Austin Cho Kitchen in Hackensack, NJ. ‼NEW SPOT ALERT! Austin Cho is now open on Main Street in…read moreHackensack. Open Tuesday-Friday 12-7 pm...you have to try the 14-15 hours smoked brisket. It's so juicy and flavorful. I love the hot dog, sandwhich and rice bowls all pack with flavor! Insta: @thehungrysw Messi Cho Dog-Smoked Argentinian Chorizo, Sriracha, Slaw, Remoulade on Roll. Koreano Cho Dog-Chorizo, Sriracha, Kimchi, Remoulade, on Roll. Austin Cho 1.0-Brisket, Fatcho Sauce, Kimchi, Remoulade on Roll. ODB: Ole Dirty Bird-Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast, Slaw, Sriracha, Remoulade, Scallions on Toasted Roll. Cholander Fries!-Fries coated with Not Cho Rub, topped with Pulled Pork, Fatcho Sauce, Kimchi, and Cheese.

Robert Austin Cho has recently opened his newest restaurant, Austin Cho Kitchen in Hackensack, NJ…read more From the moment I saw the first post on his Instagram page, I knew I had to try this place. Well, today was the day. And I was not disappointed. It is a very small location, jampacked with a sensory overload of the amazing food that's being cooked there. Not sure what I should order, I decided to go with the classic: AUSTIN CHO 1.0 (BEST SELLER!) which is simply Beef Brisket, BBQ Sauce, Kimchi, Remoulade on Roll that was accompanied by Kimchi Slaw. I asked @robertaustincho what I should order the next time I visit, and he highly suggested the pork belly and rice. Looking forward to the next time I visit Yum. 163B Main St, Hackensack, NJ Check them out @austinchokitchen

I had a hankering for some OG yangyeom Korean fried chicken one night and placed an order through…read moreUberEats for their soy garlic boneless set. First looks were so promising - the sauce glistened invitingly, the pieces looked plump and juicy, and the aroma coming off the box was driving me mad. I could tell at first bite that this wasn't it. The batter was thick and had absorbed a lot of the grease, making each bite drip in an unlovely manner. The pieces that were more batter than actual chicken were especially hard to down. It looks like I'm on an island with my experience since there are so many rave reviews. Since a lot of positive reviews are coming from those who dined in, I wonder if the textures and flavors of my order suffered during the delivery process. As for me, I'm still on the hunt for excellent Korean fried chicken in Northern NJ.

I came from New York City to get food from here. I ordered the food literally when I left the Bronx…read moreand it's been almost 40 minutes and it's still not ready... I have two young kids with me and it's ridiculous... This should never should've happened. I specifically ordered it earlier so that this would not happen because I was with my young kids. There's no one to even really contact because everything is so automated here.

Stopped by the Hackensack SGD location and never been more happier! I am a huge fan of SGD as I've…read morebeen to the Hartsdale location. I love their tofu and galbi and always crave it. This SGD was on our way to Ikea in Paramus and we stopped by for lunch. First when we walked in the server saw us coming with our baby stroller and already lead us to a nice table where we were able to park our baby in a good location next to the window. I felt she was already attentive! We went on a weekday and it was not too busy. The menu here was slightly different, they offered extra noodle dishes that I had not seen in the other SGD location! But it didn't matter to me, because I was only craving galbi. So we ordered the galbi and hubby got the tofu stew with beef and kimchi, which he declared was the best! Overall loved this location. Good service and very clean.

