY RUDE and unacceptable.
I donot know whether they behave equally towards all the customers but if it is KOREAN restaurant, you need to know how to behave like other KOREANS DO in service.

I brought my friend who was her first time to try Korean food but I was very embarrassed that she had to see this behaviour.

Except for the staffs, it was fine.
Hope it could be better in the future.

Eduardo and Angel and Bakar rock.

The rest of the staff rock too. Get their family meal to go (even if you don't have a family) or eat sidewalk side in their weather-proofed area! Their Korean pancake's outstanding and not typically what you find elsewhere.

Small place with very good food. Highly recommended

If I lived in New York I d come here all the time! Service is friendly and food is amazing, every person who entered the door when I was sat at the bar, commented how good the food smells and believe me it tastes as good as it smells! The sizzling bibim-bap is amazing, I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Excellent food and great service. The sliders are awesome... go with the pork belly!

One of the best meals I ve had in a long time. Suggest doing the tasting menu... at first thought we d miss out on the fried riced but so much food was brought out, and so delicious.

Wings are the best, followed by pork belly and hamachi.

Go hungry

Amazing food, great service. If you are in the area definitely give it a try.

Amazing and memorable Korean dishes! Service was very prompt and efficient. Space is quite tight, so I'd recommend reservations. Highly recommended.

Absolutely excellent food. Don t even think about it, just go. Price is not cheap but reasonable for the quality you get and that it s in Midtown.

Very lackluster Korean food. Given the number of choices in nearby Koreatown or Bayside for the adventurous, one can find better options in the city for lower prices and higher quality.

I'd put this on my skip list

The pork belly sliders were to die for - definitely a must order.

Good ambiance and service. The pork belly was tasty but if you're expecting authentic Korean food you'll probably be disappointed

The best old fashioned in the city. The best wings in the city!

This is more American Korean food not authenticated Korean food. Some people like it sone may not enjoy this kind of modification. Personally, if I want to go eat Korean food I like more authenticated traditional one. The taste is above average. The service is pretty good and friendly. The restaurant is clean.

Very well organised and convenient place. They serve large portions and for affordable prices. We liked the menu a lot and the staff members were super personal and chatty. Recommended.

An awesome place with great food, and a very wide selection of vegetarian options! The Fire Dumplings are awesome! The Makgeolli is also great.

pretty good korean fusion tapas bar in hell's kitchen. couple blocks away from totto so you see all the people who can't get tables come here. supposedly the pork belly sliders are supposed to be amazing but i personally thought they weren't that great. very different-- more spicy, and nothing similar to ippudo's. the kimchi fried rice or paella was just ok as well. had a weird sour aftertaste. drinks though are good and the waitstaff is very friendly.

Had the kimchi fried rice and spicy wings. Was a little bit extra but delicious.

Creative and amazingly delicious food! Great ambience.

mystery. Tight seating especially at the shared tables. Food was pretty good. A version of authentic Korean food. Service is very attentive but cant get to customers when the people are sitting so closely together.

Food was really salty. Serving size for the tasting menu is too large.
Service was on time and prompt. Waitress was attentive. Restaurant is clean and comfortable.