Oiji

The Korean food is killer at Oiji, a cool, comfortable bistro in the East Village. Brian Kim and Tae Kyung Ku, the Korean-born co-chefs and -owners, trained at the Culinary Institute of America and cooked at Bouley (Kim) and Gramercy Tavern (Ku). The duo take a fresh look at traditional dishes, deconstructing bibimbap (here called chil-jeol-pan seven flavors) into DIY roll-ups of tender beef, eggs, mushrooms, julienned carrots and cucumber nestled in delicate rice-flour crepes. The pale, crunchy crust on their fried chicken comes courtesy of tapioca flour, and jang-jo-rim with buttered rice and soft-boiled egg is the comfort food equivalent of mac and cheese. The restaurant's honey butter chips—a flavored snack, currently enjoying enormous popularity in Korea—are a revelation, either as a side dish or dessert.