I am mainly reviewing their service for their Private Event room. My parents had their big BDay celebration here. My poor sister had difficult time making arrangements, as the owner did not want to speak with her in English often, and email communications were difficult. But for all the planning, menu choice difficulties, the actual day of service and the food taste and quality were excellent. The 3-4 ladies who served our party were amazing servers, efficient and quick, as well as the assisting bus boys. This was my first experience with their food, and I found it fresh, and quite tasty Korean food. This private room is great for groups up to 28-30. They have a tv with looks like norebang system hooked up. We were there for lunch on Sunday, and the restaurant was not too crowded but has a nice traditional but comfortable atmosphere. read more

So Moon Nan Jip is a local gem on Palisades Park's Broad Ave. It's been serving up authentic Korean cuisine since the mid-90's. They are conveniently open from 7AM to midnight every day! They're famous for their traditional charcoal grill BBQ, but if you're not in the mood for that... there's plenty of other options. They have sushi, sashimi, noodles, soups, stir-fry, bibimbap, and many other classic Korean dishes. They also have soju, sake, beer, and wine. It's a bit expensive compared to other places. We came by on a late weekend (around 11pm) and were seated immediately. They updated their interior, so it's more modern. Very clean. It's not a huge restaurant, so I'm sure it gets busy and crowded during peak times. There's a lot of seating for large groups and a small bar area to the left. Service was pretty standard. All of our food came out very quickly. We did come in an hour before closing time, so it's understandable that the servers felt rushed. The meal: *Complimentary Banchan (side dishes) - They were SUPER generous! I could've gotten full off of these alone. We got kimchi, seaweed, broccoli, spicy radish salad, soy-sauce pickled vegetables, potato salad, dried squid, and bone broth soup. All of them were fresh and had varying flavor profiles - spicy, sour, sweet, salty, tangy. Fermented foods are a big part of Korean cuisine, so if you're not used to that... it might be an acquired taste. *Bibimbap (mixed rice bowl) $18 - An iconic dish known for its colorful presentation! This included white rice topped with vegetables (bean sprouts, spinach, mushrooms, carrots, lettuce, and radish seasoned with garlic+salt+sesame oil), bulgogi (sweet & salty marinated beef), and a fried egg. It was garnished with sesame seeds and seaweed strips. They gave me a bottle of gochujang (hot pepper paste with soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil) to add in that signature sweet and spicy taste. I mixed the ingredients together and took my first spoonful - YUMMM. Lots of different textures and flavors, but mostly savory and spicy. It's only rice, beef, and veggies, but the seasonings and sauces make all the difference. *Galbitang (spicy short rib soup) $23 - This is a classic Korean soup that always hits the spot! It's comforting, hearty, and nourishing. The broth was deep and savory with just the right kick of spice. The ribs were tender and fell right off the bone. The addition of radish, onions, and garlic enhanced the overall flavor. We got complimentary slices of watermelon, which were a sweet and refreshing ending to the meal. Put this place on your list of Korean restaurants to try! read more

See all

I am Korean, live in the area for many years, and have been a loyal regular at this restaurant for a long time, but the quality of both the food and the service has completely plummeted. After this past visit, I will not be back. We ordered the kalbi combo, and the meat was shockingly bad--tough, fatty, and poor quality. Multiple tables around me Complained (many get the combo there) and the staff did not care (nor did the manager there). They simply suggested to folks just to order table side bbq next time- okkkk/ snarky response. Worse than the food, though, was how they treated my family. My 2-year-old daughter was playing with her highchair, and instead of showing any patience, a staff member actually scolded her in Korean (I understand older Koreans typically do this but doesn't make it ok) and rudely snatched the highchair away without warning. Treating a toddler that way is completely unacceptable. To top it all off, they now nickel-and-dime you by charging for to-go containers. Save your money and go somewhere else where you can get better quality food, better kalbi combos (like bcd), and actual hospitality. read more

