Woo Lae Oak

While spending the weekend in New York City, I discovered a few things. Number one: The Big Apple tastes good. From pizza and bagels to dim sum in Chinatown, fantastic fare comes naturally to New York City. Number two: Woo Lae Oak.

I won’t lie – the first thing that I noticed about Woo Lae Oak was my waiter. Hot. Really hot. If this SoHo eatery can do one thing, it is serve you good Korean food with a side of eye candy.

Once you’re inside Woo Lae Oak, it seems only natural that male models would be serving you. The restaurant’s downstairs interior is sleek, with exposed brick and dark stone tabletops lit by dim spotlights and tea candles. Beat-laden lounge music, floating throughout the dining room from the bar, makes you feel as if you’re walking underground into a chic, exclusive nightclub – and in a good way. At the back of the restaurant are more private dining tables, and upstairs is more traditional, but no less stylish, tatami (straw mat) seating. And one thing I liked most about Woo Lae Oak is the eatery’s knack for blending this modern atmosphere with their traditional menu of hot and cold appetizers, Korean stews and barbeque.

I went with barbeque. Each table at Woo Lae Oak is equipped with a rectangular barbeque built into the center of the table. I didn’t even notice it at first, but this barbeque is styled like those found in the city’s “Korea-Town” and across the Pacific in Seoul. We ordered the classic bul go gi (beef rib eye, sliced super thin), dae ji (spicy pork tenderloin), kal bi (beef short rib – my favorite) and ga ri bi (sea scallops). Each meat (and there are plenty more to choose from – chicken breast, lamb loin, bass, shrimp, duck) comes separately in its own little dish, marinated and ready to be grilled. Your server will bring you chopsticks, turn on your grill, and the rest is up to you. But that’s the fun part – anxiously awaiting your first piece to be cooked, flipping over a scallop, making space for more.

Your table will eventually be covered with small plates. The cham chi hwe, ahi tuna sashimi over sliced Asian pear, is a cool, crunchy mix of sweet and savory, and the bin dae duk, mini pancakes made with mungbean, kimchi and beansprout, are omelette-like, and yummy. Each barbeque dish will come with a small bowl of white rice, or if you’re more of a noodles fan, try the jap chae, glass noodles with veggies. Save some of your appetizers to go along with your main dishes – they taste better all mixed together anyway.

I’ve read and heard that Woo Lae Oak does not have the most authentic Korean food, or the most accommodating prices. That may be true. But I would say that what the restaurant does have is an atmosphere perfect for a date or a birthday dinner and, for the less critical kind of foodie, succulent Eastern treats presented with flair.

Not to mention hot waiters. I heart New York.