Take31

My friend and I came by for dinner again tonight, and I’ve decided that Take 31 really is as good as it gets!
Ordering the kimchi seafood noodle soup and the pork belly rice crêpe wrap, we once again found everything to be delicious. The kimchi seafood noodle soup, brimming with seafood and spicy, was similar to the seafood stew we had last time, and the pork belly rice crêpe wrap, accompanied by sliced onions and jalapeño peppers, was delectable.
Furthermore, the service was excellent, especially in comparison to most restaurants in the Koreatown area.

I like it here. Most of their food is good, but I feel like, the more I try it, the more I end up not liking it, haha. The first time is always good though!
The reason why I’m taking off a star is because it’s always so loud in there at night. And it’s dim, like hollister dim, so reading the menu was a bit tricky.
Other than that, service was okay, typical– one would say, but the hostess who brought me my bill was very nice.

Probably one of the best korean bars in Koreatown in terms of food (quirky, creative, delicious) and atmosphere (hip, cozy, poppin but sometimes quiet and chill). Love that theyre constantly updating their menu with new fusion-​y dishes.
But the reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because of alcohol. Their cocktails/​soju slushies are ridiculously sweet — probably because its mixed to hell with sugary chasers and ice. Likely theres less soju in those tiny mason jars than there are in half a regular soju bottle. Moving on, the flavored makgeollis/​rice wine. Wtf? Bottled chestnut rice wine exists already, just gimme that and not some weird blended ice and goguma latte powder mix tasting concotion with a tinkle of rice wine in it.
So in conclusion, I only come here for the food and i would only order bottled alcohol as none of the other mixed stuff is worth the exorbitant price.

The sweet potato wine was strong but too sweet for my taste. The food here is amazing — definitely one of my favorite places to grab «drinking food» (I consider heavy meat and carbs «drinking food»). We ordered the fried chicken (dip it in the crunchy garlic pieces for extra texture), budajigae (average), pork belly rice crêpe wrap (wrapping it in sticky rice is like genius), and spicy pork belly with scallions and kimchi (average). I’d definitely go back for the first two dishes alone.
This place is good for groups, but come early to snag a table!

The crispy and spicy garlic chicken was delicious. I really enjoyed the taste of the sweet and hot chicken, and the addition of crunchy toppings added texture.
The vanilla ice cream was thick and smooth, I enjoyed the texture very much. The misugaru powder didn’t have much taste, and the crushed candy pieces were hard and stuck to my teeth.
Lively, hopping place on a Friday night.

A friend brought me here. It’s pretty good. The wait was kind of crazy however. I really like their mentaiko udon. So yummy. The braised pork was alright. I wasn’t as into it but ate it up cause I was extremely hungry that day. The free tteokboki was kinda meh but it’s free with refills.
Overall pretty good.

Came to Take 31 after deciding not to wait 30 minutes outside Her Name is Han (the sister restaurant next door) in 40*F weather on a Saturday night around 6pm. Maybe it just wasn’t what we had wanted that night or something, but the meal and experience was «meh». Take 31 feels like it’s aiming to be a casual trendy spot for the anti-​pretentious. This still requires a clientele that’s able and willing to pay $ 21 for a plate of fried chicken bites though.
This is definitely a spot for those craving a mixing of Korean and western comfort food. I’m talking udon noodles in cream sauces and spam-​topped rice balls. If you’re looking for more traditional Korean food, I’d suggest Her Name is Han or anywhere on 32^nd St.
Service can be a bit spotty– attentive at first, but as the restaurant filled up, the wait staff seemed more focused on taking new orders rather than checking up on tables and closing out bills. We were twiddling our thumbs for a while, watching the wait staff pass our table several times, before finally waving one down to ask for our bill.