A very well known place among Koreans for the BBQ. But, this review is strictly for the sushi/sashimi corner instead of the Korean bbq. I definitely love their sushi/sashimi bar more than any other Sashimi places. (Honestly, quite don't understand how they can serve such fresh & variety of selection of sashimi !!!!) We usually go for regular size ($80) for 3 people, and deluxe if more. Highly recommend it !!! Don't be too surprised !!!! read more

See all

Solid authentic korean place thats clean, with parking and great service. You know its a good spot when you stroll in at 9am first thing in the morning and the place has five to seven local men eating there alone! The place has variety of korean food ranging from rice dishes to soup and i believe you can also get bbq. Their side dishes were made w quality ingredients that are hard to find and w breakfast they gave everyone one fried egg w their meal. The soup was warming and the service was fast and friendly. Great local gem thats been around for decades! A good korean spot in the neighborhood read more

See all

I have been coming to this place for over 25 years now and I still think this place has the best kalbi! If I go at lunch I always get their gopchangjjigae. Just a solid korean restaurant. read more

Came here to celebrate my niece's birthday. The waitresses were so sweet and friendly. We felt so welcomed! Lee ordered BBQ and the meat was so fresh and delicious. The place is clean and nice. Definitely come back! Thank you read more

It is very delicious brunch and nice place to eat with friends. Easy parking on the front. read more

See all

Positives - Friendly staff, very nice dining room, amazing that they serve Korean BBQ from 7 AM to 12 AM I believe, they bring hot charcoal to your table to cook the barbecue, gives a great flavor to the food,, service was quick, Bon chon was delicious, Negatives - beware of the steak, I ordered the sirloin and It was full of ligaments , very chewy and hard ti Swallow, for $48 could not enjoy , and they didn't take it back. read more

This is the spot where locals come for kbbq around the area. I don't think this place is sponsored by any Korean celebrities. the grills are powered by charcoal and the vacuum actually works, so you don't smell like juicy marinated meat. the staff are really attentive. you don't need to smuggle scissors or tongs to cook your food. they come by often to ensure the meat are turned and the grill grates are changed. the water guy comes by often so you're never thirsty. the banchan we just okay but got seconds without having to point it out that we wanted more. parking is a big problem during weekends and the parking narcs are fast in giving out tickets. there's a muni parking lot on the same block but don't make eye contact with the guys openly drinking Modelos. read more

I almost forgot So Moon Nam Jip, which I used to visit about 20 years ago. After losing Bonga Sulungtaeng as one of my favorite after-workout early brunch Korean restaurant, I decided to give it a try. My review is only for brunch menu, not for the Korean BBQ. The bean sprout soup with Kimchi and Dried Pollock(two entrees) were very good; more than enough for two, well-marinated pollock, and side dishes were also tasty. Its multigrain rice was well-prepared as well (large and small grains are a tough combination for the best rice-cooking), and paired nicely with the soup. The interior is rather narrow and deep, similar to restaurants in NYC and equipped with a vent at each table, suggesting its BBQ-oriented approach for lunch and dinner. I will probably keep visiting this place for brunch. One of the benefits to do so is that you can find a place for parking much more easily than later of the day. Although it says 10am open on the door, I was welcomed around 8am. read more

See all

Traditional Korean BBQ restaurant in Palisades Park. We got the Premium Marinated Combo BBQ for $160.99, which was great quality with some nicely marinated and pretty tender meats. I especially liked the short rib and sirloin. The meat had a slightly sweet/savory flavor from the marinade that was really good. They cook the meat in classic Korean BBQ style over hot coals in the middle of the table with the vent overhead to collect the smoke. It was very nice for the staff to take care of all the cooking for us, and they operated quickly and efficiently. The bonchon starter dishes were also pretty good, plentiful, and classic. The steamed egg dish that came with the BBQ combo was pretty good, as was the cod fish soup. The place is pretty decently sized, and was not too busy on a Sunday afternoon. There is a decent amount of street parking around. I think the price was pretty typical for the portion size (this portion size was good for 4 or 5 people). The staff are average friendliness. Overall, while the BBQ and service were certainly very good, there was not quite enough special to bring this up to 5 stars, but So Moon Nan Jip earns a solid 4 stars from me nonetheless. read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Premium Marinated Combo BBQ - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

