First Look at Han Joo, Opening on St. Marks Place
If you know the terrifically food-infested stretch of St. Marks Place that runs from Second to Third Avenues, you know that it packs into a remarkably short distance practically every Asian victual known to man, from shabu-shabu to stuffed bao buns. One thing it’s been conspicuously lacking, however, is a good naeng-myun (cold arrowroot noodles) shop that doubles as a DIY Korean barbecue. With the arrival of Han Joo, those days are over. This second branch of the excellent Queens-based restaurant offers just about everything the mother ship does and more, including chicken and shellfish (pictured) to cook over your tabletop grill in addition to the ever-popular pork belly and duck. It’s a Manhattan homecoming of sorts for co-owner Felicia Park, whose father worked at the original Woo Lae Oak on 46th Street some 30 years ago.
Han Joo, 12 St. Marks Pl., nr. Third Ave; 646-559-8707
*This article originally appeared in the October 15, 2012 issue of New York Magazine.