I really want to give this place 5 stars… but due to my principles i cannot.
My friends and I wanted to eat here for dinner on Wednesday night. I arrived around 7:35PM, and i saw a HUGE crowd outside of the restaurant. I walked inside and talked to a male employee in the entrance way. I asked for a table for 4, and he indicated that it will be approximately 30 minutes. I said okay, and he proceeded to ask for my name and then walked away. I assumed he went to put my name down on the waiting list, but apparently he did not. After 30 minutes, i talk to the same guy and ask him when my table will be ready since he indicated 30 minutes… he looked at the list and didn’t see my name. I understand the place was busy, but he didn’t even recognize my face or our conversation at all. I kept on reiterating our initial conversation. He seemed to have understood the circumstances and apologized for the mishap. He indicated that a few groups are still waiting, but he will squeeze my party in as the 3^rd group to be seated. After another 30 – 40 minutes, we were finally seated.
My friends and I ordered a lot of food. We ordered BoSsam, Ban/​Ban chicken (scallion and kung pao), kalbi jjim, haemool pajun, 2 sets of rice balls, nakkjibokeum, and some makkeolli, soju, and beer. Soon after, the pajun came and the server that brought it over indicated that it was service. The male server that I conversed with about the seating reservation came over and apologized about the mishap. He felt bad, so he gave us the haemool pajun for free.
Overall the food is great. It’s hearty and stick to your ribs Korean soul food. The bossam was tender, the chicken was crispy and juicy. The pajun was crispy and thick, the kalbi jjim was fall off the bone tender. Everything was great. My only gripes were the mishap in the beginning, and the fact that the place is a bit tight. The tables are small and you’re next to other tables so it can become a loud place. Overall though, the food is top notch, and I will definitely want to come back to try other dishes.
BTW — free ddeokbokee — it wasn’t overcooked. it was al dente and had some nice heat to it, which was a nice surprise.

This is a perfect spot to get together with friends. The atmosphere allows for an intimate get together. There are many different dishes to choose from, a wide variety from hot soups to chicken wings and even dessert! We were in a group of five people ordered two dishes and a dessert. It was a perfect amount. I would recommend Take31 if you want to get drinks and enjoy good food and chill with your friends on any evening.
One thing to note, not a good spot if you’re vegetarian. The main entrees all have meat or fish of some kind. Not a lot of choices in the small plates either.

Our last night in NY, and found this restaurant on Unilocal by accident. Called to see how busy they were and they said they could sit us right away. When we got there in 10 minutes, there was a line and we waited about 20 minutes :(. Worth the wait!
To start, everyone there was Korean — GOOD SIGN! :)
The staff was very efficient and quick, although not much of a smile.
We ordered creamy seafood udon for the kids, it is like Alfredo sauce over udon and seafood. It was yummy! We had seafood pancake, it was loaded with seafood inside, also super yummy! Rice Crêpe Wrap, rice noodle wrapped with pork belly — this was just ok, the pork belly wasn’t as tender, they could have cooked it a little longer to make it melt in the mouth.
Save the best for last. We also ordered the Nagasaki Soup — Seafood Hot Pot soup, with ramen noodles and varies seafood inside. We had asked the server for mild, no spicy, however they were a bit annoyed (kinda like, you are at a Korean restaurant, you should expect spicy :). It did came out spicy, but it was a good spicy. It was so flavorful, the spiciness didn’t take away the flavor, which its hard to achieve. Both my husband and I don’t eat spicy and we both enjoy the soup flavor so much! The broth was so so delicious!!!
This was BY FAR the best meal we had in New York! All the food network reviews was hit and miss with the other restaurant. This restaurant was found by accident and we are so glad we came! Wish we came the first day we were here, so we could come again before we leave NY! We definitely come back the next time we are in NY!

Came for some food and drinks late one night. Got half garlic and half Kung pao chicken. The pieces were aggressively large and awkwardly shaped. It was a little hard to eat but the sauces were okay. The garlic one was overpowering but the kung pao was good. Also got the octopus and rice balls dish which was alright but definitely had better. For all the food options you have in ktown, there are definitely wayy better alternatives. Also got the lychee soju but had way too much ice particles which I get you’re supposed to separate with the Popsicle stick but still found it too cold. Overall cute space with mediocre fare. I much rather go elsewhere.

