I went to NARO for a big celebratory dinner in the restaurant's elegant private dining room. I had no hand in planning or paying for this meal, but I like to believe I played my part well. I ate and drank everything that came near me and had an absolute blast. NARO is part of the renowned Atoboy/Atomix family, at the very top tier of contemporary Korean American restaurants. It's somewhere on the ice rink level of the Rockefeller Center, and I was glad I didn't have to find it on my own. I never actually saw the main dining room, but the private space was ideal for our party of about 20. Ellia and Junghyun did us the honor of hosting us themselves, and we had a really wonderful time. I had a couple cocktails in addition to the champagne and red wine that poured throughout the meal. I loved the Sanlim Martini, a savory drink with mushroom butter-infused gin, burdock-infused vermouth, Salers, mushroom jangajji, and shiitake tincture. Superb, with that cute little pickled mushroom garnish. The Earl Grey Cha Cha was another winner, boozy and balanced, with Scotch, mezcal, bergamot, lemon, vanilla, and yellow Chartreuse. I didn't get wine details, but I liked whatever we were drinking. The food was outstanding, both creative and delicious. I grew up eating Korean food and deeply enjoyed the house takes on Korean classics. We shared several family-style dishes in addition to three individually served courses that we ordered off a pre-set menu designed for our group. Dinner started with a spread of baby gem lettuce salad, NARO potato fritter, and kimchi-cheese chicken wings. The salad was light and fresh, with candied walnut and seaweed dressing, the fritter a crispy gamja jeon finished with Korean scallion salad, and an unexpected sprinkle of pistachio. The wings were gourmet KFC (Korean, not Kentucky), shatteringly crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside, coated with bright orange kimchi cheese dust and served with pickled Korean radish. For my individual appetizer, I got the beef tartare with egg yolk, jalapeño, and Asian pear. A beautiful bowl of cold yukhwae. Next up, we had the octopus and kimchi rice porridge, the NARO bowl, and the braised short rib, all excellent and easy to share. The octopus and kimchi was the fancy restaurant version of nakji bokkeum, a spicy stir-fry where the octopus is always plentiful and chewy. NARO's featured carefully cooked, tender octopus with rice porridge, Brussels sprouts, and cured seaweed. The NARO bowl was the house interpretation of bibimbap, a gorgeous rice bowl with grilled wagyu short rib, pillowy cubes of egg, smoked trout roe, and pinecone ssamjang. Top contender for my favorite dish of the night. The galbi jjim was up there too, a unique version of the braised short rib my mother makes ever New Year. It was complex and untraditional with an almost European wine and beef stew heft, less soy sauce and more hearty richness. The ribs were braised until they slipped off the bone, and the vegetables--cherry tomatoes, shishito peppers, carrot, potato--soaked up that marvelous broth. I loved my personal entrée too, the black cod with doenjang sauce and hen-of-the-woods mushroom. The fish was silky and delicate, the mushrooms meaty and flavorful. They came with a side of lovely mushroom rice. For dessert, I had the kkwabaegi, a Korean twisted donut with banana custard and sesame nougatine. It was delightful, fluffy and satisfying, sweet but not too sweet in that nice Asian dessert kind of way. I don't quite know what the typical NARO dinner is like, but this was an amazing experience, and I'm grateful I got to enjoy it. I hope to come back on another trip to New York, and maybe one day visit Atomix. read more

