The Sikdang

Was really craving jokbal (marinated pigs feet) and this place hit the spot. Jokbal was so chewy and not overly dry. They even gave us an additional dish on the house called bossam with scallions and sauce. It was super delicious and melted in my mouth. My bf and I also ordered the cheese spicy rice cake with kimchi and pork inside and it was one of the best I’ve had. I never really compliments ddukbokki (maybe cause I’m korean and tried a lot of different kinds) but this restaurant sure knows what they’re doing. I couldn’t stop even though I felt like I was gonna pop from all the delicious foods. Both dishes we ordered came in huge portions and we eventually had to pack it home. Can’t wait to go back!

—FYI. As of January 2015, this place formally known as The Sik dang is actually closed.
My wife and I went to this place believing that this place is a still The Sik dang. While they still have the sikdang sign, something felt weird. The menu has completely changed. They even put up a big sign saying that ‘following items are recommended by The Sik dang chef’. Turned out that it was all cover-​up.
Only after asking some questions to waitress, she informed us that the owner of ‘The sikdang’ is no longer the owner of this place. (They have placed an order for a new sign for the new restaurant.) New restaurant will be taking over The sikdang and the name will be changed. We kinda felt deceived since they all acted like this is the sik dang and waitress only told us about the new restaurant after we ordered food.
Food ⁶⁄₁₀
Unfortunately the foods of this new restaurant (menu has completely changed) are just ok. Their combo seems a bit overpriced. $ 26 for ddukboki (rice cake) with some piece of octopus was going for $ 26. Curry Don Katsu ($ 14) looked like its a Don Katsu plus big lump of dried up curry on top. The taste wasn’t that good. Boodae Jigae felt like they just put pieces of kimchi which did not feel ripe at all.
Atmosphere ⁸⁄₁₀
Same décor as Hodori and The sik dang. Nothing has changed. They play modern k-​pop music on the background which does not go in line with atmosphere since 90% of the customer were old in 60s.
Days of Chicken Katsu at Hodori has come to an end. JJajang myun at The Sik Dang will be missed.

Soondooboo: Disgusting. tasted like water and sesame oil…
Jookgaejang: once again like water and sesame oil… something was very off. The bossam that came with the stews were ok. Side dishes were the very basics of any korean restaurant.
Service was outstanding.

My family and i were in the mood for something different and not your typical Korean food and seeing that we are in the middle of Korea town we decided to try the Sikdang out. We were pleasantly surprised with the food and was definitely satisfied with their fresh banchan (side dish).
I ordered the chicken kalgooksu which is the korean version of chicken noodle soup along with a side dish of steamed pork slices (10 pcs). The chicken broth was definitely bold and the chicken was cooked thoroughly as it was soft and tender. The steamed pork slices was also good and i would have ordered the pork on its own. My husband ordered the hamburg steak and it came with over easy egg on top with mashed potato, salad and rice.
Overall its a decent place to go if you’re in the mood for some light Korean food with variety of items on the menu.

Milder tasting korean food that is ideal for the occidental palate. Seriously, if you’ve never tried korean food before but wanted to, this restaurant (sikdang in korean means restaurant– clever) provides a good segue into k-​food. The food here tastes fresh and without any madisonsquaregarden. And most importantly for the non-​koreans/​asian, the food is not too spicy.
And the ambiance here is cool. Somewhat hipsterish. The place is clean, service is nice, and the kpop is not too loud. The posters/​lithographs/​drawings that adorn the walls give off a modern art feel to this place. Sans tables, chair, and the bar, this place can pass itself off as a gallery.
The wife and I took advantage of a living social coupon and tried this place. We were quite happy. My sundubu and bossam combo was delicious. The wife’s yukgaejang and kim mari combo was also excellent. Highly recommend this place.

Great little spot close to home. I got one of the daily special combos for $ 15.95 and I thought it was a great value. The food was very yummy although the pajuli bossam was not quite what I was expecting. There was only one server but I felt that service was still very good and she was always right there whenever I needed something.

