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Sik Gaek
Categories: Restaurants Korean Restaurants Seafood Korean, Seafood [Edit]
49-11 Roosevelt AveWoodside, NY 11377
Neighbourhood: Woodside
(718) 205-4555
- Nearest Transit:
-
52 St (7)
46 St (7)
40 St (7)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
128 reviews for Sik Gaek
Review Highlights
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"Live Octopus - You have to go to try." In 45 reviews -
"2) Seafood Hot Pot - this is good for groups to share." In 20 reviews -
"The tteokbokki (rice cakes with fish cakes in a spicy sauce..." In 12 reviews
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128 reviews in English
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Review from Christopher C.
Sunnyside, NY
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I looked at the review and just had to take my bro here since he loves sea food.
This was such an experience to say the least.
We ordered the giant seafood and rib-eye hot pot which consists of everything under the sea...and beef. I myself does not really like sea food but I am forcing myself to enjoy or shall I say acquire the taste for it.
For 80 bucks this is the best seafood your going to find in a hot pot, and as a bonus they gave a the live octopus sashimi which was really not good, I put the big pieces in the hot pot.
If you love Korean food and have a big appetite come here. -
Review from Trace O.
Manhattan, NY
4/2/2012
Our experience at Sik Gaek didn't start out as expected, mostly because we hadn't thought to make a reservation beforehand. When we walked in the door and there were quite a few people in front of us, my hungry stomach sank a little. We sang along sans-words to the KPOP songs blaring from the speakers to pass the time, and eventually we made our way to a booth.
Here, my impression of Sik Gaek did a 180-degree flip.
I seriously challenge you to find waiters in the whole of New York City that are kinder, more courteous, and attentive than the ones you will find at this establishment. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome, explain the menu, and make small talk. Not to mention the huge pot of complimentary clam soup they brought out for us while we were tipsy on makgeolli-- the perfect end to a perfect meal.
What a fantastic place. Both the food and the service get 5+ stars. -
Review from Jay w.
New York, NY
4/1/2012
This place is excellent. The service is great and all the waiters are so incredibly kind and courteous.
We ordered the seafood bean paste soup and I absolutely loved it. There was a lot seafood and plenty of tofu. Very tasty.
My husband got the steamed lobster which was extremely fresh and sweet. The sides were very flavorful and we liked the leek and clam pancakes.
The best thing about this place is they do not use MSG. I will definitely go back. -
Review from Tyler L.
5/2/2012 1 photo
This is a very good traditional Korean restaurant. It is very clean inside and is also definitely one of the nicer looking Korean places in Sunnyside. Like many Korean places, the meal started off with all those little plates of various appetizer samples and some soup.
For my meal, I played it safe and had their bulgogi. The meat was so tender, succulent and well-seasoned. It was definitely high quality. I would definitely recommend this dish here. The staff here was very courteous and pleasant to us as well. -
Review from Quoc L.
Bronx, NY
3/19/2012 1 photo
One minute there's a living octopus slowly dying in my mouth and the next minute I hear my friends singing Happy Birthday to me. A waiter out of nowhere dons an afro wig onto me, passes a fairy wand and a beer with a candle taped to it, and all you can hear from the entire restaurant (I shit you not) is "chug chug chug".
What in the world? -
Review from Annie L.
Woodhaven, NY
5/5/2012
The food here is very good! We had the Fresh Octopus Seafood Hot Pot (the seafood was alive and moving :( its a great experience but I dont think I would do it again), Seafood pancake (YUM), Rice noodle with Seafood and cheese (YUM), Spicy BBQ Chicken Hot Pot (not bad).
Its better to go in a group. It is very pricy but the portion is very big. Overall, it was a great experience. *thumbs up* :D -
Review from Pamela T.
Brooklyn, NY
4/27/2012 1 photo
I really like the vibe of this restaurant, it was packed at 9:30pm on a weeknight. You have to come here with a group because their portions are huge. 3 of us ordered the seafood pot and my friend who has been here before swore that it would be enough food. OMG! he wasn't kidding because that pot was the size of our table! Their seafood was so fresh that you can still see them moving in the pot, I was quite amazed. Needless to say, we never finished. It was yummy!
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Review from Nga C.
2/15/2012
Depending on how sadistic you are, this place can be pretty adventurous and fun for the food aficionado who is looking for something different and unconventional.
Instead of fresh seafood, this Korean restaurant will literally offer you live seafood that flaps in the hot pot when served. Knowing all this, I was extremely excited to have finally dined here and was certainly not disappointed when I arrived.
After reviewing their ridiculous choices on the menu, we ended up ordering their assorted seafood hot pot ($79.99) and two appetizers, steamed seafood in sweet pumpkin with melted cheese ($24.99) and clam-leek pancake ($15.99).
