Nowon East Village

Damn this place was gas as hell. Loved the vibe inside and the music. Did The Classic tasting menu and everything hit the spot mmm. Started with the Black Sesame Caesar Salad which was great like the sesame really did it for me here. Next was the Lamb Skewer which was super tender and that gochujang was just pure heat like I could eat it with a spoon. After that, the General Lee’s Fried Chicken which like damn General Tso keep one eye open at night cuz mmmmm. Okay the meat was a bit fatty but the sauce was so so so good. Chopped Cheese Rice Cakes were so interesting. Very cheesy like much more cheese than beef but the rice cakes were extra chewy and fun. Finally The Legendary Cheeseburger which was absolutely terrific in every way imaginable. Like I have not had a cheeseburger that good in a LONG time. Might even be one of my fav burgers ive ever had. Excellent char on the patties that the edges were even a bit crunchy like yes thats exactly how I want my burger. And the added kimchi was just perfect. Had the Garlic Honey Butter Tots on the side with that and these were perfect too. So sweet and crunchy I loved those little things. This tasting menu thing going on here really is such a great value like I’ll absolutely be bringing people here.

Had the legendary cheeseburger with egg. Super salty for my taste but overall was great. Tofu burger was much better in my opinion. Fried chicken was great and my friend really enjoyed the garlic Parmesan tots. Would definitely come again. Aura was a great waitress.

After seeing a lot of hype online about this place, my friends and I gave it a try and left so happy and satisfied! Favorite things of the meal were the Ricotta toast and the Chop cheese rice cakes!! We also tried Lamb skewers, Legendary burger, Tater tots, General lees chicken, and cucumbers (not needed, nothing special). Pro tip, if you are going with 3 people, ordering all the items on the Classic fixed menu à la carte is cheaper! And we ordered 2 full burgers instead of the 1.5 we would have got on fixed menu.

Visited for restaurant week, had a good time with friends but want to say that it felt slightly overhyped. Mostly because we enjoyed the ricotta toast and tofu burger, but felt that they were very much so on the sweeter side and it just wasn’t our taste. The garlic tots were tasty, but didn’t feel very special. Therefore, we were a bit disappointed. However, we loved the fried rice!!! It definitely redeemed the meal as it was the superstar of our lunch. It was perfectly balanced in flavor, the many vegetables were cooked very well and the seasoning had us wanting more! Service was excellent and establishment was busy yet aesthetically pleasing.

Lots of news around the famous burger and I would say it was good but not great. The rice cakes with beef and cheese were excellent. Wish they carried more hot sauce options. Service was a bit off with appetizers before drinks and it was a very dark / bar type atmosphere. Was worth the trip, but would not rush back / come back unless somebody was keen to try it. That being said, kudos to the restaurant for the excellent smash burger but the lights and night made the ambience feel “interesting”