What does a gal do when she's feeling under the weather? Well, she gets herself some SOONDUBU…read more(Korean silken tofu soup)! I visited So Gong Dong, a popular Korean restaurant franchise, to satisfy my cravings. I went to the Hackensack location. It's in a large shopping complex near 99 Ranch Market and Home Depot, so there's plenty of parking. The interior is modern and casual with tables and booth seating for both small and large groups. It's not a huge restaurant, so I can definitely see it getting crowded during weekends. I came by on a weeknight around 4pm, so it wasn't that busy. The menu is simple and straightforward. Their most popular items are tofu stew, bibimbap(mixed rice bowl), and Korean BBQ (beef, pork, chicken). They also have katsu, cold noodles, seafood pancakes, and dumplings. Service was quick and efficient. I ordered and received all of my food within 10 minutes. To start off the meal, they gave me complimentary hot barley tea and a variety of five banchan side dishes. I enjoyed the tea - it had a strong nutty/roasted flavor profile. The banchan included kimchi, spicy cucumber salad, stir-fried fish cake, marinated mung bean sprouts, and pickled radishes & jalapenos. All were fresh and flavorful with different tastes and textures (mostly crunchy and spicy). My favorites were the fish cakes and pickled radishes. I ordered a Soondubu Tofu Stew ($16.99) which includes silken tofu in a broth made with Korean chili flakes, chili oil, dried kelp and anchovy stock, fish sauce, minced garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Every soondubu order gives you the option of choosing your ingredient/protein, spice level, and either a side of white rice/ramen/flat noodles. I ordered mine with beef, a mild spice level, and a side of white rice. My stew and rice came out in hot stone pots, ensuring everything was piping hot and fresh. The soondubu really hit the spot. Not only is it a delicious stew, but it's also nutritious. They give you a raw egg to crack into your bubbling broth, which adds a creamy texture to it. There was a generous portion of tofu and beef. The tofu was soft and silky and the pieces of beef were tender. The broth was salty, rich, and comforting. It was a vibrant red color and had the exact level of spice that I requested (mild), which gave it just the right amount of heat. The white rice was the perfect side dish. I really enjoyed the crispy and burnt layer on the bottom of the hot stone bowl. It was a satisfying meal overall, but I'll be honest... it's not my go-to spot for soondubu. There's a lot of other options in the area. It's still worth a try regardless!

Finally got to try this place I heard so much about on a Christmas day with wife because it was…read morefrigid and we wanted a warm bowl of Korean "tang"(soup). Finding parking is quite challenging given the location on a busy commercial street, so make sure you can come earlier than meal time to have better luck. They have waiting seats OUTSIDE so yeah I suppose it's quite popular at times. 1. ATMOSPHERE (3/5) - This location is small and it's pretty straightforward place. But I still found it cozy, with decent amount of seating (I think it can handle 15-20 max) and little details like wall with wood ledges and coat hangers were a nice touch. Seating was comfortable, though we tied our down parkas around our waist as another party had hung theirs on our side of coat hangers. 2. FOOD (4/5) - We dove right in to try their famous gejang (~Korean raw crab "ceviche") and ordered two of their namesake gookbap (rice with soup) to see how they are. Here's how it went down. - Gejang (App, $20, 2/5) - I had a hunch that on a holiday perhaps I should not order this, but my craving for succulent crab flesh be damned, I went for it and unfortunately, the meat was not well-marinated as I had feared. Gejang is a dish that has to sit in the complex soy-based pickling liquid for some time... and if restaurant is too busy churning them out or if it's slow season they won't do this properly. It not only wasn't fully marinated, I think the marinade was off because the spiciness was way out of balance and was overpowering. Perhaps knowing that it didn't have enough time to marinade the kitchen put extra diced jalapenos to compensate? Because that's exactly what it tasted like - you can't fool me. I tried to salvage the dish by asking a confused-looking girl server for some sugar, but yeah, can't un-do the overpowered marinade with sprinkling of sugar. This was really unfortunate as I was looking forward to a good bite. - Ahjae Gookbap (Main, $18, 5/5) - Thankfully, their namesake gookbap was spot-on to salvage our dining. Generous slabs of succulent beef on the bone and off the bone was swimming in a hearty beef/bone broth that tasted clean and focused. Portion was good, and can I say their banchan of fish cake moochim & unfermented kimchi & ggakdugi(radish kimchi) simply ROCKS? That was some serious deliciousness and dare I say value at $18 at a day and age where hamburger costs over $10! You win at life by ordering this! 3. SERVICE (4/5) - Our server girl was attentive and food came out early on though later it was a bit hard to get her attention promptly. We found ourselves putting hands in the air, and wavin' like we don't care... for a little while. They provide gloves & metal bin for gejang which was a nice touch for people to keep their fingers clean. One thing I'd like to mention: Plastic cup they served water in was all chipped on the rim so we instead went and got water from their hot & cold water dispenser which had metal cups (as many korean restaurants do). I'd suggest them to replace all these old plastic cups with metal ones for health reasons. Overall, we were satisfied with our meal. I'd chock up the gejang mishap to it being a holiday. I hope chef was just off with the marinade that day because I am a certified gejang pro(I catch and make my own) and that balance ain't it. But I will give it another try during warmer month and we'll definitely be back to try sooyook moochim, oyster jeon & other great soup offerings.

2nd time coming here. Small restaurant with a few tables. Thankfully when we came (Saturday…read moreevening), there was one table available and it was the same table as last time! Ordered three things: 1) marinated crabs, small size (5/5). Always a must-get here. 2) ddukbaegi bulgogi (4.5/5) - Thinly sliced prime marinated beef ribeye casserole with rice cake and glass noodle and mushroom served in a sizzling hot pot. Really flavorful and so good to have on a cold day. 3) ahjae ppyo jjim (4.5/5) - Braised prime beef meat bones in soy reduction with carrots, radish, dates, chestnut, rice cake and glass noodles. We got non-spicy. It came in a HUGE bowl. Definitely meant to be shared with a group. Took leftovers home and it was still yummy the next day mixed with knife-cut noodles I had at home.