Everything was incredibly good, and not to mention fresh and lively (lol, no pun intended)! Their clam was sweet and the lobster tasted absolutely pure and blissful. I especially enjoyed their scallops even though there were only two in the pot.
As for the sweet pumpkin, it was interesting, the melted cheese with steam baby octopus and calamari tasted different. As for the clam-leek pancake, it was not too oily which was a plus, but I did wish it had more clam in it.
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If you do go, my suggestion is to have the udon noodle added last after all the seafood has been eaten so it doesn't over cook and to ask for extra condiments since the broth was a bit lacking with flavor. Although the restaurant is a bit on the expensive end, the portion is huge so it's best to go with a group!Listed in: Seafood Whoooore!!!
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Review from KL Z.
Manhattan, NY
5/1/2012
So I came here for their famous live octopus. It was alright. Okay, so I felt the suckers on my tongue and it's trying to wiggle out my mouth. Too bad, you going down bish!
Got the seafood hot pot and boy was it ginormous. It can be overwhelming if you came with less than 3 people. You won't be able to finish it honestly. Though it was a big pot of food it wasn't anything worth noting nor worth getting second time around. It was very salty and tasted nothing else but salt.
We had the watermelon soju and that was refreshing.
This place was just hype to me. Not much of a culinary awakening. Consider me un-wowed. -
Review from Olga G.
PECK SLIP, NY
3/17/2012
The Hot Pot is impressive but pretty salty - it is a matter of taste, sure, but it is not for you when you are on low sodium diet. I also had fresh octopus sashimi - it has almost no taste, difficult to chew and the moving pieces tend to stick into your tongue with their suckers. Very strange feeling.
I didnt like the loud music with flashing lights - I came to have dinner and not to dance actually. -
Review from Sylvia W.
New York, NY
4/27/2012
Seafood Hot Pot +1
Unique Decor +1
Price +1
Shareable Portions +1
Watermelon Soju +1
Only ONE small tidbit: The clams that they use in the seafood hot pot is HUGE - like the size of my palm. Clams that big are almost impossible to eat, they're more for flavor. So if you can't eat it, don't force it. You'll be happily filled with seafood regardless. -
Review from Evan R.
1/9/2012
I'd like to be, in Sik Gaek
In an octopus' garden in the shade
He'd let us in, to Woodside's den
in his octupus' garden, in the shade.
I'd ask Yelpers to come and see!
A seafood hot pot with me!
I liked to eat, scallion pancakes
In an octopus' garden in the shade.
We would be warm, with soju of course
In our booth tucked away just like a suite.
Eating in haste, we put our waste
In a giant plastic bucket 'neath our feet.
As the food died, it danced around!
Out came scissored Koreans, to make many wounds!
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden in the shade
We would shout(out), and squirm about
As we saw what loomed next within our feast.
The girls did laugh, the boys attacked
Upon seeing the vagina-esque abalone.
We would be so happy - you and me
To eat this food again without the rules
I'd like to be, under the Q
In an octopus' garden with you
In an octupus' garden with you
In an octupus' garden with you. -
Review from Amor B.
WOODHAVEN, NY
4/21/2012
My husband and I were super glad we made the plan of throwing our Mother's 57th bday here! We just got home and boy it was fun today!!! Our Mom was soooo happy! together with our very close family and friends (total of 20 people) We were so stuffed with our orders and there were still a lot of food left. We got 2 of those famous live octopus hotpots and 3 sets of korean pork belly bbq. They all tasted so good. Our daughter can't stand the sight of the live octopus and lobster begging for their lives ;(, sorry but just so yummy.
The staff were incredibly nice! They gave our Mom a boat load of oysters as a bday present and they made this super loud noise that reminded me of New year in the Philippines when they sang to her Happy birthday and the wig was hilarious. I couldn't express more, all I know is that we are thankful and happy for this special occasion. -
Review from Tiffany L.
New York, NY
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Two words: LIVE. OCTOPUS.
Holy guacamole! Finally crossing this off of my bucket list.
Other than trying a bull's penis (or whatever shriveled up skin I ate, that one time...) in the Village, this is probably the craziest thing I've ever consumed since...especially live.
The octopus itself didn't taste like anything but eating its legs while squirming inside your mouth was an interesting and freaky experience. I probably would not try it again -- too creeped out, to be quite honest.
It literally took me like 3-4 minutes the first time. I kept on chickening out...but I'm glad I did it with someone that actually wanted to try it with me (thanks Andrew D!). He kept a nonchalant demeanor about it during the whole dinner. So brave.
