Danji

346 W. 52 St., Hell's Kitchen, NY

8.2

map & more

Neighborhood
Hell's Kitchen
Midtown

Cuisine
Korean

Nearby
Roseland
Terminal 5

212-586-2880

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By Andrew Steinthal
May 4, 2011

Hell’s Kitchen is hot right now. It’s no longer home only to endless Thai joints and 9th Avenue establishments that glow neon colors in the dark. There’s a very legitimate restaurant scene developing here.

As we’ve ventured further into Authentic Ethnic Eats lately, it’s become clear that we’re real down with Korean food. I know, I know. We haven’t had the real sh*t up in Queens. Baby steps people. K-Town is solid, but it’s not exactly our speed. Things are a little too authentic for us there. We’ve been secretly wishing for something that’s a little more up our alley, and we found exactly what we were looking for in Danji. A modern take on Korean food, Chef Hooni Kim is taking a page from David Chang’s Momofuku playbook. He uses a wide range of ethnic elements to create universally appealing, and deliciously addicting dishes you’ll be thinking about for days to come. The filet mignon sliders are a must-order version of the pork buns, and his garlic honey sesame chicken wings enter similar territory.

Danji has the cache of a downtown restaurant, only it stands out a lot more since it’s on 52nd street. A fun spot with great service and a lively little bar, it’s going going in regular rotation before Terminal 5 and Roseland shows and is even worth a trip to Hell’s Kitchen on its own merit. Crazy, I know. Apologies about no twitpics of the food, my phone was dead. It was a bummer too, because I would have been firing away on pretty much every dish.

Food Rundown:

Spicy Yellowtail
Bites of yellowtail sashimi with cho jang (vinegar sauce) and jalapeño in a spicy Korean sauce. Crazy flavors, and a good time for your mouth.

‘K.F.C.’ Korean Fried Chicken Wings
These are some really really really good wings. Some of the best we’ve had in a long time. Made with garlic, soy, honey and sesame, they’re crispy on the outside and incredibly moist on the inside. Since only four come per order, you might want to consider ordering more than one.

Grilled Pork Belly
Another impressive dish. It’s not just a piece of belly. This mash-up of shredded pork belly, kimchi and what tasted like Korean veggies had a nice consistency, all kinds of spice, and, as is the theme at Danji, excellent flavor.

Fried Calamari
Thick chunks of lightly fried calamari, served with an extra spicy wasabi mayo. Order with confidence.

Kimchi Bacon Fried Paella (for 2)
Jackpot. Hells yes. Order this. A fried paella (pretty much a fried rice dish) with kimchi bacon (awesome) and a fried farm egg. We ditched the chopstix halfway through and started eating with the serving spoons to get proper sized mothfuls.

Bulgogi Filet Mignon Sliders
Served on soft buns, absorbing spicy scallion salsa, these insane sliders with spicy pickled cucumber on top are a huge win. Still thinking about them too. Best single bite we had all night.