Nowon East Village

Came here just to grab a drink and had a great time! The lighting inside gives more bar than fancy restaurant. The inside was so busy but luckily we were seated right away. My party and I sat at the bar and the bartender, Aiden, was the best. He was so friendly and made great drinks. I liked the Winter Sunshine Drink I got because of the Calamansi soju. My friends and I also ended up getting their Honey Garlic Butter Tater tots which I found delicious. I will definitely be coming back to this place. I would live to try their set courses next time!

Highly recommend this place for their drinks and service!

Tried the Legendary Cheeseburger and wasn't disappointed. The double smash burger with cheese, pickles, and sauce was cooked perfectly and very tasty. My only feedback would be I barely noticed the kimchi and had I not known there was kimchi in it I would have assumed it didn't. The tots (honey garlic) were just ok - too much sauce, not enough tot.

Inside is small and loud but there are a few outdoor tables. The outdoor shed is my preferred place to sit as the seating has backs (the other outdoor tables have stools). Reservations required.

Stepping into this Korean-themed gem, the bathroom rocks with music and that signature Korean pocha charm.

We got mix tape menu, offering array of fusion dishes. Each course delivers a burst of flavors, showcasing the chef's expertise. The black sesame creme brulee stands out, one of the best I've ever tried.

The reason it's three out of five: The service, while friendly, lacks cohesion, with waitresses appearing disorganized, leading to occasional distractions. The host's demeanor fell short of warmth, failing to set a welcoming tone for diners.

While the interval between courses allows for a leisurely dining experience, extended wait times marred the flow, especially waiting for the burger.

From what many seated near us were saying, this places seems to be hit or miss. Love the food concepts but execution was a little all over the place. That being said the service was phenomenal. They were a full house by the time we were ready to order but staff checks in regularly and brings food out as it's ready.

Seating is a bit tight and also hampers on being able to order multiple things to try given limited table real estate. This was not helped with the fact we ordered a soju flight. The flight itself was great, but wish it came chilled as the stronger options are not easy to sip neat.

A table near us had done the tasting menu. For the price, the portions seemed fairly small. It definitely allows you to try multiple dishes but I recommend just picking out a few things a la carte that you are actually in to. You end up paying similar, just with more flexibility.

This place will prob rank as the top korean fusion restaurant in nyc for me in the affordable price range.

I got the tasting menu so I could try everything. It was a very fulfilling meal. Food came up very fast and ever dish was a surprise combination of flavors

My top favs: whipped ricotta toast- somehow spicy and sweet and salty at the same time.

Chopped cheese rice cakes- who doesn't love cheese????

The burger turned out to be my least favorite, maybe it was the overwhelming expectations that set it back. It was still a solid burger, but I wouldn't rave about it the way I raved about the other items.

Place is incredibly packed and tight so if you want to make a conversation you might have to speak up.

INCREDIBLE FOOD! When you hear reviews of "the best burger in NYC" you can't help but think "yeah right " but it was outstanding and worth the rave.

As a celiac, I emailed the restaurant beforehand and they sent me a list of their gluten free options.
Gluten Free Options
- burger with GF bun
- Nowon fried chicken with no sauces (ask for the burger sauce instead on the side)
- Chopped cheese rice cakes with no bread crumbs
- rice cakes al limone
- salad no croutons
- brocolini no breadcrumbs
- black sesame crembrule

For 2 people, we ordered a burger each, the chopped cheese rice cakes (basically a deconstructed burger - incredible), Nowon fried chicken. We also got the honey garlic tater tots (I'd skip these as they were wayyyy too sweet and tasted more like dessert). Highly recommend!

We also sat at the bar and it was SUCH a vibe with great service.

Pretty great burgers, a little too filling for my liking to be honest. Ambience is laid back, a little cramped but what place isn't in NY. Tater tots were kinda the show stopper. I'd probably order just sides next time and ONE burger to share. Food is heavy but good.

I came here on a weekday evening with a friend (made a resy prior). The ambiance gives off a cozy spot with a grungy, hip vibe, featuring neon lights and a selection of R&B and classic rock music and the service is friendly, adding to the inviting experience.

Overall I'd say the cuisine is an inventive Korean-New York fusion dishes that offer a modern twist on traditional flavors, and has a blend of comfort food and pub grub.

We ordered THE EP along with some other dishes:
- Nowon Fried Chicken - 3/5 wasn't outstanding but wasn't bad either!
- Lil baby kale salad - 3/5 a bit too salty when we had it
- Whipped Ricotta Toast - 4/5 would recommend if you like ricotta
- Extraordinary tots - 4/5 I'm a sucker for anything fries-related so this was good
- Chopped cheese rice cakes - 4/5 would recommend
- Legendary cheeseburger - 3/5 unsure if I was overly hyped up about it but it turned out ok
- Creme brulee - 3/5

In summary, I'd recommend this place if you live around the area.

The food was great ngl but I waited like around an hour for it unfortunately. I was with one of my mega fat friends so he kept complaining and I usually tell him to stop complaining but it was kinda valid this time. Also, in terms of price, the portions are really small

The food is real good tho so stars for that

Came here for the 3rd time and it did not disappoint when it came to the food. My friend and I walked in and we were able to snag a table outdoors. The outdoor space only accommodates about 3 larger tables. I was first introduced to this restaurant by a friend and I've been wanting to check out their new location in Williamsburg.

We went with EP option, which came with 5 courses:
1) Lil Baby Kale Salad
2) Spicy Gochujang Nowon Fried Chicken
3) "Chopped Cheese" Rice Cakes
4) Honey Butter Extraordinary Tots
5) 1/2 Legendary Burger

Everything was delicious with my favorites being the Rice Cakes and Tots. They have seasonal infused soju as well if you're looking for something refreshing.

The service was quick even sitting outside and food came out quickly. The end of the night however we were asked to pay and leave for another party. Understandable, but not very courteous experience which ended the night on a low.

Ah everything we tried was so so good.

I love some good fusion or modern twist to Asian inspired foods & I will say that this was it. Although everything was good. Dying to come back to the lychee keen drink and the legendary burger!

Get a resy because wait times can be long and honestly they get booked out over the weekends