Raon

This is hands down the best restaurant we have been to in New York. Every single dish was incredible, to the point where it was impossible to choose a favorite one. We loved how refreshing, unique, and balanced each bite was. I was amazed by how each course was able to integrate a different Korean flavor so perfectly. Not only were the dishes delicious (like out of this world) they also kept a distinct Korean profile. For example, the uni, egg, and gamtae bite tasted like a kimbap despite the unique combination. The foi gras dumpling tasted like a tteokmandu we would have for New Years and the scallop ceviche reminded me of dongchimi. I loved getting to experience these childhood flavors being expressed in fine dining. Truly a heavenly experience. Service and vibes were also top notch, very attentive care and thoughtful explanation of each dish and pairing throughout the whole night with immaculate pacing. 100/10 on every level. I truly have no complaints and will be recommending this place to everyone. In our opinion the food here is more creative and delicious than at Jungsik, our now previous favorite Korean restaurant.

Raon NYC offers one of the most thoughtful Korean tasting experiences in the city. Kimchi is the heart of the menu, not the soloist but a quiet star that adds depth, balance, and beautiful acidity to each course. The aged soy and doenjang from Jeong Kwan bring a deep, earthy flavor that makes every bite memorable. My favorite dishes were the foie gras mandu with duck broth and the uni and caviar with tofu and winter gamtae. Raon feels like a calm, confident celebration of Korean flavors and tradition.

One line review: Warm Korean "Jeong" (정) presented with French mastery. Food: Each dish was cooked and presented with meticulous culinary skills rooted in French fine dining, but when I took a bite, I was thrown back to the familiar taste, smell and texture of Korea. We don’t usually like Korean fine dining restaurants that have diverted too far away from the Korean taste palate or tastes too exotic for the Western audience. Each dish at Raon achieved the perfect balance. Kimchi pairing was unique (and would be very easy for any non-Koreans not used to kimchi). Service: Everyone (including the Chef himself) was incredibly warm, attentive and professional. I was pleasantly surprised by the near-perfect Korean pronunciation of the (non-Korean) servers. Also credit to great photos we got from the staff members. Atmosphere: Quiet, calm and welcoming. The interior is tastefully decorated with various artwork by Korean artists.

Every dish was highly creative while still delivering excellent flavor. The experience offered a deep introduction to the many varieties of Korean kimchi, which was both interesting and memorable. I would very highly recommend this place

Korean fine dining is the current "it" girl of the NYC gastronomic world, and just like every over-exposed celeb, you start to glaze over every time it's mentioned. I was going to pass on Raon because, well, glaze. But the kimchi pairing/tasting seemed unique enough to set the place apart from all the other bottle blonde Korean fine dining clones. Sadly, it wasn't enough. I could break down each course and give you my opinion, but I'm tired and Raon wasn't special enough to warrant that level of detail. Here's your pithy sum: Raon follows the typical wannabe/actual Michelin-starred paint-by-numbers formula and never deviates from it. You start with your beautiful and generally unique small bites: Crab + Oi Kimchi, and Tuna & Caviar + Baek Kimchi, in our case. Then you progress to your slightly larger courses of seafood and vegetable. For us, that was a small bite of New York Bo Kimchi, followed by an Uni Gimbap + Jang Kimchi pairing, followed by Scallop Doenjang + Tomato Kimchi, followed by Halibut + Young Radish Kimchi. See what I mean? As predictable as a sloth. Good quality, nice presentations, interesting Korean ingredients repurposed for a fusion audience, but nothing particularly standout. Then you get the meatier courses because Americans always treat meat as superior to seafood (lord knows why). In our case, that was a colorful Foie Gras Mandu + 6mo Aged Mukeunji (yes, very similar to Joo Ok's but with a different filling). And--my most hated of fine-dining courses--the obligatory seared slab of meat with sad vegetable side. In this case, Galbi & Sotbap + Dongchimi & Turnip Kimchi--so, sad slab + sad veg + sad bowl of rice. But wait, you're saying--wasn't the kimchi at least interesting? It was... to an extent. We even got a nice little brochure that explained what some (but not all) of the kimchi were. But all of the kimchi portions were tiny, and most of them--as royal and exotic as they sounded--were kind of....one note. All tart crunch and not much else. Like a Korean crudite pairing doused in vinegar. It got boring after a while. Which brings us to dessert. Not surprisingly, Raon's pencil crayons stayed well within the lines here too. We had a Korean Pear & Makgeolli Sorbet mouth cleanser that doubled as the main dessert. And the "petit fours" dessert course that was a Platter of Sweets containing small bite-sized pieces of Matcha Cake, Gaeseong Juak, Hongsam Chocolate, and some kind of Persimmon Yanggaeng. Satisfying, not too sweet and ultimately forgettable. Bottom line, if Raon were half the price, I'd probably be singing its praises for trying something different in the oversaturated upscale Korean scene. But for $295pp (before tax and tip), its tasting menu kind of blurs into the background and the kimchi pairing isn't special enough to set it apart. When places like Jua are pushing the envelope of Michelin-starred Korean for just $140pp, it's hard to justify going to Raon. But hey, maybe some people really, really like kimchi.

We had an incredible dining experience at Raon for my birthday. The service was attentive and warm from start to finish, and every dish was beautiful - both visually and in flavor. The atmosphere struck the perfect balance of refined and welcoming. A special highlight was the kimchi pairing, such a unique, creative touch that elevated the meal and made it truly memorable. Every course felt thoughtful and harmonious, and we left already excited to return.

Third visit - went at 7:10p and asked for a table for 4 for 7:30. Was told OK. Came back at the appointed time and we were told the kitchen couldn’t accommodate us and were turned away. Incredibly disappointing treatment. Original review from first visits: Fantastic, creative meal. Perhaps my favorite amuse bouche and many other hits. Well portioned. They do offer à la carte now as well.