"Haeundae Amso Galbijib," a traditional Korean barbecue house, which first opened in 1964 in Haeundae, Busan, and was cherished for over 50 years, now promotes Korean barbecue culture all the way across the Pacific Ocean in the heart of New York. Ju Sung Yoon, the grandson of the founder of Haeundae Amso Galbijib, has been continuing the family legacy for the third generation with his highly acclaimed "Yoon Haeundae Gabli" on West 36th Street Manhattan, New York, since 2018. 

Yoon Haeundae Galbi quickly overcame the challenging times of the pandemic shortly after its opening. In 2021, it was selected as one of the top 10 restaurants in New York by The New York Times (NYT), and in 2023, it secured the 59th spot on the list of top 100 restaurants in New York. Furthermore, earlier this year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute designated Yoon Haeundae Galbi as a "2022 Best Overseas Korean Restaurant" upon evaluating various aspects including its contribution to the spread of Korean cuisine worldwide, quality, service, cleanliness, etc.

Yoon, the owner of Yoon Haeundae Galbi, worked in the kitchen of the original Haeundae Amso Galbijib for about a year in 2015, learning the secrets of marinating and the techniques of preparing the meat. Yoon said, "When I decided to open Yoon Haeundae Galbi in New York, I had a strong desire to not only offer Korean food and drink, but ultimately the Korean food culture." While preparing for the restaurant's opening, he also contemplated integrating various Korean dishes that foreigners would enjoy.

However, opening a restaurant in a foreign land was not as easy as he thought. Yoon shared, "In New York, I experienced the challenges of various environmental factors, prices, and cultural barriers, which sometimes led to frustration."

Nevertheless, with the help of many around him and through word-of-mouth from satisfied customers who visited the restaurant, Yoon gradually overcame these difficulties and now Yoon Haeundae Galbi has become one of New York's most popular and leading Korean restaurants. The 2022 Best Overseas Korean Restaurant" award has also been a great honor for the restaurant as it recognizes the restaurant’s efforts to promote Korean cuisine in New York.

Yoon considers "guests" as the most important factor in providing the best taste and service. He emphasized that having continued the family business through three generations, he "strives to maintain the restaurant's unique colors and personality while operating the establishment from the customer's perspective, following the teachings of his grandfather and father."

His approach extends to caring for employees. He believes that a restaurant is not just for the owner himself but is a place where people with various roles, including cooking, service, cleaning, and managing the establishment, come together. Therefore, he places great importance on the welfare and working conditions of his employees. Yoon stated, "I believe that when the owner creates a good working environment and welfare for employees, the employees will provide delicious food and excellent service to the customers. In return, customers pay for the services, allowing the restaurant to operate successfully."

Even before opening its New York branch, Yoon Haeundae Galbi had been making continuous efforts to faithfully reproduce the traditional flavors and methods of its Busan main branch. Yoon Joo-sung explained, "To find a taste that closely resembles the main branch, we went through a process of testing numerous Ganjang(soy sauce), Doenjang(soybean paste), and sesame oils. In Korean cuisine, we believe that the flavor of traditional paste is paramount, so we use high-quality soy sauce, sesame oil, and soybean paste imported from Korea, even if they are more expensive."

Furthermore, Yoon Haeundae Galbi adheres to a special rib-cutting method called 'Haeundae Cut' to ensure that the marinade penetrates the ribs more effectively. Yoon said, "Ribs are have a lot of muscle fascia, but they also are where you can taste the deep flavor of the meat more than any other part." He continued, "In Western cuisine, ribs are usually slow-cooked, such as in stews or braises, to make them tender. However, the 'Haeundae Cut,' developed by my grandfather, meticulously removes the tough parts and muscle tissues, expanding the surface area of the meat to allow for better marination." This technique contributes to the richer flavor of the Galbi. Additionally, he emphasized his commitment to maintaining the flavors of the Busan main branch through ingredients like Deonjang(soybean paste) and Gamjasari(potatoe noodles).

For the interior, the restaurant is decorated with elements such as stone, wood, and traditional Korean Giwa(roof tiles), creating an elegant space that adds beauty. Furthermore, the restaurant places a strong emphasis on hygiene and diligently maintains its facilities to provide a dining environment that is always as clean and well-kept as a newly opened establishment.

Watching their food being prepared right in front of their eye is another source of delight for diners. Yoon explains that many foreign customers who enjoy Korean-style BBQ appreciate watching the process of meat being grilled and immediately savoring the freshly cooked meat. He remarked, "I've noticed that local customers enjoy it when food is prepared right before their eyes, similar to Western cocktail bars or Japanese Omakase experiences," as he explained about the allure of Korean grilling culture.

At Yoon Haeundae Galbi, you can find a variety of Korean dishes in addition to Galbi. Yoon mentioned that he considers the creativity of the chefs while staying true to Korean cuisine, allowing foreign customers to enjoy a wide range of Korean dishes. He said, "We hold weekly meetings with our staff to analyze the popularity of menu items by ranking them, and items like Galbimandu(pork rib dumplings), Galbi Bibimbap, Busan-style Pajeon(green onion pancake), sea urchin Bibimbap, and Deonjangjjigae(soybean paste stew) consistently rank among the top five most sought-after dishes."

The recent global K-food trend has also brought about changes in the American food-service industry. Yoon explained, "In the past, when you looked for Korean restaurants overseas, many of them would offer various menus like meat dishes, Bibimbap, chicken, and street food all in one place. However, recently, we've seen a growing number of Korean restaurants specialize in various foods, including Gukbap(rice soup) restaurants and pocha-style(small tent or street stall) establishments." Yoon added that he "hopes to see even more specialized Korean restaurants emerge in the future."

Yoon Haeundae Galbi's future goal is to build trust with customers and become a restaurant that remains in their hearts. When it comes to future goals and plans, Yoon said, "It may sound like a cliché, but I believe that we should never lose the beginner's mindset and keep striving." He added, "My goal is to maintain our current quality of taste and service while working even harder, so that we can become a restaurant that continues to thrive abroad for a long time."

Yoon Haeundae Galbi
Address │ 8 W 36th Street, New York, NY 10018
Hours │ Monday-Friday (11:45AM-3:00PM, 5:00PM-11:30PM) / Saturday (11:45AM-11:30PM) / Sunday (11:45AM-10:30PM)