Hangawi is a vegetarian Korean restaurant – or, as they call themselves, a vegetarian shrine.
The space is done in Korean style but adjusted to meet western patrons’ tastes. The tables made of redwood have space underneath to spread your legs and be comfortably seated. The wood benches are covered with beautiful, colorful square cushions made of silk. The dark wood and orange paint on the walls give the interior a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
No shoes are allowed in the area where food is served. A small bit of advice: double-check you’re wearing socks before leaving the house. You’re welcome to wear the Hwahyejang – traditional Korean shoes – at your disposal if you don’t want to stay bare feet. No worries for shoe-lifters, the shoes are neatly kept in small compartments and are guarded to make sure no one leaves with someone else’s shoes. Don’t forget to tip the shoe guard when you leave!
The restaurant offers a 4-course prix fix lunch for $26: the Mini Emperor’s Lunch. They also offer the Emperor’s Tasting Menu, a 6-course menu for $69. Of course, you’re welcome to order a la carte, and this is what we did.
I usually drink either water or wine with my meal, but the beautiful Korean teapots and teacups displayed on the walls had an impact on my choice. The Korean tea on their menu tempted me, it was flavored with spices and fruit peels.
Everything in the restaurant makes me want to go back and try more dishes. The décor is engaging and elegant, the service was pleasant and professional, and there are so many choices on the menu. Traditional Korean dishes made exclusively with vegetables such as mushrooms, kabocha, eggplant, kale, broccoli, and more. Everything looked healthy and appetizing. Some of their produce is organic, and some dishes are gluten-free. That said, they specifically notify their clients with celiac disease that they cannot guarantee the absence of gluten cross-contact.
We ordered from all sections of the menu to have the widest sample, and we shared all the dishes family-style. We started with the avocado stone bowl rice that comes with a variety of vegetables and tofu.
Followed with the Korean pancakes and Kimchi, these are a must in a Korean restaurant! They have the trio of kale, kabocha pumpkin, and leek pancakes presented with three different sauces.
The mushroom sautéed with garlic is presented in a bowl of lettuce put in a clay bowl.
The Hangawi salad came last. It’s the kind of convivial dish where you wrap the lettuce with the herbs, the shredded vegetables, the sliced avocado, and mushrooms, and you drizzle over it with the sauce and eat it with your hands. It’s served with white and brown rice. So good and light!
For dessert, we wanted to try Hangawi’s signature dessert: the red beans and ice cream rhapsody. It comes with a scoop of vanilla almond soy ice cream and a scoop of chocolate served with sweetened red beans, walnut, and dried dates. It was quite tasty, although I personally prefer the ice cream made of cow milk.
Eating at Hangawi is both a wonderful dining experience and a search for calmness in a restless city!
Hangawi
12 E 32nd St, New York
📞(212) 213-0077
Price range: $$$
Monday: 5:30 – 10:15 pm
Tuesday – Thursday: 12:00 – 2:30 pm, 5:30 – 10:15 pm
Friday: 12:00 – 2:30 pm, 5:30 – 10:30 pm
Saturday: 1:00 – 10:30 pm
Sunday: 5:00 – 9:30 pm