Ok let me preface that the Only reason this restaurant is getting a 4 star from me is because of the dessert on the tasting menu. Our server Sofia/Sophia was a sweetheart. She is also a huge fan of going to different restaurants and exploring their tasting menu. And she asked me about what I thought for every single dish we had, I was so enthusiastic to share my experience with her and not holding back about what I thought for every dish we had. That being said let's get into the food! The beef tartar, was delicious. I typically don't go crazy for it but this really fit my taste palette. The beef was cut into noodle like strands, not too long, pieces of Korean pear served with the dish and the sauce was a soy based glaze giving it a very nice umami/savory flavor and to my surprise, I ate the whole dish (I typically don't finish beef tartar dishes). The fried soft shell crab was delicious. It had the sweet seafood crab flavor and a very nice crunch, served with some spicy mayo and something similar to guac. I appreciated how fresh tasting the crab was! Personal favorite: Octopus risotto really packs the kimchi punch in the risotto that I absolutely loved! The octopus was cooked to perfection, slightly Smokey. The crispy Brussel sprouts was a nice additional texture and flavor profile with the dish, it also had a smoky element to it that was slightly different from that of the octopus. The risotto was a perfect texture where you can feel the grains slowly melting in your mouth. Absolutely fantastic. Galbi jim was my friend's favorite, him being from Korean background said it's not much different from how his mother makes it. This dish came as the final course before the dessert and it was served with a bowl of rice topped with oyster mushrooms and what I think is Japanese mayo. This was a great way to finish the tasting menu, nobody likes leaving an expensive meal and having the need to actually grab fast food afterwards to fill up so we really appreciated the thought that was put into creating this tasting menu. Now... onto the dessert. It was not good, I want to leave it at that but I feel like it's my duty to describe to anyone that cares to read this. The blackberry dessert was served on a bed of soy sauce cream neither of them had much flavor, there were also small pieces of supposedly chocolate cake. The texture was not great, the chocolate bites were dry and tasted like a piece of granola protein bar with its dirt like texture. The blackberry ice cream did not pop in flavor either, it was quite a disappointment since we ordered it specifically off the menu since it was not apart of the tasting menu experience. The red bean and butter dessert, the name is over selling this dessert for what it currently is. Thin slices of white chocolate that does not melt as quickly as desired, 2 slices of what seems like tougher than sourdough bread and 2 layers of Asian style red bean paste served in a sandwich form alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The camera ate for this one, it looks great photographed but the texture, flavor, taste leaves A whole lot to be desired. I just cannot get myself to give this restaurant a 5 star for these 2 desserts. I'm willing to come back if the desserts get improved to reevaluate and give the full 5 stars :) because Sophia provided excellent service read more

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Came in at 2:30pm for a restaurant week lunch reservation and I knew that the place closed between lunch and dinner but they did allow the 2:30pm reservation. The snow crab dish was amazing, especially in the pine nut sauce. The sticky toffee dessert was ok but looked beautiful, not much in terms of flavor or texture. It was served with our lunch because of the timing. My mocktail was delicious. The salmon rice was a hit at our table with the crunchy quinoa and the kimchi rice was also nice. The green tea ice cream with the rice puffs was also amazing and delicious. Earthy and sweet and crunchy. The staff was very kind but we had 3-4 different people switching in to take our order and finalize payment. Restaurant week is always tough. Would love to come back for the tasting menu. read more

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Checked this place out for restaurant week with a friend and it did not disappoint! It is located below the Rockefeller ice rink level and the interior of the restaurant is gorgeous. All the food was prepared with perfection, especially the dessert, which was almost too pretty to eat. Service was great and our server was very knowledgeable of the food and cocktail (offering good recommendation). Definitely recommend and will most likely come back for date night :) read more

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The food didnt wow me. It was just alright. The soy marinated salmon was way too salty, maybe less heavy hand on that soy sauce. Kimchi cheese fried chicken was crispy but the breading was way too thick. The wagyu rice bowl wasn't flavorful, the gochujang was overpowering. Out of the entire meal I enjoy the ice cream they most. read more

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Visiting NYC and found Naro. My sister and I decided to have lunch and it was a great decision. We were warmly greeted and immediately seated; amazing since it was the height of the lunch hour. Also, the restaurant was still very intimate even with the people rushing through the halls of Rockefeller Center and people skating on the rink outside. Vin, our server, was friendly and so helpful as we were looking over the menu. We ordered from the lunch prix-fixe menu - 2 course (appetizer and main for $39). We got the cucumber salad and amberjack. The cucumber salad was flavorful mixed with the chili oil. And the amberjack melted in your mouth with a mild taste of mustard and yellow pepper. These two appetizers seem to complement each other so well. For our mains, we ordered the black cod and beef tenderloin. My sister loved the black cod with its sauce and the mushrooms too. The beef tenderloin was tender, cooked perfectly, and so savory. We then ordered a dessert to share - the white peach Naro ice cream. This was light and absolutely delightful. Lunch was truly enjoyable! read more

