When I heard there was a fine-dining restaurant inside of the 34th Street-Herald Square Subway station part of me was excited about the concept, but I have to admit that I was skeptical of Nōksu, too.
I briefly lived in Tokyo, where I found solace in restaurants in subway stations. Though I briefly wondered why New York hadn’t adapted a similar concept, a laundry list of reasons why not immediately followed. Tokyo subway stations are a bit cleaner than New York’s, to understate things. And, speaking in generalities, Japanese commuters tend to be more orderly than New Yorkers, so Tokyo’s subway stations generally feel safe and calm, whereas here… well, need I say more?
Aside from being in a New York City subway station, Nōksu chose the old barber shop space at the 34th Street-Herald Square station, adding slight insult to injury. My experience at Nōksu, however, turned out to be a friendly reminder that jumping to conclusions too soon can lead you to deny yourself something great.
Getting a reservation at Nōksu is slightly challenging, so when I saw one up for grabs, I snagged it. Fine dining isn’t typically my jam, but the reservation happened to fall on a night I was celebrating, so I concluded the universe was telling me to treat myself. Twist my arm, universe.
My friend and I walked down the 32nd Street stairs and immediately saw a black door with simple gold letters reading: Nōksu. A code is required to enter, which diners receive in a text the day of their reservation. Though it adds to the hidden dining gem experience, it’s also for security. Call it a gimmick or not, but it absolutely adds to the exclusive experience.
On the other side of the door is a full-service restaurant that feels like a secret, chic club — the polar opposite of the rat race in the Herald Square subway station (no pun intended). If you don’t gasp a little or at the very least smile upon going from the subway station to Nōksu, you might be dead inside.
Nōksu is run by Chef Dae Kim, a 29-year old Korean native who moved to Chicago when he was 14, and got his first job in the kitchen at 17 as a dishwater at Ria in Chicago’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. There, he eventually worked his way up to line cook, before graduating to work for Chef Thomas Keller at Per Se. From there, he moved onto Silver Apricot before finally opening Nōksu in October 2023.
Chef Kim’s tenacity and precision shows in every meticulous plate at Nōksu. The bar was set high with my first bite of the night, which was brown crab. Not only was the presentation almost too delicate for someone as clumsy as me, but the crab was so buttery it hardly required chewing.
With a total of 11 courses, naturally, some dishes weren’t as memorable as others. As someone who doesn’t frequently attend tasting menu-styled dining, I wanted to preserve the memory of each dish to ensure I got the most out of my time there. Instead, I chose to relax. I recommend experiencing Nōksu the way I did: enjoying the ride, savoring every dish without reservations and letting Chef Kim guide the journey from course one to eleven.
For me, that paid off, especially with the broken rice course. It was so creamy, I was convinced it was inspired by Italian risotto, but was promptly corrected that it is more like congee, or Chinese rice porridge. It’s covered in a veil made with parmesan and potato which makes it resemble a black truffle.
A dish I was particularly excited to try was the squab, one of the few non-seafood dishes on the menu. The meat is glazed, dry aged, smoked, then basted with hot oil and fried. All parts of the squab are served, including the gizzard and head, which you’re encouraged to consume. The meat itself is rich, almost like duck, but gamier. If you’ve ever walked through Chinatown, the presentation of this dish is clearly inspired by the hanging ducks of Canal Street, and the glistening glaze is unmistakably akin to that of a Peking Duck.
While the pretty plates and delicate fish made me a fan of Nōksu, the squab is what made me understand Nōksu. It’s immigrant food meets New York sophistication… all behind a closed subway station door.
Address: 49 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001 (entry at 32nd and Broadway 34 St Herald Square Station)
Phone: (626) 657-8420
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday
Prices: $195 for 11-course tasting menu
No takeout, no delivery. Reservations required via Resy.
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