A unique Korean-style diner has opened its doors in the heart of downtown New York City. On April 20, a restaurant named ‘Kisa Sikdang’ or ‘Gisa Sikdang,’ depending on the spelling, caught attention with its Korean signage in the Lower East Side of New York. It is referred to as ‘Kisa’ in English.
The New York Times also reported on the opening, stating, “In South Korea, roadside diners that cater to taxi drivers are called kisa sikdang, or ‘driver’s restaurants.’” Eater reported, “South Korea has over 300,000 taxis, with perhaps half in Seoul. Between rides, this type of restaurant is a mainstay, allowing drivers and those in search of an inexpensive, nutritious meal to fuel up and take a break at all hours.”
Kisa serves traditional Korean home-cooked-style meals known as ‘baekban,’ consisting of a bowl of rice, soup, and various side dishes or ‘banchan.’ The menu includes dishes such as jeyukbokkeum (thinly sliced pork marinated in spicy ginger-gochujang and stir-fried with onion, carrots, perilla leaves, or cabbage), bibimbap with barley rice, bulgogi, ojingeobokkeum (squid stir-fried with onions, carrots, and cabbage in a spicy mixture of gochujang and red chili powder).
Side dishes range from kimchi and gamjajorim (braised potatoes) to saeujang (soy sauce-marinated shrimp) and gyeranmari (eggs mixed with chopped green onions, carrots, and onions, fried and rolled up), kim, cheongpomungmuchim (sliced mung bean jelly mixed with pan-fried beef, water parsley, and toasted seaweed), sodduck sodduck (sausage and tteok skewers), and more. The price is $32 per person, one platter per person.
Steve JaeWoo Choi, co-owner of Kisa, told Eater, “With Kisa, we want to celebrate casual Korean cuisine and bring an authentic Korean diner experience to NYC.” David JoonWoo Yun, another co-owner, added, “We want to honor... a spirit of jeong (a warm feeling of love, sympathy, and attachment between people who share an emotional or psychological bond). Beyond serving Korean cuisine, Kisa will be a fun gathering space where our guests can come together over Korean spirits, baekban platters, and a love for Korean culture.” Choi and Yun, both born in Korea, relocated to Atlanta during their childhood.