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TLDR; not great for families. Decent food that doesn't hold up to the value proposition in most cases. Drinks weren't great. Service sucked. Onward for those with too much time: My children love Korean food so we thought this would be a decent option for a quick bite when we saw the colorful menus posted around Rockefeller Center while visiting. The food was fine - if slightly Americanized (or modernized depending on your perspective), it was flavorful and well plated. I especially enjoyed my amberjack starter - though it struck me as more Japanese American... Of note - the portions were on the small side. The restaurant itself seems interesting and modern for essentially being in a tourista shopping mall. The service experience was lacking from the moment we walked in however. While we were being seated you could tell the hostess was less than thrilled about seating a family with young children that was dressed "casually". My son is wearing a designer windbreaker ffs, and a keen observer would notice the details that shout "happy & gullible west coast vacationers with no budget". Mind you their menu isn't THAT complex (fried chicken was prominently featured) nor was it obviously a gastropub or something where children would obviously not be appropriate. She could have also just said sorry no kids. But a Michelin lunch this was not, so we assumed any place with a fried chicken sandwich and mandu aka potstickers on the menu would be OK to take a child. My 6yo daughter had the bluefin and caviar, so it isn't as though I'm ordering plan rice or something for the children - once we ordered they shouldn't have been concerned about the 4 top spend. No special asks of the kitchen were made. We saw the server exactly thrice, once to ask what kind of water we wanted, once to take our order and once 45 min later to refill water glasses when I informed him he could just collect payment because I was leaving. My cocktail didn't arrive until the second course came. So I'm not sure if it's just "so busy" at 1pm that a 35+ min wait is typical for a single cocktail? Perhaps. Or perhaps my theory is that they were disappointed to be serving us, and they preferred we weren't there. Overall I think it might be a decent place for a lighter business lunch or grabbing a drink and small bite with a friend. Something that would justify approx $50-75 per person for a smallish lunch. I don't recommend it for a hungry traveler. Don't bother if you don't feel like getting judged for having children with a palate that involves something besides chicken tendies. Had we not been made to feel out of place and more or less ignored for the scant hour we sat, we likely would have stayed and ordered more food and drinks... but we felt it would be best to close out and go elsewhere. read more

To be clear, I dined here on "the terrace" with the MUCH smaller Ala carte menu. While the Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich was wonderful, it was one of a very tiny collection of options. I also ate the less successful Kimchi Fried Rice, which turned out to be a scrambled egg "pillow" (their description) served over rice bordered by deep fried greens. The addition of parmigiana was however, nice. While I wanted a dessert, only two were offered, one sized for two people. I would have rated this "Terrace" option 3 1/2 stars if given the ability. Study the limited menu carefully before visiting. It might influence your dining decision. read more

NARO - NARO Terrace - Kimchi Fried Rice - Korean Near Me - New York, New York

Went for a birthday celebration and got the rink side room - it felt like a private room as we were the only ones there. The food was really good but small portioned. The king crab appetizer and jasmine yuza mousse desserts were my faves as they were more special. The bluefin tuna bibimbap and black cod was good too! The staff there were very kind and made it very special, they also helped us make a show on time and gave great recs. Would recommend for special occasions. read more

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Exquisite and wonderful. I did not expect to be so blown away. Not excessively busy on an April Sunday. We had just seen 3 PM Suffs on Broadway and were on a high from that theater experience. We had made a reservation for Naro's terrace and had no idea we would also have such a culinary high! The host seated all diners in the main room that Sunday. What made our experience truly superb was our server (Casey I think). We asked her so many questions and she took time to help us understand ingredients we did not know and such an innovative cocktail menu. The giant black and white wave makes an impressive entranceway right by the rink (now transformed into seating for spring and summer). Airy white draperies along the walls. A beautiful way to transform a lower space in Rockefeller Center into a luxury cruise ship intimate dining room feel. Pretty blue ceramic chargers and steel chopsticks and spoon rack are artfully designed and make a contemporary vibe. Cocktails: Soseo and Sanja Sour. What a remarkable list of ingredients like no cocktail list I've EVER seen. Both were surprisingly delicious with unexpected aspects: the piece of dried pear with Soseo and the Sour's aroma. We were doing the $40/50 2/3 course menu option, not the tasting. We loved both the starter and the main. We both had the char bowl. Server explained how to make our own little rolls with that amazing Korean seaweed. My friend had the oxtail and I the bluefin Bibimbap. Again, like no other bluefin dish I've EVER had. The oxtail dish with its chosen ingredients also delectable. My friend had the donut with a custard dessert. The custard was really fine. We had two white wines from their nice wine list. Naro evidently means "through" in Korean. The wave art means the sea. While the char and tuna were wonderful, it's the combo of ingredients and the aesthetic of everything here that made our evening a delight. read more