$25 for one person. I don't think I could've eaten it alone though. We shared the plate. We also ordered udong and an oyster pancake. But I was too focused on the octopus to even care about what the other dishes tasted like.
The place was busy (we came during rush hour) and crummy looking. Dark with low tables and plastic stools in some areas. Loud with poppy music in the background. The bell thing on the corner of the table was a cool added touch to get the waiter's attention.
All in all, I had a good time...even though I was probably a pain in the ass. -
Review from Jane X.
Manhattan, NY
1/14/2012
Waiters were very friendly and accommodating - chatting with us, suggesting food and drinks, and making good (slightly corny) jokes. There's even a button on the table to call them; they always came right away. We went for early dinner.
We ordered the assorted seafood hotpot ($80) for 5 people. The lobster was still alive and moving around. The crab had already died. We had fun poking and video recording it. The watermelon soju wasn't too strong but enough to enjoy dinner. The waiter also came back to check that we were cooking the lobster and cut it up for us once it was fully cooked.
Then for additional $5, they fried some rice for us in the hotpot. We were already super stuffed but it was THAT good that we finished it all!
Bathroom is also very clean!
Next time, we're coming back for the octopus hotpot ($100)!!! It also comes with lobster and crab! -
Review from Pat W.
Staten Island, NY
2/12/2012
We came here at 7pm which was a good time to find parking on the streets. The waiter asked if we made a reservation, we said "no". We were told that we could sit at the little tables with stools instead of the booths but if a booth opens up they would move us. The booths were reserved. We said "okay". They gave us complimentary side dishes of fried eggs, soft egg custard and carrots and cucumbers. Then we ordered the seafood pancake and the largest seafood hot pot which included live octopus. The platter was huge and the octopus, lobster and shellfish were still squirming when it came to the table. It was so fresh. The seafood pancake was crispy too. In the middle of eating, they did move us into a booth. For the amount of seafood, the prices are a steal.
For the best experience, make a reservation and bring a group of 4 or more because the platters are huge. Be prepared for a crazy seafood experience. The atmosphere is noisy because they play loud music and the lightning is dim. I'm want to return to try the other different dishes. -
Review from Ravi J.
12/16/2011
Sik Gaek will show you a different side of the Korean eating experience. Don't expect huge stacks of kimchi or garlic-chili stews; Sik Gaek is about minimally prepared food (BBQ, hotpot, raw meat) that pairs well with soju or Korean beer.
Start your meal off with the famed live octopus dish where the illfated cephalopod comes chopped up with squirming tentacles, ready to be dipped in sesame oil or red chili sauce. It is really not that alarming particularly if you are someone who likes sashimi (just imagine if your sashimi wiggled a bit in a your mouth). Child's play.
Take a break from your live octopus by taking a bite of the side dishes, which are common at most Korean meals, but Sik Gaek's version consists of fried egg, steamed egg, and spicy rice cake (dok boki). These are the types of side dishes that are best paired with several rounds of booze. The protein will give you stamina.
As for your main, there are a lot of options -- meat BBQ, hot pot, etc -- but the most unique (and popular) offering is the assorted shelfish. Fresh shrimp, clams, oysters, razor clams, snails, and whatever else is fresh is brought to your table and cooked tableside over an open flame. Korean flavors are limited to the red dipping sauce (a mixture of gochuchang and other goodies), which is fine. It's the meeting of beast and flame that shines here.
Good for groups. High entertainment value. Food doesn't need to be spicy. A real foodie adventure. What's there not to like? -
Review from mai y.
ASTORIA, NY
2/5/2012 8 Check-ins Here
The food is pretty amazing here, and I've never had a bad experience. Service is also great, and they always give a lot of ban chans (side dishes). Although it is kind of pricey compared to some other Korean restaurants, they give you big portions so I would advise to go with a lot of people. Great drink selection, and if you order take out, they have amazing and reasonable lunch specials! I'd say it's one of the best Korean restaurants in NY. No joke. I grew up eating a lot of Korean food, and I have to say that their food is pretty legit.
There's a wait most of the time so I would try to arrive early, but I'm really lucky because I basically live one block away! Yay! -
Review from Chau H.
Manhattan, NY
1/9/2012
This is the place that converted a Manhattanite to venture into Queens for food. My family hopped into a cab and cross the midtown tunnel to Sik Gaek after seeing friends photo of the famous seafood hotpot. This place blew me away.
The service was really good and so was the food. We got steamed eggs, fried eggs and spicy rice cake as pon chon. The waiter helped us with the menu and ended up ordering the Octopus Hotpot. This comes with 2 octopuses and we chose to have one chopped up and eaten as sashimi. The octopus sashimi isn't for the squeamish but it is delicious! My dad, who loves sashimi, could not get himself to eat the octopus as it was still squirming and sucking. That's what I call fresh.
