A few months ago, I tried to walk into Kisa on a Friday night without a reservation. You can probably guess how that went.
Located right off the F train at 2nd Avenue, I arrived at Kisa and was met with a crowd of dining hopefuls circling the host at the door. While he looked a bit stressed, he kept his cool when he kindly told me that a table of two would maybe, just maybe, be available in two-and-a-half hours. I know, I know—walking into one of New York’s buzziest without a reservation, especially on a Friday, was a bit of a gamble. But even Kisa invites you to roll the dice—its Resy page states that it reserves two-thirds of its tables for such a chance. But as one of the restaurant darlings of the scene (including being named one of our best new restaurants of 2024, and most recently, receiving a James Beard Award semifinalist designation), using Resy Notify is a bit of a requirement if you hate waiting. After a few months of cruising the notifications, I finally bit the bullet and nabbed a 9pm table, ready to figure out all the hype.
A small operation from the C as in Charlie team, Kisa, short for “kisa sikdang,” is modeled after roadside diners that kept drivers fed and full across Korea in the 1980s. Now filling up the rest of us, the restaurant specializes in baekban cuisine. Translating to “white rice,” baekban is a traditional Korean home-cooked meal, usually consisting of rice, soup and a variety of banchan. With only four options for dinner, a hearty meal will only run you $32.
Just like its simple offerings, the interior keeps it straightforward. The walls are white with a red-tiled trim lining the bottom. A few tables sit in the middle while a wooden bench lines the back of the restaurant with a few printed cushions thrown on top for comfort. And yet, something about Kisa is endearing. Lattice curtains on the windows keep it cozy while childhood photos of the owners are framed around the restaurant. Fans seemingly plucked from a DMV office back in the day are mounted on walls, oscillating no matter the weather. And on a wooden ledge above the room, a small TV plays Korean shows and cooking segments, adding to the soundtrack of conversation and chopsticks tinkling on metal bowls.
As soon as my dinner date and I sat down, a very attentive server came over and gave us a short and sweet rundown. Each person has to order a platter, choosing from four options: Bulgogi, Spicy Pork, Spicy Squid and Sanchae Bimbimpap. Each dish comes with rice, soup and banchan. She gladly walked us through the drink list of Korean wines, sojus and beers—there are no cocktails—and recommended a few options to go with our respective dishes: mine, the Bulgogi, my dinner date’s, the Spicy Pork. Less than 20 minutes later, two spaceship-sized metal tins descended onto our table.
Among the eight bowls on my tray (more on that in a minute) the center dish held a steaming bowl of soy-marinated Bulgogi. The shredded beef retained a sweetness from the brine with a nice bit of smoke attached to it. My dinner date's thinly-sliced Spicy Pork, marinated in gochujang sauce, had a nice char and an underlying spice that wasn’t overpowering. However, the banchan rivaled the main event.
Seven metal bowls surrounded the main, which I greedily spooned and slurped in between bites. In one bowl, a nicely salted and steamed egg souffle with bits of carrots and celery, best eaten hot as the water can eventually pool at the bottom of the bowl. Thick hunks of the lightly soy-marinated salmon, which could easily rival nigiri portions, were complimented with a wonderfully fermented onion and shishito pepper. One of my favorites was the gochujang-slicked Squid Jeotgal which had a satisfying bounce when chewed. While the restaurant initially offered free refills of banchan, that is no longer. Minus the kimchi, refills will cost you $2 per side. But to be honest, after clearing my main dish and most if not all of my sides, I was fully ready to be wheeled home.
But before leaving, there is a bit of dessert to be had. Encouraged by the server, I made my way to the small coffee machine near the entrance of the restaurant. On it, three buttons were labelled "Mocha Coffee," "Black Bean Latte" and "Hot Chocolate." Opting for the latte, I pressed the button and a small cup dispensed with a 'plunk' before slowly filling up with liquid. The foamy and creamy sesame number was a nice farewell to a meal well done.
During my second visit, I took my chances as a walk-in for lunch, this time on a freezing cold Saturday morning. Luck was on my side as my friend and I were sat within seconds, arriving just a few minutes before noon. But not even 15 minutes later, a rush came in, and just like that, the restaurant was full up.
Much like its dinner menu, lunch is abbreviated too, with only two options: Gamjatang, a pork bone soup that comes to simmer in a bath of gochujang, garlic and soybean paste; and the Donkatsu, a take on the Japanese breaded pork cutlet, Tonkatsu. The Gamjatang was a needed refuge from the cold weather outside, its chile flake-infused broth bubbling with hunks of beef. Clumps of black pepper sat on top of the meat, so make sure you stir it in to get the full effect. As for the Donkatsu, the substantial cutlets, both golden-fried, were still incredibly light, served with a nicely tanged, Worchester based sauce ladled on top. To cleanse in between bites, I spooned up a small side of shredded cabbage and a molded ball of macaroni salad.
Both times, I walked away with my wallet relatively unscathed. For two entrees that included soup, rice and all the banchan, plus two drinks, I spent about $116 at dinner. For lunch, only $47 (both include tax and tip) which is saying something in a city where breathing is extra. Since Kisa has reached such favorability in various food media and on TikTok for its simplistic menu and filling meals all at a lower price compared to other restaurants, it begs the question, are reasonably priced menus the answer? Of course, it’s definitely not a new concept, coming from someone raised on $2 for 20 Applebee's dinners. Plenty of affordable tasting menus exist all across the city, from Nowon’s Mixtapes dinner deal of $42 per person for five courses to Acru’s tasting menu that doesn’t go above $100. However, it is hard to say what will resonate and what won’t. Take Comida Corrida, a Mexican comfort food restaurant from the MáLà Project. Located across the street from Kisa, the restaurant also opened last year, touting a hearty, three-course meal of rice, beans, pork or fish and handmade tortillas priced at $26. But sadly, it only lasted seven months before closing its doors.
Will we see more set-priced menus across the scene? It stands to reason we will. So for now, get on the trend and make your way to Kisa, one of the best out there.
Vitals
The vibe: This Korean diner leans casual with red-tiled walls, wall-mounted fans and a small TV that plays Korean shows. But something about it feels like grandma has walked through here, with lace curtains on the window and pictures of the owners as children on the walls.
The food: $32 will get you a whole lot here, a protein, soup, rice and seven bowls of banchan. Yes, refills (minus the kimchi) cost extra, but its hard to leave hungry here. As for lunch, the most expensive item is $19.
The drinks: While there are no cocktails, the drink menu has a list of Korean beers, clementine- and plum-based wines and fermented rice beverages, including makegeolli, cheongju and soju. Ask the server for a suggestion, they are more than happy to help.