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I'm making my way through all the restaurants in the fabulous Hand Hospitality group, and snagged this reservation at their fine dining concept soon after they opened. I was surprised to see them opening this fancy restaurant in the underbelly of Rockefeller Center's concourse, where I spent many decidenly unglamorous mornings during my internship on the Today Show a decade ago. The ambience dissonance was quite distracting while we dined, looking out of the windows of the restaurant and seeing the sliding doors of what was essentially a mall. I opted for the vegetarian tasting menu while my dining companion ordered the regular meat one so that we'd get to try more dishes, as suggested by our server. We sampled so many little dishes side by side, and as much as I often prefer vegetarian food, I have to say the subtlety of the vegetarian dishes was actually too mild, and the flavors of the tasting menu with meat and seafood was much richer. I appreciate that NARO is aiming to show off more subtle and delicate flavors of Korean cuisine, which is often associated with pungent strong flavors, but I craved more from the vegetarian options. The meal concluded on a stronger note with a delicious dessert-- an injeoulmi ice cream with black sesame wafer and shortbread crumble. I also loved the kombucha they had, which they served in a wine glass for me. The service and presentation remained excellent through the meal, but I'd rank this meal far less memorable than the ones I've enjoyed from other restaurants in the group. read more

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The vegetarian options here are limited, but the dishes I had were still full of flavor and absolutely delicious. This is Korean fusion, so you get a hint of those real Korean flavors in the dishes that really hit home. I had the fried eggplant, cucumber salad, and the potato fritter (which I was too excited to eat so I did not get a photo of it) that was so perfectly crisp on the bottom and edges and just so incredibly yummy. I can't wait to come back to New York so I can come here again! read more

NARO - Cucumber salad, Jeju Blossom cocktail and fried eggplant. - Korean Near Me - New York, New York

Ate here for a work dinner. Overall the Food is not that great. The lobster dish and gal bi Jim were good but the rest was not. I think they are trying to do some type of Korean fusion cuisine but most dishes fall flat. read more

Beautiful, detail-oriented in flavor and presentation, and attentive service! It is located in the shops under the courtyard area, which made it a little hard to find. Service is super friendly and attentive, and takes note of any special occasion for you, which is a lovely touch. Each course was a pleasant surprise of a balance of taste, creativity, and presentation! Just beautiful. I appreciate how no course felt too rich or heavy, but fresh and cleansing of the palate. Highly recommend, and would love to be back! read more

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Review way overdue. Service here was absolutely fantastic. The food was good--refreshing and full of flavor. Very balanced, not too heavy. The interior was minimalistic and had an intimate vibe. read more

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Enjoyed the food, service, and ambiance all equally here! None of the courses particularly stood out to me, but they were all solid. We left feeling pretty full, especially after the rice course. Cute spot for a date night or catch up. read more

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Some of the best service and ambiance I have ever experienced in my entire life. The food was also delicious. HOWEVER, the portions for the prix fix menu are MICROSCOPIC. We left there HUNGRY lol!!! And also there is a TON of hype. They had some fancy name and description for the potatoe appetizer. It was a friggin HASH BROWN LOLOL!!! A delicious hash brown. And delicious food. Just soooooo little of it!!! But honestly this place is great for drinks and apps. Their entire menu is basically just all apps (based on the sizes of the portions). The atmosphere and service make this place special. read more

I didn't even know about this place until I read the NYT glowing review of this place. It's located in the Rockefeller Center in the lower level. It's a fairly small main dining room. The service was top notch, and they explained each course in detail. What was annoying was a large party seating across from us - this girl had such an obnoxious laugh. Was happy when they left - lol. In the main dining room, the tasting menu is $165 per person. I enjoyed all the courses except for the Wagyu Tteokgalbi course. I wish they would serve a Wagyu Galbi instead of a blend in a patty. If I could swap this course with the galbi & chan course from Jua, it would be such a fantastic meal. But definitely, my three favorite courses were the Oysters, Sea Bass Gui and Fluke Jjim. If these were on the a la carte menu, I would return more frequently. I really enjoyed the Chestnut dessert- great way to end the meal. Glad NYC has so many fine dining Korean establishments. I have a feeling Naro will receive a Michelin star soon. read more

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The food was extremely salty, so I politely asked if it could be made less salty. Then someone who seemed like the manager came over and told me that their food is "supposed to taste that way" and that they could not change it. The attitude was very dismissive and unpleasant. It completely ruined the experience for me. I will never come back to this restaurant again. read more

Racist Asian restaurant. Service was terrible and food made me sick. I think it was on purpose due to the way I was treated even after making a reservation through Amex concierge. These ppl are blatant racists, but I'm not surprised! read more

Good was not spiced enough and it's a bit too expensive for what you get. Service was nice and the ambiance is pretty great. The food lets down a bit. read more

