THE PLACE: If you can imagine a Korean diner, Kisa would be it. When it opened in 2024, it was publicized as being inspired by a “kisa sikdang” which are restaurants aimed towards taxi cab drivers. I totally get that, but I’m afraid you won’t find many taxi drivers at this modern restaurant which often has lines of young hip diners waiting for a table in the evening. A late Friday lunch proved to be still bustling, but tables were not nearly as difficult. And I imagine the diners we sat next to were much more likely to call an Uber than to ever drive a taxi.
THE MENU: The main draw here are the fermented, crunchy, spicy side dishes known as banchan. An array is always served with one main dish. The options are a bit more varied at dinner, but at lunch they feature a few hearty choices that are exclusive to daytime dining, which is good because it gives me enough time to digest.
THE DISH: The Gamjatang is a nutty, spicy stew with big hunks of pork bone that has morsels of meat just barely still clinging to it. The rich soybean broth contains a nice blend of veggies, including big potato boulders, and deep, complex flavors. Of course, it went perfectly with some white rice that held onto every ounce of flavors. The banchan spread, including kimchi radishes, sweet scallions, and vinegary onions, was a nice sample of the options at dinner. If I did indeed drive a cab, the prices were a bit lower, and I could find a place to park nearby, I would be here all the time Price: $19
| KISA |
| 205 Allen Street (at East Houston Street), Lower East Side |
| kisaus.com |
