Osamil: Koreatown Remastered
Secluded from New York City's bustling Koreatown, Osamil is strategically placed to attract Korean food lovers seeking a meal beyond the typical pochas and reliable institutions of 32nd street. At Osamil, you'll find that the food is, at its heart, Korean but with a flare of French influence.
As a fairly new establishment, the ambiance is that of a trendy gastropub. With the constant rush of cocktail mixing and the wide table spacing, Osamil is both intimate and lit. Service is swift and friendly.
In terms of food quality, I'm excited to share that Osamil is good! For what its worth, you get very good value for your money here. Go for their selection of Anju (larger dishes to share), grilled skewers, and their variety of "pub basics". Our favorites include the Honey Butter Chips, Cured Shrimp, and the Braised Short Ribs. Osamil's Pork Belly Confit, Nearly Famous Lamb Galbi, Prawn Skewers, and Daenjang-Foie Gras Mousse with Toast also look delicious.
While I didn't drink during this visit, I was intrigued by their extensive drinks menu. I'm going to have to come back with the guys next time. They also have a VERY attractive daily specials, late night deals, and happy hour specials. The most interesting ones are probably $1 wings every Tuesday or $60 for a legit Charcuterie Board and a bottle of wine every Thursday.
This is your next K-town go-to spot. See you there? By the way, my friend Sally just started working at the bar on weekends. Go say hi!
This is the main dining room at Osamil. This picture was taken just past the expansive bar area near the entrance. The lighting is also a little bit brighter than pictured.
On the right side of the picture, you'll notice that there are some lockers where you can store your own whiskeys. The catch is that you only have 5 different choices and you can only store it for up to 30 days. Every time you want to retrieve your bottle, your party is charged $5 per person.
WOW. These were suspiciously addicting. Honey Butter Chips are quite popular in Asia. You can buy them in supermarkets but you can also find variations of this snack in restaurants in NYC.
For example, you can find honey butter chips as a dessert in Oiji.
Here at Osamil, the honey butter chips are prepared as a savory appetizer with Scottish Salmon Jerky and Honey Butter Gastrique (a sauce made from caramelized sugar that has been deglazed with vinegar). [$11 USD]
Even though the honey butter chips were delicious, the Cured Shrimp was definitely the star of the show. This is my favorite!
Osamil soy-cures the shrimp for 4 days. This process adds flavor to the meat and draws moisture out of the shrimp, concentrating the flavor. The shrimp is dressed with Tobiko, Maine Uni, and Quinoa/Rice.
The best part about this dish is that there is a hidden treat! I suggest enjoying all the delicate insides within the shrimp's body. [$23 USD]
For our main course, I ordered the Braised Short Ribs, which were braised for 6 hours. This hot mess was dressed with Kabocha (Winter Squash), Mushrooms, Charred Onion, Carrot, Grape, and Cauliflower Bread Crumbs.
This dish also comes with a generous portion of bone marrow! It's so fatty, oily, and rich. We carefully allocated bits of this liquid heaven onto the tender pieces of beef. This one didn't even stand a chance because we were pretty much licking the plate clean at the end of this. [$35 USD]
The Uni Bibimbap was alright. I don't think it was very interesting but the Perilla and Seaweed Puree were delightful. The rice bowl also came with Quinoa/Rice, Kimchi, Soy Pickle, and Baby Greens.
I probably don't need to re-order this dish next time I visit. [$27 USD]