See all

It's the busiest restaurant on Broad avenue. Supposedly the wait is only 25 minutes. I have not seen anyone leave anytime yet. It's really busy in here. We were given a claim check, 115. Don't lose your ticket. Took us about 30 minutes to get seated. They use coals for the BBQ here. The wait staff gave headsets to communicate to each other. It's mayhem in here. I hope the food is good. We ordered one order of chicken breast for BBQ, no spicy soft tofu stew with vegetable, since there is no way to add rice cake or kimchi. :/ I ordered a veggie dolsot bibimbap. We are finally seated by 6:45pm or so. At the back and by the bathroom doors, that's so fantastic. Small portion of spicy BBQ chicken for $31. Worth about $18-$19 worth of chicken. We pay $19 for the same size spicy chicken dish at home. Our total bill was 54.36. The banchans: mushrooms, spicy dried squid, spicy fish cake, bean sprouts, radish, parsley, kimchi; spicy onion salad too. Didn't love any of the banchans much. The miso soup is cold and unbelievably watery and bland. We had to ask for hot tea, since we didn't get any water or anything to drink at all. Also had to ask for the steamed egg that comes with the BBQ chicken and the lettuce as well. They gave these items to all other tables with BBQ items ordered. Our chicken was cooked in the kitchen since we only had Jen order of chicken. The dolsot was okay, the brown veggie was hard and sinewy. It's better with gochujang and sesame oils read more

See all

We recently moved near this neighborhood and wanted to try new restaurants. Some friends invited us here swearing it was the best Korean BBQ in the area. It was a week day, can't remember the exact day, around 6pm. The place was full of locals, that's always a good sign. We were seated right away and our friends ordered since they have been here before and knew the menu. The server came with some complimentary hot tea to start, that was nice. First dish we tried was the spicy raw fish salad, my palate was jumping with joy of all the flavors I was tasting. If you like a kick of spice, this is your dish. I loved it. Then we tried the beef soup/stew. Very hearty with vegetables and chunks of beef. Perfect for a rainy day. Last but not least we had the Pork Ribs and the Ribeye steak. While it was cooking in the middle charcoal grill we tried all the banchan (side dishes). All of them also very tasty and plentiful. The meat had a nice marinated to it, but I feel the steak was a little dry, not as juicy as I would like. The servers were really attentive and they came often to the table to flip the meat and make sure everything was fine. In this type of restaurants I'm always worried about the smell of food getting on my hair and clothes but I must highlight that the vent they use overhead really works. read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Ribeye steak / side dishes / Raw fish salad - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

See all

I really liked their spicy tofu soup (not soondubu) I ordered on seamless and I made sure it wasn't soondubu and made sure I ordered the correct thing but they sent soondubu.. :( Anyway, My parents and their friends really liked this place. They would drive up from md to eat here and anytime they come to nj/ny they would eat here. Unfortunately, during their last visit they got food poisoning. My parents friends told them they thought the galbi went bad and they continued to deny it. My parents and their friends would have been okay if they said oh and checked the meat and apologized but they didn't and continue to deny it. Their friend reacts quickly to bad food or something and they ended up getting sick and finally they gave them a gift card to come back. They already paid so basically the meal that caused the issue was free. My mom was telling me how they have a gift card or something but they prob won't use it cus the quality and service was bad.. but idk cus sometimes they'll try one more time... My parents think the owner changed or something changed but not sure... read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Covid times. Sitting outside - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

Ive been here since since 1999. It was one of the best 24hr restaurant. The bbq and side dishes and jigaes were amazing. I recently went and had their premium rib eye steak and of course ordered a mool naeng myun. The quality of the meat was horrible and the mool naengmyun had no beef broth flavor. I really dont appreciate korean restaurants that cut cost and lower the korean standard of korean bbq and our food. This place I would not recommend to experience a korean bbq. read more