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Have been to 3 of the other ATOMIX spots and loved them all. This was a disappointment. Food and setting were the issues. First, will give it an "A" for service although we had some long waits making this tasting last 2.25 hours that we had to rush near the end as we were headed to a show. Cocktails were good with 2 out of 3 being "memorable". Wine list is strong but plan on more than $150 for any decent bottle (we had a French white ($175) that worked well with all dishes but the Waygu and we ordered a glass of syrah with that). The setting is a bit weird. Come down on a very crowded elevator to an entrance facing an ice rink. Then the all white decor just didn't click. No idea why they picked this space - hoping for tourists to just drop in and spend $300 each? That exactly happened at the table next to us who had no idea on the concept or it being a tasting menu. So we came for the food. Most dishes were good; Waygu was exceptional. However, two dishes were worse than "meh" - one was hardly touched by any of us. Weird textures and "overly fishy". Damages with tip was $990 for 3. This is not a place we will return - their other venues are head and shoulders better. read more

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Came here for prefix 3 course, it was okay experience. We got snow crab, pork jowl, red snapper for main dishes and watermelon and corn icecream Food has different interesting flavor, however not the best, but the presentation is good. Vibe is modern, minimalistic, with black and white color. Was not pleasant of the service on that day: - When I dropped a chopstick, someone came picked it up and mentioned will bring another pair of chopsticks. 10-15 mins later, nobody came by, we had to ask the server to give us a new chopsticks and due to that, food were getting cold. - For some reason, servers were not attentive (we came at 9PM- 10:30PM), which was not happy about the experience read more

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My score is based off of service, quality, presentation and ambiance. The food was high quality and beautiful plated. The eel, beef tartare, amberjack were among some of our favorites. A must try for restaurant week! read more

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Food 9.8/10 Really enjoyed every single dish in the tasting menu, each was super flavorful and plated with precision. I especially enjoyed the first bite, which was puffed rice cakes, seaweed, and scallop. The sashimi dish was superb too. The chicken was tender, and the rhubarb ice cream was so fresh and the perfect amount of sour. I really appreciate the influence of Asian flavors to each dish. Unfortunately the carrot dessert was the one thing lacking, it was way way too sweet, I could not finish it. Atmosphere 10/10 Sleek interior, with round detailing, light blue and white colors. Spacious seating, a little dim but I loved the decor. Service 10/10 Team was super accommodating, when they accidentally took away my friend's drink before he was finished, they were kind enough to provide us with one on the house. Very informed server, explained the details of each dish very well. read more

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A big fan of Ellia and JP Park so when this opened I had to try! I went in early January 2022, around the time they first opened. The space itself is gorgeous - there is art, love all the white in the restaurant, and great ambiance in general. We got drinks, and there wasn't something that particularly caught my eye, but the bartender was able to make something for me based on my preferences and it was so good! The food was great as well - every course was well thought out and everything was definitely more homey. Would definitely com back as I think they've rotated some of the courses! read more

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We got the Naro Bowl with waygu beef cubes. The photos made the dish look amazing, but when it showed up the beef looked like what you'd get at Chipotle. Didn't look or taste like waygu at all, so I felt a bit cheated. The Steak Tartare, Amberjack, and Lobster dishes were also a bit disappointing. Overall we were a bit disappointed with the meal. read more

I came here on a Saturday afternoon to celebrate my 22nd birthday with my mom and I have to say Naro exceeded all my expectations. We opted for the Pre-fixe lunch menu-- in which I thought was thoughtfully designed and tasted as good as it looked sitting on the plates. My mom particularly enjoyed her potato jeon appetizer which was perfectly crispy and well-executed. I loved my mulhwe appetizer as it was very citrusy and just a wonderful way to start the meal. For the mains, we go the lotus gui and the wagyu which my mom thoroughly enjoyed. I think the lotus was a bit on the saltier side but paired perfectly with the eggplant and sesame seasoned rice (yum!) The pace of each dish was on point and all the servers were incredibly attentive, thoughtful, and there was this super sweet girl at the end of our meal who gave me an extra candle for my cake! (Special shout-out to her) The location is on the lower rink of Rockefeller center where you enter an ever so sleek, elegant, and lightly dimmed interior which makes such a intimate and beautiful setting to celebrate anything special. I can't wait to be back to try the tasting menu! read more

