You might have read about Hangawi on Korean Beacon earlier this summer, or last month in our entry on its sister restaurant, Franchia, but today will be a revisit to the popular vegetarian “shrine” in Midtown. Hangawi is not exactly off the beaten path, thanks to lots of love from Gywneth Paltrow, who makes no secret of her fondness, and the numerous accolades it has received over the years, including Zagat 2009 Best Vegetarian and Korean in New York.  However, the oversized door at the entrance is still quite intriguing, and it opens up to a very interesting, zen-like space.

The atmosphere at Hangawi can be described as spa-like, and is unlike any other Korean restaurant in the city. Customers are required to put away their shoes in a shelf leaning against the wall, and they dine on low wooden tables, sitting on cushioned bamboo mats.  Service is extremely attentive, and I was particularly curious to see what the Emperor’s Menu was all about. Yes, I did think the name sounded a bit cheesy and the price a bit steep ($40 a person), but we were curious to see what these “royal” dishes were all about, and went for it. We started off with the Steamboat Soup, which is served in a traditional metal casserole with a steam pipe in the center. Colorful skewers of with broccoli, turnip, walnuts, and gingko nuts are cooked over low heat in the pot, and the clear seaweed broth warms the body, preparing you for the delicious dishes ahead.

Next is the Fall Appetizer, with three different tastings. On the left is a Kimchee Tofu Skewer, with mashed tofu balls covered in a rich Kimchee sauce. It almost tasted like Teriyaki sauce, which was a bit weird, but the tofu balls were soft and very flavorful. The centerpiece of the plate is a fresh persimmon with a hallowed center filled with mashed persimmon with almond bits. This was my absolute favorite! The mashed persimmon was very icy, and the crispy almonds shavings added a nice kick to the texture of the dish. The last of the three is a lightly fried tofu cake with carrots and greens, drizzled in a sweet soy sauce and topped with minced chives. Overall, this dish offered a great balance with the different cooking methods: steamed, raw, and fried.

Fall Appetizer

The Chef’s choice of salad of the day was the Hangawi salad, which consisted of shredded cabbage lightly tossed in a sesame soy dressing. It pretty much tastes like what it sounds – simple, light, and tasty, but nothing really to gloat about.

Hangawi Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing

Now onto the rolls! Our first roll was the Emperor’s Roll, which is a tempura roll coated with seaweed wrapped around zucchini and carrots. To be honest, this dish could have easily tasted non-vegetarian, probably because the tempura coating was so nicely fried. Sadly, everything almost always tastes better when fried. The other rolls were more similar to a healthy wrap made of soft tortillas with alfafa sprouts, enoki mushrooms, and carrots.

Emperor's Roll

Spinach Enoki Roll

For the entrees, we had two options: Maitake Mushrooms with Spinach, and Pumpkin Stone Bowl Rice. I was really in the mood for avocado that night, so we asked if we could swap that with the Pumpkin. The maitake mushrooms were baked on a heated, flat casserole and mixed in with veggies. Not only are they great for your body, but they are also delicious.

Maitake Mushrooms with Spinach

The entree was served with red rice wrapped in a sweet-smelling bamboo leaf. The natural redness of the rice shows off its anthocyanins, which supposedly do wonders in battling free radicals in the body.

Side: Red Rice Wrapped in Bamboo Leaf

I’m a fan of bi bim bap, and a bigger one of avocado, so naturally I was a huge fan of the Avocado Stone Bowl Rice. I mashed the fresh avocado slices well with the veggies and kimchee miso paste, and I think I might have been too enthusiastic in my mixing, as the normally crispy rice became a bit too mushy. I would suggest leaving bigger pieces of avocado so you can taste the chunkiness in the texture (just like guacamole!)

Avocado Stone Bowl Rice

For dessert, we had the Chocolate Tofu Pudding, which sadly, was the least exciting portion of the Emperor’s Menu for us. The pudding is topped with coconut shavings, which do not mix very well with the rich, goo-ey texture, and the chocolate tasted a bit artificial. It didn’t taste bad, and we finished it all (dessert fiends), but personally I would not order that a la carte. We did overhear the couple next to us talk about how good the pear sorbet was, so that might be a big winner.

Chocolate Tofu Pudding

All in all, we had a very satisfying experience at Hangawi, and the restaurant did indeed live up to its name in the press. Hangawi is a great place to take friends that are visiting, and sometimes it can be nice to get away from the posh restaurant scene that’s oh, so very New York.

Cheers,
Jess

Hangawi
12 E 32nd St, New York, NY
10016-5419
(212) 213-0077

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