[nyc] izakaya moku

first night in new york, we anticipated going to sake bar hagi (152 W 49th St) but the long line up led us to an alternate izakaya in koreatown, izakaya moku. this picture is taken from the food court across from moku, as you can see their sign out the window.

the space was decorated with japanese themed furniture and fixtures. there were four wooden booth seatings which were cozy but the round couch seating did not fit in with the rest of the decoration. the lighting was very dim and they were playing house/clubbing music which did not really go with the overall atmosphere. as the night progressed, so did the music. we had to talk loudly which is how it is at most izakayas anyways. the only downside of this place was lack of bathroom stalls. there's only one. it was nice that you don't have to go down to a dark and sketchy basement to use the washroom like in toronto, but only one stall? it can get very frustrating. you can view the interior photos at moku's website.

we ordered soy pork ($19.99) and budae tang ($18.99). soy pork is cooked soy pork with scallion & onions topped with ponzu sauce and budae tang is spicy soup with sausage, vegetable, bean, minced pork, kimchi & cheese. the soy pork was unbelievably delicious. a perfect harmony of the ponzu sauce and the well cooked (not so fatty) pork belly. i wanted to know the secret behind the sauce recipe and make it at home. the budae tang was good. spicy and tasty broth with lot of toppings but nothing special. it was served on an alcohol burner to keep the soup warm.

we also had few bottles of bokbunja. it's a korean raspberry wine similar to refined and aged cabernet sauvignon with a hint of dry aftertaste. it is on a sweeter note but that's because it has very aromatic taste (not so much the scent). we love bokbunja. it's sophisticated, has the right amount of sweet and dryness and leaves almost no hangover the next day (of course if you drink too much you will be hung over, but the three of us did not suffer from headaches as some wines cheap wines tend to do that).

if i am ever in new york again, i will go to moku for some soy pork for sure. if you like their facebook page and leave a review then print out the page, you can get a so-chu drink or a dish of your choice free.


izakaya moku
10W. 32nd St, 2nd Fl.
New York, NY 10001
www.izakayamoku.com

posted by rin