We were traveling through the area and we popped in for a quick bite. The young lady at the counter…read morewas super nice and the meal was quite tasty. This little gem was the perfect spot to share some classic simple Korean eats.

Delivered order…read more -Family Boneless Pack ( natural flavor) were delicious so crispy, fresh, perfect temperature, fresh ingredients -Truffled fries were soooo tasty. Really good My order came with 2 portions of Korean radish. I love this radish recipe I wish I can be physically at this place and enjoy all food I can Everything was so good! Perfect temperature

This place is such a good AYCE spot! Great variety, clean, and great service. Our waiter was Joseph…read moreand he was so incredibly friendly and helpful. He was going back and forth to so many tables and still having convos with everyone. Shout out to JoJo! You can do hot pot, kbbq, or both. It's also byob, so that's great. They provide the same cups as all the other drinks. Limited slushies from their machine. However, my favorite section of this place is their banchan and other hot foods selection. There's marinated wings, japchae, kimbap, stews, stirfry, tteokbokki, etc. For dessert, there's soft serve and bingsu! FYI, they don't have those large vents usually above the tables during kbbq, so make sure you're not going anywhere afterwards that minds you smelling like bbq. Located in a shopping area, so plenty of parking! Definitely will be visiting again!

Every year on New Year's Day, my friend and I meet up for lunch since we are the only ones in NJ…read more It's always an Asian restaurant since they're typically the only ones who are open. Neither of us tried the Moon yet so we decided to check it out. I was able to easily make a reservation via Yelp for 6 people for 12:30 (4 adults + 2 toddlers). For the most part, we already knew what we wanted to order, so we placed an order for the BBQ items and hot pot meats first. Only the meats are the items you need to order. Everything else, you grab at the buffet - including seafood, fish balls, veggies, and noodles. The BBQ items are just okay, but that tends to be the case with you have hot pot + BBQ. The hot pot beef was good but the lamb was super gamey, which turned my broth into a gamey lamb flavor, making everything else I cooked in there have a trace of that too. Bottom line - skip the lamb. As for the buffet, they have a lot of options. Aside from the typical hot pot items, they also have some Korean dishes like kimbap, japchae, kimchi, as well as some fried items. I don't think I liked the Moon enough for a return trip. It's also slightly pricier than other hot pot + KBBQ spots, so I think I'll check out some of the other ones next time.

Kim Ga Meon Ok is a fast casual Korean restaurant. There's a location in Palisade Park and Fort…read moreLee. The menu is pretty extensive but from what we've tried quite solid! The naengmyun cold noodles hit the spot. You order and get a number and then pick up your food. The yuksu broth is full of umami and a great compliment to the meal. Great for groups who want to eat different things. Would recommend!

Tip free location! It's self serve for water. You have to pick up your food at the counter. The…read morefood was quick and the prices aren't bad. The meat had a smoky/BBQ flavor to them. Neng myun didn't come with kimchi but the soups do. There is a gated parking lot across the street for the restaurant.

Hands-down one of my absolute favorite places to go when I'm craving authentic Korean comfort food…read more (I believe they also operate Busan Gukbap in Fort Lee with the exact same menu, which I also completely love!). If you are coming here, you are coming for the soups. My ultimate go-to is the Dwaeji Gukbap (pork in ox bone soup). The broth is deeply flavorful, rich, and incredibly comforting. I also highly recommend their Soondae Guk (blood sausage in ox bone soup) and the classic Seolleongtang (ox bone soup). You really can't go wrong with any of their traditional broths. The service is fantastic, fast and always friendly. Prices have gone up a bit, but they now offer a discount if you pay in cash, so it's definitely worth bringing some bills with you. There's no lot and street parking in this area can be a little challenging though.

Food (5/5): The spicy pork here always hits and is amazingly delicious and flavorful. I also had…read morethe spicy bean soup and it was delicious too and so good for the winter weather. Service (5/5): We had a small mix-up where some combo on the menu said spicy brisket with oxtail soup. So we thought the combo was with a hot stone spicy brisket and then a soup but it was actually another order of the spicy pork. The person apologized for not clarifying and helped us pack the food to go. Ambiance (4/5): Solid shop with wood decor and food pictures. Not the fanciest looking but looks traditional and nice.