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This was one of my first times really trying Korean food, especially in an elevated setting. My boyfriend and I came for lunch and got their 5 course lunch tasting menu! We also added on two of the desserts from the a la carte menu because they sounded so good (apple shiso and the twisted donut). I really enjoyed everything here so much, the octopus was tender and the dish as a whole was very refreshing. The chicken sanjeok was so wonderful, the chicken was cooked to perfection. My favorite savory course had to be the wagyu with sunchokes and a side of mushroom rice, that rice was extremely addicting! The desserts here really are something special, they were all so unique and had such depths of flavor. The restaurant is so cool and modern, it almost looks like it would be in a sci-fi film. This was such an amazing lunch experience, I really want to come back and try out their dinner now. read more

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Work lunch review: If NARO is meant to be the sweet spot between underwhelming Atoboy and overpriced Atomix, then it succeeds at offering the best of both. If you're here for a mid-day meal, I highly recommend ordering a la carte rather than the tasting menu, as you get far more variety for the same price. - Octopus Naengchae: My only quibble with this is how damn cold it is, but it's partly our fault for ordering it in the winter. As a summer dish, it would be incredibly refreshing, and the blend of vegetables + chewy octopus was perfect - Mushroom Kalguksu: Just what the doctor ordered. I could've easily had five more bowls of this - Tuna Bibimbap: There's nothing better than seafood-flavored bibimbap, as this dish proves - Halibut Sooljjim: A bit underwhelming compared to the rest--liked the broth, felt the halibut itself was bland - Side of seasonal rice: Seasonal right now means mushrooms, so be prepared for four different kinds that are perfectly cooked with rice If you're on the clock as we were, their mocktails do not disappoint. Try the Woosoo Cooler for pear refreshment, the Ibchu Shrub for something tarter, or the Baekro Tea for fizz fun. read more

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another Korean spot i thoroughly enjoyed!! i've never tried the Naro restaurant itself, but the terrace menu was a great introduction. the menu items are casual yet refined in flavor + i loved the outdoor seating vibe - so summery highly recommend trying the crispy pork sandwich and mango bingsu, and i didn't get it this time but i've heard amazing things about the tuna bibimbap. def getting it next time !! what we ordered: - crispy pork sandwich - kimchi fried rice - korean fried chicken sandwich - tteokbokki (with soondae on the side) - mango bingsu for two read more

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We came here for their New Years Eve set dinner and the experience was definitely high end and made the night special but the food itself was not very memorable despite clean and well executed flavours. The whole experience took quite a while (the dishes were space apart a little too long) but the dining room itself was calm and classy. Being a set menu, our whole family received the same dishes which I do not remember the exact names of but will try to explain. The first dish was a raw fish presented beautifully with a DIY seaweed to wrap it in. The fish itself was exquisite, being light and very fresh. It came with some pickled veggies which gave it some texture and crunch. The second dish was a steamed egg with oysters and caviar. I found the caviar too salty and the oysters very filling but the steamed egg was warm and homey. The third dish was a buckwheat noodle with mixed mushrooms and truffles. One of my favourites of the night, the noodles were cooked to a perfect al dente and a very flavourful sauce and a very subtle truffle flavour. This was also presented with edible flowers which made it visually appealing. The entree dish was next and with a choice of halibut in a light broth with balls of rice stuffed with - something - or a wagyu beef and chicken duo. Both entrees were good in that their flavours were light and didnt leave you feeling stuffed. The halibut which I ordered was okay but as expected for this kind of fish, a little bit more dry. The soup it was in didnt have too much flavour but this let the natural flavour of the fish sing. The wagyu was cooked well. The palate cleanser was my mom's favourite course with a tangerine sorbet that was tangy, sweet and full of fruity goodness. This small scoop was a great way to prepare ourselves for dessert. The final course was a chestnut bouche du noel with a milk ice cream and meringue snowman. Elegantly plated and just as sweet to the eyes as to the tastebuds, we all liked how the cake itself was not too dense and the cream had a subtle chestnut flavour. I found the cake a tad dry but with a scoop of their ice cream, this was a great way to end our meal. As our bill was presented, we were given a few Korean inspired sweets including soybean rice cakes, macarons and sesame seed brittle bites. A nice surprise to end off the night. Overall, there was nothing that went wrong with our visit as each dish was presented with a flourish and we were very full by the end but with such an expensive price tag, I expected to be wowed and frankly, I just wasnt. A good place to eat high end food without feeling bogged down afterwards. read more