Went there this weekend with friends, and we loved it! Unusual menu. I had the whiting fish stew, which was fantastic and tasted very homemade. We also tried the seafood with noodles, also excellent. The waiters and waitresses were also super nice and friendly. Now we’re telling everybody we know about this place. It’s a little hard to spot the first time, but it’s worth seeking out. Can’t wait to go back.

I’ve come to this spot maybe 3 – 4 times since it opened and I love it! I first heard about it through a friend who said there was yookgehjang soojehbi… umm hello… how unique and delicious does that sound?
So each time I’ve gone, I’ve gotten that. To balance it out, I always get the kimchi bokeum bap and my friend and I share both dishes… although I end up eating the majority of both. Very, very solid dishes. Delicious, in fact.
The macarons have gotten a lot better here too since it’s opening. I think they’ve perfected their craft and now the macarons look and taste great! I especially love their yoo ja cha (orange citron tea) flavored macaron. I would say that’s one of a kind. Although it’s hard to wrap my head around the combination of korean food + french dessert, it works.
I’m not sure if he works there anymore, but I also have to mention the nice and cute waiter who made my experience a bit better :)

The staff were really nice, but the food was subpar.
The pan-​chan (side-​dishes) are pretty good and they’re nice about refilling them. However, the entrée portions are on the smaller side and not the most flavorful.
Prices are typical — we went on a Sunday afternoon. They have lunch specials M-​F that seems more affordable.

Hidden gem place.
Must check this place out?!
No msg and nice&clean taste?!

sonnnnn don’t be cryin’ about losing hodori, that place only had good tonkatsu. This place right here? DAYUMMMMMMM some original HANGOOK playas up in this joint.
FYI they the owners of Spring in Closter, AKA the only restaurant to not close down in 2 years in that suburban wasteland so you know they good. Word on the Korean-​mom-​gossip-​network (YEA I GOT MY CONNECTS) is that they opening up a whole foods and they got the boot. So they opened this joint, where the true Korean thugs live (PAL PARK WHATUP), but they re-​opening Spring in Closter soon too (?).
Anyway, I saw this place open up on my block and was like shieeeet gotta bring my kimchi-​jiggae puffy face in here. Was diggin’ the scenery, a better look than Hodori. The lady-​owner recognized me as a regular from the Closter scene and hooked me up with some MANDU YOO there goes summer beach body, but that was solid; must’ve remembered my cute face, real recognize real, namsayiN? They got a huge menu, plus lunch special prices that’re cheap enough for you to go to crown and blow money buying drinks and then feel hungover the next day to crawl here and afford.
Had a cheese ddukbokgi that was straight fire (literally, my poop was like a california wildfire… mad good) and tangsooyook, which was like Spring’s, so you know that’s a b-​b-​bangerrrr. Had that bulgogi stew for my main meal (idk the name lol) but son… SON GGGUHHHHH if that was a girl i’d marry that honey in an INSTANT that thing was fresh to death steamy hot GOODNESS. Bruh, got me hot and bothered like I was in puberty again and I watched mean girls for the first time.
Noticed they had some macarons and iced coffee thangs too, like a mini café to go after your dinner. Haven’t tried those, but that’s a plus if you trying to bring a date in here, cuz I never met an Asian girl who don’t like macarons. HOLLA AT YA BOI

Used to be Hodori.
The restaurant is newly renovated so the inside looks a lot bigger and brighter. I like what they’ve done with the place. As for the food, it has a similar menu to that of Hodori’s but with a twist. They have a side café and coffee shop where they sell beverages and macaroons in the front of their restaurant. Since their grand opening wasn’t too long ago, they provided some complimentary dishes. I honestly think their complimentary dishes were better than the actual dishes that I ordered.
My main dish was the omurice (fried rice with a fried egg on top) and my boyfriend’s dish was the bibimbap (rice with a bunch or vegetables on top). Both were okay but I’ve had better. The food isn’t the same as Hodori.