The octopus hotpot is ginormous. This really should be advertised as a dish for at least 5 people. My family of 4 struggled to finish this hotpot. It has everything that you could imagine in the seafood section of the market. Again, the octopus and lobster were still moving when the hotpot arrived at the table freaking my mother out. Hey, it was FRESH. The broth, contents, and everything else were great.
I can't wait to come back again. -
Review from David K.
Wayne, NJ
1/9/2012 1 photo
I saw this place on Anthony Bourdain as well as another TV show about unique foods. I had to try it since my wife has been dying for some grilled shellfish.
We didn't get the grilled shellfish but ended up getting the fresh Octopus Hotpot. We had 4 people and wanted to order another dish but decided to just get that for now. So glad we did. The Hotpot that came out was gigantic with LIVE seafood overflowing from it. We barely fished what we ordered.
The live octopus, lobster and abalone were quite a sight squirming in the hotpot full of hot spicy broth to say the least. The clams, shrimp, mussels and stuff were cooked prior. So you can eat at the same time the live stuff is cooking. After the meal is done, you can order some fried rice to cook right on the hotpot in the broth. But for 4 people that was definately alot of food.
Overall it is a very unique experience coming here for the first time. However, this a good enough place to keep coming back for other great stuff. I would love to try the grilled shellfish next time. -
Review from Syl-vee-uh A.
Bronx, NY
1/12/2012
It was simply amazing. I went there to celebrate my birthday and my brother who is familiar with Korean food so he ordered all the food.
The place has a really cool, fun feel to it and so are the employees
The Mussels were great, the Grilled BBQ ribs great, the spicy seafood stir fry HUGE and Great more than enough for 4 hungry people. we got more food but i don't know the names, lol.
Bill came out to about $215 without tip and we were stuff.
I didn't ask for a birthday song but they were supper loud and entertaining and the waiters are very friendly and laid back
The cucumber juice was a finish finishing touch to the meal
I can't wait to go back and try the octopus big plate lol. -
Review from Tiffany L.
Brooklyn, NY
i can't tell you how happy my tummy was. i came here with 3 other people and ordered the beef and fresh octopus seafood hot pot. the whole thing must've been as big as my torso. it had EVERYTHING. HUGE clams, mussels, shrimp, octopus, abalone, scallop, mushroom, noodles, cabbage, 15 pieces of beef, watercress, etc etc. seafood was so damn fresh. the remaining soup from the hotpot was the best i've ever had. the service was friendly and fast. must come back.
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Review from S H.
New York, NY
12/25/2011
I've been here at least a dozen times on various occasions and it never disappoints. The food is decently priced (unless there's two of you and you get the seafood hotpot...meant to be shared amongst a group of four or more) and is delicious. One of the best Korean restaurants in New York City, and trust me - I've been to A LOT. Most people come for the seafood pot and I highly recommend it. However, the five stars lies in the quality of the other dishes.
At this point, I've tried almost the whole menu and I can strongly say that you won't be leave unsatisfied no matter what you choose. No matter who I come with (different groups of friends, family) and when (lunch or dinner), we always leave satisfied.
Sik Gaek is a sure win for a good time. I also recommend coming to the Woodside location - it's so much less crowded and comfortable. -
Review from Serge L.
1/9/2012
I've only had Korean BBQ in Seoul a handful of times, and always had the guidance of someone who knew the ropes. Being that this was my first Korean BBQ experience in the states I was excited but also a little skeptical.
The ambiance at Sik Gaek is awesome, you have to see it for your self. Casual, urban, gritty, but very authentic as well.
They seem to be known for their seafood, which unfortunately we didn't try since I was with less adventurous diners. However, neighboring tables were having mountains of seafood which look really good. We stuck to short ribs and pork belly, both of which were very good. All the typical accoutrement was present and very similar to what I've had in Korea and the majority of the patrons were Korean as well, both of which lend to the authenticity and the quality. -
Review from Jando S.
Its been tried many times and so true every time: Sik Gaek is amazing.
It has blossomed into one of the hood's finest restaurants and certainly one of the go-to Korean spots in the borough. I can't get enough of their food and judging from the folks who are willing to travel from Manhattan and all other parts of city, I'm not alone.
The food is on par, the service is excellent, the experience is fantastic. Their most famous dish, "live octopus" is by no means child's play for adventurous eaters and most certainly not the only thing people should be coming here for either. Their ginormous platters of seafood-y goodness are worth their weight in quality, the freshness is nearly impossible to dispute.
