Do you remember what your last meal in a restaurant was before the lockdown due to COVID in March 2020? I can still remember Friday March 13th: Jodi met me in the city and we decided to walk around to find a place. Danji was on our way and we were wondering if we could get a seat there. Well, the restaurant was as empty as the city. There were probably only 4 tables occupied, including ours. It was for sure weird considering that this place was always packed. But I admit that I liked it, not just because we got the full attention of the staff, but also because of the noise level that was perfect!

So, as we got fully vaccinated, we decided to go make a trip to Danji our first outing. Happy to see them still there considering all the places that closed in the past year, including Mont Blanc, the restaurant next door, we were amazed by their setup: they created small booths outside giving the diner the impression they are in a private room.

It was time to celebrate, so Jodi went for their strawberry Spritzer (sole non-alcoholic cocktail) made with strawberry, mint and lemon that was quite refreshing, while I ordered the Yangban Cowboy, their take on an Old Fashioned, made with Old Overholt Rye whisky, bek se ju or '100-years-wine,' a Korean glutinous rice-based fermented alcoholic beverage flavored with a variety of herbs, carpal Antica and angostura bitters.

The menu seemed to be smaller, but still had classics like the tofu with ginger scallion dressing or the handmade crispy vegetable dumplings. These were good vegetarian dishes but I admit that I preferred the former that was superb: if your only reference of tofu is the one you buy in a store, try this dish! The tofu, homemade, is so silky, it literally melts in your mouth. So, to add texture, Chef Hooni Kim added crispy tempura flakes, and, for some acidity, the tofu comes with a soy vinaigrette.

We also got their scallion pancake that can be ordered vegetarian or non vegetarian, with shrimp. The vegetarian version is quite good, delightfully greasy, not made the same way they do it in other Korean restaurants, as coming like little beignets rather than a large pancake to be dipped in a pickled onion soy vinaigrette.

Another must have are their bulgogi beef sliders that I get each time I go to Danji: coming in a set of two, the brisket bulgogi is topped with a spicy pickled cucumber and scallion salsa. Beautifully presented, it is a flavorful take on a classic bar dish that is so juicy you’ll need few napkins…

The last dish we tried was their bulgogi bibimbap that I tried in previous visits. As they understood that Jodi is vegetarian, they proposed to put the meat on the side. This bibimbap is made with marinated vegetables and a fried egg, put on top of some rice that will burn at the contact of the sizzling pot, creating an amazing crunchy layer (the soccarat). After Jodi served herself few spoons of the bibimbap, I mixed the juicy brisket as well as some spicy gochujang sauce. I simply loved it: with several layers of flavor, from the beef to the vegetables, it is a very comforting dish. Another must have.

The only regret was that they did not have any dessert. Not that Danji is known for it as they only use to have ice cream…Still, we left full, satisfied and happy that this place is still there: Danji remains, with Hanjan, one of my favorite Korean restaurants. I definitely recommend it!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Danji - 346 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019

Danji was our last dinner before COVID, so we went back!

Jean-Philippe Gerbi