Joomak Banjum opened in 2021 in New York City’s Koreatown and quickly earned the attention of diners and the industry, receiving critical praise and one Michelin star in 2022. But in this competitive, expensive restaurant climate, spiking rent forced chef and owner Jiho Kim to close it in spring 2024.
“The occupancy rate in Koreatown is exceptionally high, making it challenging to sustain the high rent associated with fine dining,” Kim said.
When the restaurant closed, Kim vowed that he would return in a new location. On January 29, he made good on that promise, opening a new iteration of the concept called Joomak. It’s located at Maison Hudson New York, a luxury residential hotel in the West Village.
Joomak sits on the second floor of the property and has just 27 seats. The space was designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen, who has also worked on New York F&B concepts including Jean-Georges, Jojo, and The Seville. The interior evokes a residential ambiance, with warm wood paneling, patina mirrors, Italian furnishings, and a six-foot fireplace. A chef’s-counter experience is offered at the five-seat bar, and an enclosed outdoor terrace will open once the weather warms up.
Kim said Joomak has a more luxurious and inviting atmosphere than its predecessor, “with a menu that leans towards New American cuisine rather than Korean-inspired French dishes.”
The tasting menu begins with a trio of New York-inspired bites. Photo credit: Paola Baylon
The $280-per-person, eight-course tasting menu begins with an amuse-bouche trio representing iconic New York City bites, but dressed up for the fine-dining setting. There’s a king salmon Everything bagel, a “smash burger” made with lightly cooked otoro tuna and an egg yolk gelée served between a choux pastry, and an open-faced A5 wagyu beef and uni sando served on a housemade baguette.
The menu enlists Kim’s pastry expertise and technical precision in dishes like golden osetra caviar spooned on top of dill custard and served with cornichon and crème fraîche, and a mini pretzel croissant accompanied by whole-grain mustard. Additional courses on the opening menu include scallop with truffle, smoked dashi panna cotta, and brown butter; langoustine with chrysanthemum, potato, gochujang, and gochugaru; and a Peking-style duck breast.
A vegetarian tasting menu ($250 per person) is also available, and Joomak will introduce an à la carte menu in the near future.
Many dishes include Korean accents, like this langoustine with gochujang and gochugaru. Photo Credit: Paola Baylon
The wine list pulls heavily from French regions like Burgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux, with additional bottles from Italy and other wine-producing regions. Cocktails are made with a mix of fresh, herbal, and umami notes and include drinks like the Mane & Tail, which features rye whiskey, yuzu, and vermut rosé.
Kim, who began his career as a pastry chef and previously worked with Gordon Ramsay Hospitality as well as Union Square Hospitality Group’s two Michelin-starred restaurant, The Modern, has assembled a crack team of food and beverage pros. He’s joined in the kitchen by chef de cuisine Truman Parsons, formerly of Per Se and Le Bernardin. The drinks program is run by Tani Albert, who served as beverage director and sommelier for Joomak and previously worked at Aquavit and Gramercy Tavern.
Kim is also the chef and owner of Ddobar at Olly Olly food market in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. It specializes in “yubutarts,” Kim’s take on traditional Korean yubuchobap, which is vinegared rice stuffed into fried tofu pockets.