They're open late every night, 2-3AM on weeknights and sometimes as late as 5AM on the weekends. There are two additional locations in NJ and Flushing, but this Sunnyside/Woodside version is by far my favorite. If it were not for their ginormous platters of food, I'd be here (alone and eating) every day.Listed in: Foodgasm (NYC), The City That Never Sleeps…, Wonderful World of Woodside…, Creatures of the Sea (NYC)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/9/2010 First to Review
The Sik Gaek franchise has finally landed in Sunnyside / Woodside, replacing the old Chung Sol (… Read more »
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Review from Jeff L.
Brooklyn, NY
3/5/2012
My new favorite korean restaurant in NYC. The seafood was extremely fresh and the service was impeccable. The server actually came out to the waiting area w/ free appetizers and apologized to everyone for the wait. On top of that, they offered us some free food because one of us was rocking a Linsanity T.
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Review from Sunny D.
Queens, NY
11/7/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I heart you Sunnyside/Woodside Sik Gaek!!!
* COMPLIMENTARY sunnyside-up eggs, spicy rice and fish cakes, and steamed eggs are delicious to start the meal off with!
* The lunch specials are a steal of a deal, with most dishes only priced at $5.99. The portions are regular entrée sized.
* The seafood hotpot with or without live octopus is mighty impressive and a complete show-stopper! Make sure to leave room in your bellies for the order of rice after all the seafood is eaten to soak up the delicious broth!
* Traditional Korean dishes, such as seafood pancake, kimchi fried rice, bibimbap, galbi jiim, are all delicious and favorites of mine to order at Sik Gaek.
* Customer service is gracious, speedy, and dependable. The call button embedded to each table is genius!
* Late night hours leave a vibrant crowd that turns the establishment into a k-pop frenzied party. Many times I have requested specific music to be played and the wait staff will try their best to accommodate.
* Bathroom is limited to one unisex stall; however, is mainly clean at all times and never low on supplies.
* Alcohol is limited to regular bottled soju, watermelon soju, and beer.
* COMPLIMENTARY cucumber juice at the end of each dinner (fruit is provided after lunch).
* Perfect for large groups. Perfect for birthday parties. Perfect for visiting guests.
5 SUNNY STARS! -
Review from Ryan M.
10/25/2011
"Where is this Sil Gaek place with the live Octopus?"
"Down the street from your house."
"I'm in!"
In the former Chung Sol space, Sil Gaek opened awhile back right on the Sunnyside/Woodside border. I didn't think much of the change at the time, because I thought it was just another mediocre Korean restaurant. And then... foodies started coming in droves. Why? Bourdain came here for an episode of "No Reservations" to take part in the house specialty, live octopi!
Turns out, it's no longer home to mediocre Korean. In fact, it's best in the area. Excellent Korean barbecue (great Kalbi) and hot pots that warm your soul. I also loved the Seafood pancake.
The coup de grace on the experience is of course, the Squirmy Octopus which is mercifully chopped up for you just before being brought to the table. That doesn't mean it stops moving however. It's going to keep on kickin' for a good 15 minutes. The tentacles may even climb up your chopsticks! It tastes good, just like fresh octopus should, but my guess is most people would be one and done on this experience if they have a problem with food that moves and potentially leeches on to your cheeks. :)
Whether or not you go in for the... uh, more progressive choices, Sil Gaek is an excellent Korean restaurant at a pretty good value that I will be happy to come back to.Listed in: Life on the Sunnyside
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Review from Laura S.
Came here with 5 other people, all wanting to try the live octopus.
Ordered the $99 fresh octopus hot pot. Since we got there a bit later in the night, there was only 1 octopus left (usually it comes with 2), so we just got one plate of wriggling octopus legs and were able to get 2 large lobsters in the hot pot (as opposed to 1 large lobster and 2 octopus, we got 2 lobster and 1 octopus).
Oh my...the suction cups on the tentacles were very strong and the pieces stuck to the plate, making it hard to pick up with chopsticks. I wonder if this is more of a special occasion/spectacle kind of thing as opposed to a typical dish (I'm assuming it's the former), because I can't quite see this as something that people would order regularly. The raw, still moving chunks of tentacles were delightful to look at, but not too palatable to me...it was a texture thing. It was definitely fresh, and didn't taste fishy or briny, but the fact that I had to keep chewing and chewing to break down the meat was hard to do. It was akin to trying to chomp on a wad of rubber bands. Not my thing.