Charcoal grilled galbi is simply amazing. Steamed eggs are fluffy and perfectly done. All the banchans are high quality. Service is quick and wonderful. Good for large groups. Highly recommend. read more

The food is authentic and just tasted amazing for us who really missed Korean food! They were still open Labor Day at 9:30pm so we were very thankful. The yuk gye jang was just the right spicy but not killing me and with great cooked and rich flavor (but not a lot of shredded beef) and lots of scallion which I love and egg, the Bibim bop was good too with fresh and tasty veges and a fried egg and not too much rice, the banchan (side dishes) were 6 in total and tasty and not salty which I appreciate, the soon doo boo w seafood (tofu soup) was tasty too, and we ordered what the menu doesn't have which is like a baked soft egg (see video) and that was really good!! The food was amazing and the Service was amazing. So definitely a gem in PalPark (Palisades Park NJ) where some of the best Korean restaurants live! Enjoy it. The ambience is nice too and big and comfortable and clean. read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

A fried recommended So Moon Nan Jip to my husband so we decided to stop down midweek. We were seated right away and everyone was really friendly. My husband liked the cooking on coals more than the slab that places normally cook on for Korean bbq. There were lots of sides and prices were in line with other places we went. We started with a scallion pancake on recommendation from our server which was eh, but the sauce to dip it in was good. The meat tasted good and the sauce for it worked well. I liked that they recommended it to be eaten as a lettuce wrap. My husband really liked it, but I thought the sides were a little sweet for my taste. My only complaint about the service was that our waitress kept using the tongs that had touched raw meat to scoop up sides to put on our plate or put sauces on things. My husband would've given it a 5, I would've given it a 3 so I will settle with a 4 read more

See all

Bibim noodles 6/10 Pork ribs 9/10 Soybean soup 8/10 Good portions ! Open till 12am so convenient to eat good Korean food as a late dinner read more

We been a variety of Kbbq spots and were shocked by how pricey everything on the menu was. Food was more than double the price for what we normally pay. Additionally protein servings were relatively small and there's a 2 order minimum if you want to use the grill at all. Grill selection was lacking variety. If you're into pork or seafood maybe you'd enjoy this spot more. the kitchen items the japchae noodles are decent. If you want Korean bbq here be ready to open your purse. read more

Tried new sides that went well with the beef and shrimp on the grill. Plenty of food!! read more

So Moon Nan Jip - KBBQ - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

Charcoal grilled kbbq changed my life, I can't go back to regular grills anymore... The kbbq here is not ayce and the meat is kinda pricey but it is SO DAMN GOOD bc of the charcoal grill flavor. I also loved the ban chan, so much variety and they had my fav potato one. The "hot pot" soup thing that came with our meat set was solid but the meat was truly the winner. I normally am never impressed by brisket but I was mindblown by the brisket here. Service was quick and it wasn't crowded at all when we came at 1pm on a Saturday! read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

Such a great spot for some Korean BBQ! Right now they're following guidelines perfectly. TONS of outdoor seating and indoor seating is being spaced out well. We had the option of where to dine and decided to do indoor. The staff was so attentive, they were great. They also communicate with each other really well on who's outdoor and indoor. When we got to order we realized they were out of a lot of seafood but it still worked out well for us. My boyfriend wanted a seafood soup and she still made it happen for him, he loved it. It was spicy and flavorful with a great broth. I was going to go for the bbq shrimp but they were out of it so I went with chicken. It was soooo good! Served with some onions in a satay sauce. Absolutely delicious. Everything really was fresh and delicious. All the accompanying dishes were perfect. We also got some Korean sake which was great. Can't wait to come back! Tip - get the dumplings too! Perfectly crisp with a great dipping sauce. read more

