The obscure Jodie’s Friends is gone from West 8th Street, but the owners of another Korean restaurant, K-town’s worst-kept secret Third Floor Café, have taken the stone-and-log lined space, turned down the lights, and made it a little bit sexier. On Friday, they’ll open 8st Kitchen. The food program here will be a bit more ambitious (and the scene a bit quieter) than at bar-oriented Third Floor, with traditional Korean dishes getting the occasional Japanese flourish. The house specialty is jon, or savory pancakes. A small front bar will initially serve basic booze, but as the drink program comes along, there’ll be cocktails made from soju as well as makkoli, a lesser-known Korean rice wine that’s milky and sweet. Check out the menu (and another view of the dining room) below.
Jon
Traditional pan-fried dishes served with a dipping sauce
Wan Ja Jon - small patties mixed with ground beef and bean curd - $5
Dae Goo Jon - lightly pan-fried cod fillets coated with egg batter - $5
Nok Doo Jon - grainy mung bean pancake mixed with pork and vegetables - $7
Hae Mool Pa Jon - green onion pancake with shellfish and squid - $8
Gui
Grilled or roasted meat dishes
Je Yook Gui - thin sliced pork belly marinated with pepper sauce and mixed vegetable salad - $10
Ba Ssak Bul Go Ki Gui - sliced Kobe ribeye mixed with soy and garlic sauce - $12
Dahk Gui - chicken tender in spicy sauce with a grilled multi-grain rice ball - $12
Gal Bi Gui - Kobe short rib with mixed vegetable salad and topped with sliced garlic - $14
Moo Chim
Salad dishes
Chung Po Mook Moo Chim - Green-lentil jelly with various vegetables and wasabi dressing - $4
Doo Boo Moo Chim - crispy tofu with mixed greens and sweet soy dressing - $4
Dan Ho Bak Moo Chim - mixed greens with sweet squash dressing and topped with squash croutons - $5
Yook Hoe Moo Chim - thin sliced Kobe skirt steak with Korean shiso “kket nip” and glazed soy - $8
Bap & Gook Soo
Rice and noodle dishes / Side dishes
Bi Bim Gook Soo - whole noodle mixed with romaine and “kket nip” in sweet and spicy sauce - $8
Kimchi Bok Keum Bap - wok-fried rice and “kimchi” served with marinated beef, “bulgoki” - $12
Bi Bim Bap - steamed white rice with eight different kinds of vegetables and red pepper sauce - $12
Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap - “Bi bim bap” served in a hot stone bowl - $14
Bap/Jap Gok Bap - steamed white rice or multi-grain rice served with side dishes - $1/$2
Sam Gahk Gui Bap - grilled multi-grain rice ball - $2
Yori (special dishes)
Dae Goo Jo Rim - braised cod with daikon cubes in glazed soy sauce - $14
O Deng Jon Gol - fish cake in hot soup, daikon and vegetable stock - $15
Ddook Bae Gi Bul Go Ki - sliced Kobe ribeye with glass noodle and mushroom in hot soup - $16
Bo Ssam - pork belly with pickled cabbage, daikon salad, and oyster - $20
8st Kitchen, 22 W. 8th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-477-7755