The bubbling vat of seafood though was a whole 'nother story. When the waiter brought it to the table, the legs on the lobster tail (tail being separated from the body) were writhing with such force, that the tail fell off the pot and onto the floor! The pot was filled with lots of amazing things: razor clams, mussels, abalone, whelk, shrimp, noodles, cabbage, crabs, octopus, giant clams (think Hawaiian shell bikini top), scallop, etc. Basically the whole ocean (minus fish and marine mammals) was represented in this dish. It was delicious, and a great deal for under $20 per person (it fed all 6 of us easily). The only downside was seeing the lobster heads, antennas and claws freaking out; I did feel sorry for them and cannot imagine how terrible it would feel to be boiled alive...
I'd come back with adventurous friends who like seafood, but would not make the trek back otherwise. It was definitely an experience! -
Review from Juan T.
11/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
ohhhhh nicce live octopus here..
This place is awesome, cheap and excellent to go with groups. Food as you can see in the pics is as good as they look. The place is clean, efficient and the servers are always doing their job.
We had the live octopus and the server chopped it up to our desired size, the soup was amazing with also live octopus and snails and sea cucumbers etc...
im definitively coming back for this experience -
Review from Jonathan E.
Brooklyn, NY
10/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I attended with a big group of great people who love food and ordered copious amounts, so my experience might be warped. The drinks flowed and the food arrived in massive portions. It was wave after wave of things to try. Kinda like Thanksgiving meets a Vegas buffet.
As such, I'm not quite sure if my experience would be reflective of solo diners, couples or smaller groups. That said, there were a number of solo diners, daters and small groups also seemingly well fed, so give it a shot.
I do want to say that the staff here are awesome. They hustle. They anticipate. They respond to any request in waves. I'm really not sure if we had one server or ten because they work as a great team.
Secondly, they have really great seafood that's so fresh it sometimes wiggles on the plate. You need not eat the "just whacked" fare, as everything traditional (raw oysters, clams, etc) tastes fresh from water.
As awesome as the mega platters looked as they arrived, my negative would be that they became a bit muddled and lost some distinction. Don't get me wrong.. it was seafood bliss. But if you are looking for a unique tastes of particular item, the big, boiling all-in platter might not be the best they way to explore. That said, I did notice other tables grilling select fish and shell portions over the tabletop BBQs, so you can choose to enoy specific foods on their own (and in different formats).
Regardless, this place delivers a great dining experience. -
Review from Byron C.
10/19/2011
Awesome group experience. Take a look at my youtube video. Definitely the most fun I've had at a meal that i can fully remember. Go with 5-8 people. Get the Seafood hot pot for 99 dollars, you get a lobster, 2 octopi, live abalone, and ton of other stuff. Have one of the octopi seved on the side live and use the sauce they give you. Order a few other dishes if you have more then 5 people. Great value, great fun. CALL AHEAD and reserve an octopus a day in advance.
Enjoy! -
Review from Jeannie C.
Manhattan, NY
10/4/2011 3 photos
okay. My most epic food adventure yet, and I'm pretty a pretty adventurous foodie (or according Anthony Bourdain, food nerd. Apparently only Koreans, chefs, and food nerd would take on this adventure).
Bottom line: Live Octopus.
The meal started with the server making us some fried eggs at the table (on the stove that our hot pots will later sit on). I now learned (through the wonder of the internet) that it's a tradition and a sign of respect. Back in the poor days, eggs are somewhat of a luxury, and the wife would save it for the husband (the bread winner). I didn't try any. I figure eggs still taste like eggs, even if it was prepared at the table. My food adventure awaits. There were also an assortment of kimchi and pickled veggies as amuse on the table.
We ordered the Watermelon Soju Cocktail for the table. It comes inside a carved out watermelon, of course. Would you have expected less for my epic food adventure?
We then started with our appetizer. We started with some steamed eggs and seafood crepes, which was super yummy, but that's just the beginning of our seafood feast. Second course - Fresh octopus. It's so fresh that it's still moving when it hits the table. They look like little worms. (I didn't have a video device, and the light was low anyway. Youtube Anthony Bourdain's). So being brave and all, I put one in my mouth. What's the big deal? Then, it happened. The octopus attacked back! It just died, so all the reflexes are still intact. So those little suction cups, they still work. And they will suck on your tongue or your cheek or wherever it happened to land (if you could pry it off the plate to begin with). Yes, my food sucked ;p
Then, we moved onto the hot pots. Seafood hot pot with live octopus and live lobster and live abalone. (Well, the lobster and abalone may be freshly dead, they were only kinda moving. The octopus was definitely alive. It almost moved off the pot. And it slowly died in front of us -- may not be the most humane -- don't know, but it was tasty.)
So much food! We had 6 people to a pot. And we ordered beers, because hot pot and beers just go oh so well together, let's be honest. Then, they come with fried rice, which they fry right there in the hot pot remains (with the broth all soaked in and yummy). Then they sprinkle cheese on it, and it just mellows out all the flavors and just simply delish.