I came for lunch at their terrace dining with their smaller a la carte menu, treating a former student who is now working as a professional in my field, who was visiting NYC on tour with a performance ensemble appearing later that evening at Carnegie Hall. It was a scorching and humid day outside, but their placement of umbrellas and partitions did a good job with mitigating most of the issues with dining outside. That they provided plenty of ice cold water that was refilled quickly was a nice touch. My colleague had the Korean fried chicken sandwich which he absolutely devoured--apparently it was one of the best chicken sandwiches he's had in recent memory! I had the Salmon "bibimbap" which was a very creative fusion approach to the original Korean dish and the combination of flavors with the seared salmon, perfectly crispy salmon skin, poached eggs, seaweed, pickled vegetables, and rice, was balanced and fresh. The desert, a mango shaved ice with all sorts of sweet things topped on it was a wonderful way to end the meal, and the cost was not exorbitant for NYC. I look forward to trying Naro's dinner menu in the sit-down restaurant inside at some point in the future! read more

NARO - Salmon bibimbap - Korean Near Me - New York, New York

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I've been to Atomix twice and enjoyed it very much so I was excited to come try out their collaboration with chef Jueun at Naro. The day before our reservation, we got an email telling us there will be filming which I understand since it's only a 1 day collaboration and they would want to capture the night so I didn't think much about it. Fast forward to us checking in with the hostess to be seated. We were directed to our seats, which were comfortable and our server was very friendly. Then I noticed something was a little weird. There were a few staffs, which seems to be the managers who were exceptionally attentive to a couple of tables. It seemed like they were like bees surrounding honey all night long. I initially thought they were just making rounds to ask how everyone's doing but they didn't come to our table even once during our entire meal. I overheard the conversation between the staff and the people sitting next to us and it almost seems like they already looked him up knowing where he's from. Next thing I know, another person from another table pulled out her tripod to film herself eating throughout the entire meal. It seemed like a special media event and I felt so out of place there. Aside from the uncomfortable setting, our food started to come out and it started out strong with the trio of king crab, deodeok potato, and yukhwe. The king crab was refreshing when paired with pear, the yukhwa was wrapped with eggplant which gave it another level of texture. Meat was also perfectly seasoned. The potato was flaky, flavorful and perfectly fried where you won't feel it being too oily. The broth in oyster and squid dish was also refreshing. The only thing is I believe the oyster's been dried or processed so I thought I was eating a mussel at first. I wished it was a fresh oyster. The veggies were fresh and crunchy. However, I was a little disappointed that it was a little different from the menu description in which they replaced water spinach with red bell peppers. It was still overall a good dish especially the sesame sauce but i don't like it when I expect one thing and out came another. It almost seemed like they were too lazy to update and reprint their menu. The abalone dish was probably one of my favorite. It's made of half abalone and half shrimp paste. It had an amazing aroma when presented at the table and the kick from the gochujang sauce brought out the freshness of the seafood. The strip loin was the most disappointing dish of the night. Although the meat was tender, it was overly marinated to the point I couldn't even taste the beef. You can tell me I'm eating pork and I would believe it. It wasn't really charred well and the marinate was a little too sweet. The banchan that came with the dish however was really good but it's kind of sad that it overshadowed the main ingredient. The desserts, although sounded really good on the menu, were really sweet. I honestly wouldn't even put the Kaesong yakgwa, clam songpyeon and macaron as a course and it kind of serves as a petite four. But again it was so sweet it almost seemed like I was eating spoonfuls of sugar. The food overall was so-so. Some dishes were good, some were a hard miss. But there wasn't one particular dish that was very memorable. Their drinks however were really good and unique and they have a wide variety of wine selections. Getting back to the service, I had a giant ant crawl across my plate midway through my meal. This wasn't something I would expect at a fine dining restaurant. Although our server was nice and helped me get rid of it, no other higher management came to apologize because they were all so busy entertaining those other tables. It seemed like they prioritized media and exposure over food and service. Such a disappointment and I won't be back. read more

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We went for restaurant week and the location is so nice. Located next to rink in Rockefeller center. I got the snow crab, pork jowl, watermelon, and added on an extra potato Jeon. It was definitely a great experience - the service is amazing, the food is good, the ambiance is good. To be completely honest the food is an experience but it's not the best I've had. While I did enjoy everything I don't think I'll be going back. read more

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Loved this place. The food was fantastic, though my husband said he left hungry (it was admittedly a bit less food than I would've liked but I was fine at the end). Highlights included the crab snack starter, the tuna bi bam bap, and the chocolate dessert. I actually liked this place better than Atomix (gasp). Wish I had taken more photos. Service was fine, though the waiter forgot two of our drinks so we went the first few courses without anything to drink. We didn't want to make a scene so didn't say anything but a friend noticed (we went with a group of 6) and mentioned something and turns out the waiter forgot. I would've expected a place like this to comp at least one of the drinks or be more apologetic but no such luck. A little surprising but not a huge deal. In any event, I still highly recommend this place and would gladly return. read more