See all

Being strongly NY biased for Korean food, it's not surprising that we've never been here given this restaurant's name which roughly translates to "Famous House". There are many Korean eateries around here so the competition just makes everyone better. They offer free valet parking in the back (perfect since it was raining). When you come in, it's a bright, standard Korean restaurant with a short bar near the front entrance. For a place that offers charcoal grilled kbbq, it did not have the usual strong smell of smoke. Probably due to a network of powerful exhaust fan over each table's grill. We got there right at the tail of a surge so we waited a few minutes for a table but within 30 minutes, there was no waiting. Despite the temptation to go for the increasingly rare charcoal grilled kbbq, we only ordered prepared dishes. First, the agui jjim (spicy steamed monkfish with bean sprouts), an order of the jaeyook bokkum (spicy pork with vegetables), and an order of the ojingo dolsotbibimbap (spicy squid bibimbap in hot stone bowl). A lot of food for 2 but the agui jjim is usually huge and we expect to take home most of it. Everything was pretty delicious. The agui jjim was cooked perfectly with the usual mound of sprouts and chunks of meat. The spicy pork was just mildly spicy with tender juicy pieces of pork. The squid bibimbap was impressive, arriving in a hot bowl causing a pleasing sizzling sound. It was over filled with rice and the mix of squid and vegetables. Surprisingly, this was the spiciest of the three by far. One thing to note is that everything was very sweet. The banchan included kimchi, marinated bean sprout, pickled radish slices, spicy fish cake, julienned spicy radish, and marinated water parsley. All really delicious. Service was efficient as typical in Korean restaurants and everyone seemed very happy. So bottom line - really tasty food with good sized portions but slightly sweet. Good service. Free valet parking in the back. read more

See all

This is my favorite spot for Korean BBQ when in NJ. Honestly I don't know why they don't get a higher review. The Galbi here is always fresh, and best tasting in my opinion. I've have been to most of the Korean BBQ in this area, but always comeback here. I would give 5 stars, but after the remodel the prices went up. read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Galbi - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

See all

Absolutely wonderful wonderful food! We had the beef combo and they started off with the very thinly sliced beef and then they went to the medium cut beef and then the big steak everything was cut into small pieces when it's ready. Loads of fabulous salads kimchi Korean pickles amazing salads soy bean salad everything was really good! We had the cod hot pot with the greens and squash - fantastic!!!! read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

See all

This place was introduced to me to my grandparents - they're originally from the palisades park area since the 1960's. This establishment is one of the first and traditional korean restaurants around the area and it is really represented in the dishes. Such a timeless place for some savory comfort dishes. Amazing service as expected as well as the music and ambiance. Love this place and super grateful that my grandparents brought me out to their favorite spot! read more

See all

The food was better than most middle of the KBBQ. I recommend giving it a try, you won't be disappointed. read more

Haven't been here in years. Prices have really gone up! Hubby had the $30 combo which came with bang Myron and kalbi. He really enjoyed it. I had dolsot bipinbap with bulgogi and it really wasn't as tasty as I remembered. Service was fast and friendly. You have to pay extra for steamed egg if you don't order BBQ. $5. read more

4.5 stars! It's very rare that my dad will go to the same restaurant more than once so when he told me he had eaten here 4 times, I was excited to check it out. The Korean bbq here is cooked on charcoal (숯불) which is always better. There's a decent amount of sides dishes, including steamed eggs and soybean paste stew. The service here was amazing! I went through the lettuce and scallions pretty fast, and they brought in more without me even having to ask for it. If you like bbq places that grill the meat for you, this is the place for you. read more

Been coming here since I was a little kid and am glad the food has remained the same since. It's a classic korean restaurant that has all the main dishes you need. Only got a picture of the spicy pork but everything is fantastic. Service was quick and they always make sure you have everything needed read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

Korean restaurant at Palisades Park, NJ The interior was nice and clean with renovation in 2019. Three of us ordered yukgaejang, galbitang and gobdol bibimbab. All of them were very delicious. There were variety of banchan, small bindaetteok, kimchi, radish kimchi, squid & radish, odeng etc. It was lunch and the bill came out around $61 with tip. read more