Yeah. Epic food adventure.
Happy Mouth and Happy Tummy.
Signed,
Food Nerd -
Review from Lawrence C.
New York, NY
8/3/2011 ROTD 4/18/2012
I didn't have the live octopus at Sik Gaek.
The so-called foodies probably already stopped reading this review -- isn't the prospect of eating writhing tentacles the whole point of Sik Gaek? To a non-Korean, perhaps. And I am not Korean. But when a Korean co-worker invited me to join him and a few of his Korean friends there, I knew something more than food thrill-seeking was afoot. I agreed immediately.
Sik Gaek is something of a Korean version of what the Japanese call an izakaya -- a drinking den that also serves food tailored for the inebriated. This does not mean that the food is an afterthought. Far from it. These are Asians we're talking about, after all: eating is never going to take a total backseat.
We started with complimentary eggs fried overeasy right in front of us, a curiously compelling egg custard dish, and the classic ddeokbokki (thick rice noodles in a spicy gochujang sauce). An odd set of palate cleansers, but when the makgeolli (fermented rice wine) started to flow, it somehow all made sense. The lightly alcoholic drink, served from an amusingly downscale plastic bottle into shallow silver bowls, was a refreshing mist over the proceedings.
Then, our main food event: a cauldron full of the sea's bounty, bubbling on the table's built-in burner. Here were mussels, multiple kinds of clams, abalone, rings of squid, shrimp, and who knows what else. In lieu of octopus (not present because monsoons in Korea had interfered with export), a live lobster was vivisected and deposited on top. Thin slices of raw rib-eye were quickly cooking as well. Udon noodles, cabbage, and my favorite kind of mushrooms, enoki, rounded out the toppings. All was partly immersed in a gochujang-based broth: spicy, deeply flavored, and only growing more so as the seafood released their juices into the soup. The servers gave us floor buckets to toss shells into -- now that's the kind of utilitarian addition I'd like to see at Le Bernardin.
Other reviews have complained that the disparate elements get cooked to different levels of doneness. The solution is obvious: eat each element before it gets rubbery. This means starting with, say, the squid, then moving on to the clams, etc. It's really quite simple in theory, but the cauldron is so huge that it would take at least five normal people to do it appropriately. In point of fact, when the stew first came, only three of us were seated, but three Asian males counts as AT LEAST five normal eaters, so.
But three more convives arrived at this stage, diving into what we hadn't already razed. This also triggered an alcoholic escalation: a bottle of the soju appeared. Someone asked for an empty kettle and, incongruously, a glass of Sprite. He then combined aliquots of the makgeolli, soju, and Sprite into the kettle, mixed it all up, and poured out a dangerously smooth, addictive low-rent cocktail. Now THIS was more like the Koreans I'd known and loved. All this was happening in a little booth under dim lighting, a call button embedded into a corner of the table so that we could keep the makgeolli rolling in. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with more conducive environs for steady inebriation mixed with solid food.
Time passed. The mound of seafood eventually dwindled, the broth quietly reducing into more of a sauce. We were more than two hours into the meal, but a kicker still awaited. Another press of the button, and a server appeared with a huge bowl of seaweed-topped white rice. (I love sushi rice, but does anyone make consistently better straight-up white rice than the Koreans?) The server threw it in the pan, mixed it thoroughly, and left us to it. I almost reached for the ladle, but the lone girl among us said, "You think it's ready. But it's not." If a lifetime of eating has taught me anything, it's that whenever an Asian woman tells you to lay off a rice dish, you lay the fuck off the rice dish.
A few minutes passed while I learned more from my reveling convives about the vagaries of Korean club life and early 90s K-pop, which was continually playing on the restaurant's sound system. The aroma of the seafood/gochujang fried rice, crisping on the edges like in a dolsot bibimbap, was driving me insane. When it finally came time to dig in, it did not disappoint: only a sense of decorum and the fact that I'd already crammed down several pounds of seafood prevented me from inhaling more of the stuff.
It is not every day that you get to experience something like this, a glimpse into neither the highbrow nor lowbrow of an ethnicity's food, but into its youth culture, the social bonding aspects of its eating. I felt a little out of place, but not unpleasantly so; mostly, I felt privileged to be there. That the diners of NYC continue to support venues like Sik Gaek which encourage this... Who can be down on that?
Probability of return within 1 year: I sort of need to get invited again by a bunch of Koreans; 100% if I am -
Review from Phil L.
11/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I always thought paella was a pretty sweet dish since you got so much food. Well, I think Sik Gaek's hot pots take the cake on that front. For $60.00 we got a hot pot that was over flowing with seafood goodness that was probably enough for four people if there was rice involved. Inside a hot spicy broth, was crab, clams, mussels, a whole lobster, fish, random organ meat, squid, noodles, rice cakes, and veggies. On top of that they give you fish and rice cakes, fried eggs, and steamed eggs to start off with.