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I think we did this backwards. Neither of us have eaten at Naro before and the first time we did it was for this special collaboration event. Don't get me wrong. The experience and the meal was outstanding. The fact that it is a once in a lifetime meal that we can never have again is both special and sad. Right from the get-go the staff was friendly warm, and welcoming. We were quickly ushered to our table, and presented with options for water and a drinks menu. All the drinks were amazing. The Woosoo cooler was like a fizzy dance in the mouth, and the Naro Hawachae was like a refreshing spring breeze, very earthy and mellow. The Sonamu truly was unique, and the fact that it was only available for today and never again is ... hard to describe. The dishes themselves were something else. Each dish was a very high end take on very traditional Korean cuisine. They were all comforting, and at the same time extremely extravagant. The Mulhwe set the stage. Very light and refreshing, some citrus, some acidity, and top tier fish. The scallop was my personal favorite. The scallop was so meaty and the mouse it was in was so complex and delightfully delicious. From there each dish had its own shinning point. The use of zucchini and shrimp in the butter fish, the abalone stood out so beautifully in its dish. The taste of perilla in the cucumber. The duck spoke for itself, the barley crackers in the peach, and finally the entirety of the Doenjang. I commented out loud after I was done with the final dish, "I miss it and am sad it is gone". I truly was. At the end of the meal we were each presented with a box of two chocolate Canelés. The whole meal was wonder and this was a collaboration that I will remember for a long time to come. I will be back to try their main menu to see more of Naro. Fantastic meal, friendly staff, and beautiful ambiance. Hat more could you ask for? read more

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Was there for lunch to catch up with a former coworker, and we both felt the food was disappointing. Service was prompt and cheerful, and servers were knowledgeable about their menu (as they should be for this kind of establishment). We got mocktails as it was a midweek lunch, and they were pretty refreshing. We were both happy with the appetizers, but the main courses were disappointing. We got the pork jowl (they served pork belly instead which was part of the disappointment) and the halibut. This place clearly aspires to be fine dining, but the food presentation and innovation were clearly lacking big time. The food tasted not that different from what you get in a random Korean place, at a fraction of the price. Also, if you decide to serve a cheaper cut (or any different cut of meat), say so on the menu. I'm glad I got to try this price at lunch as I'd be mad if I paid dinner prices for this kind of food. read more

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The new spot in Rock Center from the Atoboy/Atomix team, about somewhere between those two (more formal than Atoboy, but less than Atomix), serving a tasting menu for both lunch and dinner. I tried the lunch menu, which is $95 for 5 courses. Every bite was delicious as expected, with the winner probably being the Chicken Sangjeok, and an incredible dessert. I'm definitely interested in coming back for the dinner tasting. read more

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Top-end service, top-end execution, very small portions, and bad location A long time fan of the atoboy/atomix group, I was excited to try NARO, but dissuaded by the price of the tasting. The prix fixe (which I believe is new) changed my mind. The prix fixe is still a fixed format menu, and what this means is that the kitchen needs to calibrate the dishes to fill up the median diner. This was not the case. Typically, a restaurant is able to offer a prix fixe by doubling portions on a subset of their cheaper tasting menu dishes and reducing the courses. Because food cost is a fraction of the menu cost, the unit economics should work out. I'm sure the ownership at NARO know more than I do and so something else must be going on, but the outcome is the same. We were barely satiated and we certainly did not have the desire to add on courses after dessert and given the ultimate price of dinner with two drinks ($125pp). Fortunately, we didn't really focus on this during the meal. The food was incredible. Tasteful, creative, delicious, and really meticulous. A pavlova dessert in a tear-drop shape left me wondering how they even constructed it. The pedigree of the team should leave nobody surprised. Also, the location is abysmal. Frankly, I doubt any tourists are coming here (that's a good thing), and so I cannot understand why they put it in a location which requires you to battle through hundreds of tourists, let alone to come to midtown at all. There's also no sense that this place is "tucked into" rockefeller center. Half the dining room is literally in the walkway adjacent to the skating rink. My opinion of the meal would have been very different if we would have been seated there. NARO has been around for more than a year, and still the dining room was half-empty when we came. I have to imagine the location plays a role in this. Is it a tasting menu spot or is it not? Is it catering to tourists or is it not? I hope they make changes to the menu format, because it's not clear to me NARO knows what they want to be. read more