Food was good. Service was impeccable. Love grilling yourself and then having them come help out if you also prefer that. There is a private parking lot in the back if you come from the side street. It does cost money although there's no signs of any information. Two of us dined here and we got the Gal bi and Pork belly along with a seafood Sun Du Bu (however it's spelled) around $50 per person. Honestly a great place to try if you enjoy authentic Korean BBQ. P.S. you can refill more sides but cannot take them home read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Pork Belly & Gal Bi - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

Four stars. good variety of bon chons. Attentive servers. Request as much bon. chons as you want. read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Squid in spicy sauce - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

Not sure why this place isn't rated higher. Came with a group of five and our service was great. We never had to ask for more tea or for anything because they always beat us to it! More importantly, the food was delicious and well portioned. We ordered the Prime Beef Combo which came with a hot pot (we chose the tofu/mushroom option) as well as a Seafood Pancake - just in case the combo was an insufficient amount of food for five very hungry people. Turned out we didn't need the pancake! The menu claimed that the hot pot "served 3." I think it was enough to serve 3 hungry people in its own but with kbbq and seafood pancake it was more than enough. The five of us struggled finishing everything we ordered. Meat was delicious, good quality, and I love the flavor that charcoal gives to meats. No complaints over the banchan - some of the best banchan I've had in a while. I really liked the jellyfish, the bok choy and daikon. Can't wait to come back! Note - Just in case you have a friend that is vegetarian and for some reason you decide to go to a kbbq restaurant, the tofu and mushroom hot pot has beef in it read more

See all

CHARCOAL-grilled meat *claps* Delicious galbi-tang. Over all, no-nonsense delicious food. Prompt service even when it gets busy. Bonus for changing the grill when it gets charred with lard/tallow and meat. read more

So Moon Nan Jip - Galbi-tang and charcoal grill for barbecue - Korean Near Me - Palisades Park, New Jersey

See all

Place is decent, they have the exhaust things per table for the smoke. Went in for kbbq and gotta say it's pretty pricey for ok food with smaller servings. For 2 people, we paid $200 for 3 cuts and a side. The elder Korean ladies were rude and abrasive too, but we noticed they were nicer to people of Korean descent. Definitely not coming back here. Would rather go to New York for Kbbq. read more

TLDR: can be pricey, but you get quality meat and service Thursday Lunch (2:00-3:00)Table for 2 ~~~~~FOOD~~~~~ *banchan / side dishes - lots of variety, more than other Korean restaurants - cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi, seaweed, tteokbokki, fish cakes, steamed egg, salad, potato salad(?), and one more that I can't remember! - the steamed egg was so good!! Light, fluffy, juicy, and so tasty for such a simple dish :') - also get soybean paste and sesame oil with salt for the bbq * / Galbi / Short Ribs Marinated - our favorite! - very tender, juicy, and flavorful * / Jumulleok / Sirloin Marinated - kind of tough and gamey * / Chadolbagi / Sliced Brisket - comparable to brisket you get at other kbbq places - each plate of meat is around $30 - you have to order *at least* 3 plates if you want to do kbbq ~~~~~AMBIANCE~~~~~ - warm and fun - good for dates as well as small groups - had kpop playing ~~~~~SERVICE~~~~~ - our server helped us decide on what meats to order; we only wanted galbi, and then he told us we need at least 3 meat dishes to do kbbq. He recommended the 2 other most popular dishes - friendly and cooked all our meat for us as well as cut it and set it aside for us to eat ~~~~~CLEANLINESS~~~~~ - indoor seating area was cleaned well - dividers to separate you from other tables - all the customers are distanced from each other - workers have masks and hand sanitizer is available at the front - they take your temperature beforeh being seated read more

See all

The service is really good. The food is wonderful. We will recommend this restaurant to other family and friends. Thank you for good service and appreciate the high quality food today for our family. Thank you. read more