Interior decoration reminds me of Kenka in the village minus the hipster crowd and lines accompanying it. When I came here for dinner, there was zero lines at 7:00 and the place was moderately busy. Service was very good and they have a Korean and English menu. If you ever need service at your table, they have a little call button that you can press as well and someone will be at your table within a few seconds.
This is a pretty great place to bring a group of friends and eat way too much seafood and drink some soju! -
Review from Ina C.
7/23/2011
Sik Gaek is perfect for young, adventurous people. I say young because they blast that mid-90s Korean pop like there's no tomorrow. I say adventurous because it's probably an experience you're not likely to have had.
You absolutely must order the octopus hot pot (for 4-6 ppl). To our disappointment, they were actually OUT of octopus the day we visited. But the overwhelmingly large seafood hot pot was still crazy full and there were discoveries to be made underneath every shell. "Whoa, there are noodles in here!" "Look! I found some shrimp!" A warning about the hot pot, though -- and this is the reason I'm not giving it five stars: Some of that seafood gets crazy tough. That broth just continues to cook those insanely large clams and abalone that you'll wish you had a steak knife. Something must be done about this!
The watermelon soju is the perfect complement to the hot pot, with its cool and refreshing and lightly alcoholic taste. I highly recommend this. It's huge, so I'd make sure I have at least four people for this.
One other important thing to know is that this place IS KOREA. I've only been once in my adult life, but it's really like you've stepped into a different world - much more than any other Korean restaurant I've been to.
If you've read all about it and know what you're in for and still want to try it, you absolutely must. It's something any adventurous eater should experience. -
Review from JEWELe M.
10/16/2011
So when one of my best friends said we were going to celebrate my birthday by eating live octopus...iWas excited and scared at the same time!
Immediately I went online to find out what I had to prepare myself for.....
Unfortunately after cringing from watching Anthony Bourdain and company eat live octopus on YouTube videos, the establishment did not have the live octopus on the night we came here! :(
But it was all good because just seeing my seafood hot pot full of moving shellfish while the broth & noodles underneath cooked was pretty awesome to me! We had lobster in the hot pot so I was so enthralled by the lobster boiling in front of my eyes! At one point I thought I saw the lobster wave farewell to me...but maybe it was the 2 shots of soju that I took before sitting down that created the mirage! ;)
We had 7 people at our table and the waiter kept saying the pot should only feed 4...ummMm...yeah...we definitely had enough for 7 with some leftovers!
We ordered two seafood pancakes while we waited, and if you know eating at Korean places, you also get a lot of side dishes to nom on!
Also, we ordered this yogurty Korean rice wine, which they served in small metal plates....I felt like a cat, licking my wine! Meow. LoL.
And to celebrate my birthday, the servers gave me a wig that looked like a bald sumo wrestler's head and a huge korean beer with a lit candle to blow out! Too funny!
To end the dinner, we were given cucumber juice to cleanse our palate!
All in all, it was a delicious & memorable birthday dinner in NYC! -
Review from Patricia S.
New York, NY
10/11/2011
I've never had the oh-so-famous octopus stew promoted by my man Tony, BUT everything I've had is solidly good. Not as good as K-town, I have to say, but the place is such a treasure, that it doesn't matter.
I love the super friendly waitstaff. They are young and they are efficient. The pictures and Korean ads kind of make the place feel like an asian diner/bar. It's a weird environment, but it works.
I ordered my staples: seafood pancake and soondubu jjigae (spicy tofu and seafood stew with a side of tofu). My friends LOVED their bulgogi, so I would recommend that too.
I've been twice now and I will definitely be back! -
Review from Ro N.
New York, NY
7/15/2011
I swore I reviewed this place...perhaps it got erased?
Too lazy to go into details, so I'll sum it all up by saying fishy clams and low grade seafood.
I would never come back here to eat the hot pot.
The clams weren't even cleaned out right. Good size, but disgusting taste.
The live octopus tasted didn't taste fishy and surprisingly wasn't gross at all.
I came here with a large group...K and I were underwhelmed - the rest of the people were enjoying their soju. -
Review from Jason C.
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Loved atmosphere of the place. K-pop in the background, lacquered wood furniture and a hot stove at every table for BBQ.
The menu looked a bit pricey until I noticed that you the meals were portioned for 4-6 people.
I almost did not give this place a 5 star review because it's menu was limited to group portions unless you go in during lunch. But the food here is worth coming back for again and again.
The watermelon at the end of the meal is a nice touch!