Every night when I come home at 1 or 2 or even later, I walk by this restaurant from the 33^rd stop on the 6 Line. To my surprise, instead of finding a desolate alleyway, I stumble upon a horde of Koreans patiently waiting in front of the store with limp cigarettes hanging from their lips. Usually coupled with the smoke in the air is the strong waft of alcohol, from which I can only assume means that this is a typical «after-​drinks» location on the weekends. I always dismissed the location as a FOB spot and, as an Asian American snob, I avoided it. But oh god, the direct-​from-​Korea nationals seriously know where it’s at. I take back everything and will consider worshiping in this holy mecca every dinner for the rest of my life.
My GF mentioned this place several times, but with a name like Take 31, I kept assuming that it was a night club. One Sunday night, we lined up for Izakaya Mew with a couple randos, only to discover that it was closed (they opened at 6PM so people were in line waiting for the place to open their doors). Disappointed, we walked over to Take 31 as a consolation meal. Instead, we discovered a new world of culinary excellence. At about 6:20ish there was no line and plenty of tables inside. The lighting is almost nonexistent, so don’t expect to take any pictures here. I has a grungy feel, but once I started looking through the menu, it didn’t matter because the photos of the food in their menu are bright enough to light up the place.
There were so many different yummy looking options that the two of us decided to go with 3 dishes and split them. We went for the Lazy Chicken, the Crêpe wrapped Pork Belly, and the Mentai Tamago (egg omelet). I wish I could take back the three years I’ve lived in NYC without this place. The Lazy Chicken was a perfect level of juicy and crispy and flavored with the best spices (it is NOT a spicy dish). Sitting on a bed of raw (water soaked) onions, the vegetables help ground the flavor. The Crêpe on the pork belly was a little sticky/​chewy, but the pork belly was cooked spot on, with one end tender meat and the other moist fat. Mmmm. The Mentai Omelet, covered in mentaiko and mayonnaise, was so unique and delicious.
We also had the yuzu makgoli, which was served in a huge mason jar and could probably be split between 3 or 4 people (we did not finish it). I strongly recommend this place and come early if you want to eat, because the lines get LOOOOOOOONG.

They don’t take reservations, so a wait is to be expected, unless you get there really early/​on opening. The majority of our party was coming from outside of Manhattan, so we didn’t get to the restaurant until 8PM… and the wait was about 30 – 40 minutes. The wait for those who came later was probably much longer though.
I loved the ambience of the place — it was almost like we’d stepped into a Korean dive bar. IN Korea! It’s always a good indication when a Korean restaurant is frequented by a largely Korean crowd. The food and the experience is bound to be ‘authentic’!
We ordered:
Cod eggs seafood udon with cream sauce — recommended! In theory it is a very simple dish. Some cream sauce (alfredo anyone?) with seafood, udon, and topped with some fish roe, but as the entrée that started off our dinner, it was perfect! It was super creamy and hearty. There wasn’t enough to go around!
Seafood hot pot — the soup base is DELICIOUS. Spicy, but sooo delicious. I couldn’t stop ladling more into my bowl. The ingredients were slightly lacking though. There was not all that much ramen or seafood…
Seafood pancake — typical Korean-​style pancake. Delicious, but you could probably make something similar at home with a box mix, so I wouldn’t necessarily order this here.
Braised pork belly — THE best pork belly I’ve ever had. Even the scallion and the kimchi that came with it was delicious! It took a while to come out — and we had finished everything else we’d ordered by then — but it was well worth the wait. I’m not usually a fan of pork belly because I don’t find the texture of the fat all that intriguing. However, the take31 pork belly was literally melt-​in-​my-​mouth good. It was enough to tempt even my vegetarian friend. :P
Lychee soju — YUMMY, but it tasted watered down. I preferred the bottled soju we ordered.
We also got a small complimentary dish of dubbokki, which was a nice gesture and went well with the soju.
Overall, I thought the meal was pretty pricey (more than $ 20/​person) but I guess with the alcohol, it made sense. This was definitely the perfect pre-​Thanksgiving dinner. I can’t wait to be back!

The seafood pancake was so awesome. Melt in your mouth deliciousness loaded with vegetables — scallions, leaks, pok choy and ofcourse a variety of seafood
The garlic fried chicken was… well…fried??? I mean I know it was fried — it wasn’t more oily than other fried chicken — but woe is me — why did I order fried chicken?!? I DISLIKE fried food!
Service was great — we (us non Koreans) walked in as they were closing down the kitchen and they held it open for us — and my husbands British accent I presume.
Once we sat down we were given ample time to look at the menu and every question was answered patiently and we didn’t feel rushed at all!
After this great experience I must tell you we were originally going to «her name is Han» and accidentally ended up here instead — lol but we will be back!

Impressive and trendy Korean restaurant, near Korea-​town. Came here for dinner on a Saturday evening, and were lucky to be seated immediately. The atmosphere carries a very causal and uplifting vibe, and I saw lot of Korean people dining here.
The menu was really extensive, and accompanies with photos which made our job relatively easier. Since I have some dietary constraints, I asked the waitress to help me out, and she did such a great job! She went over the entire menu and shared her insight and recommendations. The place was rather crowded but they went our of their way to serve our items effectively, which I was very impressed with. They brought us a complimentary appetizer as well, some sort of rice dumpling in a spicy sauce, so good! We ordered a korean wine, called «bekseju» which was really nice and enough for 2 people. For the entrée, we got the spicy garlic crispy chicken with a side of rice.
Overall an interesting Korean restaurant, one among the many in the area!

