When I started researching restaurants in New York, it was hard to ignore Nowon. My criteria was “must be a palindrome”. Just kidding, there is a lot of content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube about this East Village spot (and their new Bushwick location). The Korean/American menu looked fantastic, and some friends confirmed that it lives up to the hype. Given the hectic schedule of our trip it was tough finding the right time to make a reservation (a little far from the theatre district), but I snatched a 5:15pm reservation on a Saturday. Two things went wrong with the plan…first, it was pretty hot and humid that day and we could only secure an outdoor table. Second, our afternoon plans went a bit long so lunch was later than we had intended. That meant we weren’t as hungry as we would have preferred. We scaled down our ordering strategy, but it was still daunting.
Drinks
I opted to try the non alcoholic adult sodas. The two that sounded the most interesting were Yuzu Mint and Honey Ginger. These were both crisp and refreshing. Yuzu Mint had a fresh herbal quality to it with the mint, and (as I’ve said before)…I love yuzu. Honey Ginger was smooth and sweet. No real bite from the ginger, but it was a great drink for a hot day. Overall I liked the drinks, but I think that $10 each is way too steep for a relatively straightforward syrup with seltzer water. Restaurants rely on beverage margins to increase profit, but I probably wouldn’t get them again at this price point.
Food
Had I arrived with a larger appetite I would have ordered the E.P. with my wife and shared more plates:
Instead, we split the cheeseburger and ordered the Chopped Cheese Rice Cakes and Honey Butter Tots. Nowon graciously provided us with their Whipped Ricotta Toast as well.
Whipped Ricotta Toast – This was delicious, and such an awesome variation to the “on toast” concept. I like avocado toast, but whipped ricotta, citrus jam, and chili oil on sourdough hits different. It’s complex with creamy, spicy, sweet, and sour notes. You’re also guaranteed to get some ricotta on your nose.
Chopped Cheese Rice Cakes – If you’re thinking of those dry puffed rice wafers, you’re wrong. Korean Rice Cakes are closer to a really chewy gnocchi (made out of rice). Nowon serves these with some classic flavors of a Harlem chopped cheese sandwich (hamburger meat, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, etc.). I’d actually say that it resembled an upscaled Hamburger Helper dish. The flavors were great, and the chewy texture of the rice cakes has a lot of appeal for me. Being able to eat this with chop sticks makes it a perfect date food.
The Cheeseburger – Hard to dislike a well executed smash burger. Nowon gets a lot of attention for this burger, and they deserve it. Everything is dialed in for a beautiful combination of flavors. The bun is rich and buttery, the patties has an excellent char, the chopped and grilled kimchi packs an umami punch, and the pickles and cheese round out the profile perfectly. It’s in my upper tier of burgers. They also have a version with truffles, but we stuck with the entry level option for our first time.
Honey Butter Tots – This was a first for me with tater tots. First, Nowon fries them exceptionally well. They have a perfect crust, and then they’re tossed in melted butter and honey. You can taste both of those flavors, but it’s similar to what happens with adding honey butter to cornbread…it turns into crack. It’s hard to stop eating them once you start because they’re salty, and buttery, and sweet, but not too far in any of those directions. The creamy sauce and furikake seasoning added some much needed color and a little bit of funk. These were a phenomenal tater tot dish.
Summary
This is a great restaurant. The Bushwick location has pizza on the menu, and I bet it’s fantastic. I regret not showing up with a larger appetite, and I’m a little bummed that I couldn’t be seated in one of their air conditioned outdoor stalls. Oh well. I recommend getting a reservation, but you also might be able to enjoy this as take out from the comfort of your own AC.
Sodafry 