Surprisingly no wait on a Friday night at 6pm. My friend hyped this place up a lot so I expected amazing food. I was disappointed but maybe it’s because I didn’t order the right stuff. So here is the «wrong» stuff that I got that you should not follow suit.
— Cod Eggs Seafood Udon with Cream Sauce: good but not amazing– wish they ripped off shrimp shell for me (creamy, nice consistency, good portion size to share for 3 people)
— Braised Pork Belly: this is really good– a must get if you come here (should probably feed 2 people since it’s so good that if you share with 3, you want to bite their hands off if they grab more)
— ½ Scallion ½ Garlic Chicken: did not look good or live up to it’s price (you have to dip the chicken in the sauces)– it’s moist (that’s all I can say)
— Korean Lunch Box: could live without it
— Kimchi & Seafood Stew and Noodle: if you like hotpot and you like spicy, get this for sure
— Cripsy Rice (forgot exact name): this might be a special for the day– it’s cheesy and decent
I might come back to try the other stuff on the menu. Hopefully, their second chance is well worth it.

Obsessed with this place! First time I came here was probably 3 – 4 years ago now but WOW simply fantastic! Service was RIGHT ON. My 2 girl friends and I practically ordered a good portion of the menu along with of 3 – 4 rounds of assorted drinks from soju/​baekseju/​makkolli. Every different entrée had its own appeal and was overall great.
Good quality comfort food without feeling overly greasy or heavy. The portions are more on the bigger side than its neighbor «My name is Han» (assuming the drunk munchie concept involved).
Restaurant is a hidden gem off of k-​town. If any of my friends crave good quality Korean food and a non-​stereotypical spot this would be the place to go.

ASK, BEG, DO WHATEVER TO MADE YOUR KOREAN FRIENDS BRING YOU HERE!
Location: TAKE31 is nothing close to centre ktown area. It is hard to find since the store is pretty small on the east side of Ktown. What I love most of this place is their decorations. The wall is full of artistic drawings.
Service: I believe all the servers are korean but they are fluently in english too. Although people complains that their menus are most korean, they do offer pictures for you to choose.
Food: fried chicken, soy milk with rice wine, and korean style of marinated short ribs. All the food came with large portions so we can barely finish one of them. We ended up doing take-​out for fried chicken. After a well, the fried chicken is even better to be eaten. I love the cool version of their fried chicken. Soy milk with rice wine is a must if you came here. I will just let you taste it. Korean style of beef ribs is amazing! Amazing! Amazing. The soup is balanced well with kimchi, the ribs are saturated with the sauce and meat is fresh. Everything is perfect.
Overall: it’s 4.5 stars. I would come back again for their delicious soups!!!

I think this is a 3.5 star review, but I’ll round up because the staff was so friendly.
The food is good! The cold pork belly noodles were delicious and light, and the portion was huge (although it’s meant to be shared). The bibim mandoo, however, was incredibly overpriced — it was basically a salad with bulgogi sprinkled on top and a few friend mandu wrappers for $ 20. It was good, but really nothing very interesting. The alcohol was well-​priced, though.
This place is definitely better for large groups — at least 4+ because every dish is about $ 20 and meant to serve «1 – 2 people» meaning it’s too big for 1 person, but not quite big enough for 2.
Overall, though, I’m not sure the food was so amazing I’ll come back and pay these prices.

I’m not a Korean food expert by a long shot. Luckily my friend is. We came here for dinner one last night in The Big Apple. The only thing that looked remotely familiar to me was the seafood pancake, so that is what I ordered. It was huge, and so it should be for almost $ 20.00. She had a seafood udon in a creamy sauce. I tried some noodles and they were good.
My favorite dish was the sweet pumpkin gratin. I am not sure how you are suppose to eat it, but if this were an American cuisine place, it would be considered a dip and served with bread. Another tasty treat was the complimentary Ddukbokki, which is a spicy Korean rice and fishcake appetizer. They look like little hotdog wieners and had a texture like that of gnocchi.
We came early, and the small place filled up quickly, so our waiter’s inattentive service made us eager to get out.

Se agradece encontrar sitios como este, ligeros para comer. Es acogedor, el staff amable y la comida (arroces variados, noodles, sopas…) está bastante bien sin ser fuerte. Además tiene WIFI.
Si tuviera que destacar algo negativo sería que a veces está muy lleno al ser un sitio pequeño.
Por cierto, por la noche la carta cambia completamente. No puedo comentar qué tal porque no he estado.