Last week a dear friend of mine treated us to a Korean dinner as a warm hospitality to welcome all of us (so kind, I know!). We went to this Korean Gastropub near Union Square named Barn Joo, which apparently is also pretty popular on Yelp. According to their website, "Barn Joo", the word itself in English means musical accompaniment or drinks accompanied by your meals. It works along well with their tagline "Eat - Drink - Play" which sounds fun and I already knew that we were gonna have a great time that night!

BARN JOO :: 893 BROADWAY, FLATIRON DISTRICT, NEW YORK, NY 10003 T. 646-398-9663

Once you stepped inside, what's the most recognizable thing is that the restaurant has a really really great décor. They have this interactive painting installation with moving objects in it which reminds me of one of the Harry Potter's scene. They also have this Russian-roulette type of wheel in the front, which is only available for dinner and if you check in on Yelp, you get a chance to spin once to get FREE beer, sangria or other drinks, oysters, snacks or even desserts. Love the idea but too bad I didn't know any of this when I first got there.

I honestly forgot to take any photos of the ambiance but if you're curious you can always look it up at their website's gallery. (FYI the site is amazingly well-designed, thumbs up for them!)

THE FOODS

We started off with some Scallion Pancake ($16) - baby greens, French beans, zucchini, mushrooms. Their Korean pancake (Pajeon) was decent, has the right crisp on the outer side yet warm and soft when you take a bite. The sauce also worked well… — We started off with some **Scallion Pancake ($16)** - baby greens, French beans, zucchini, mushrooms. Their Korean pancake (Pajeon) was decent, has the right crisp on the outer side yet warm and soft when you take a bite. The sauce also worked well, I love it.

Tofu & Mushroom Jr Bibimbap ($10) - Kimchi, farmer's greens, sunny side up egg, seaweed. The vegetables were fresh, but they kinda ruined the fun when I found out that the egg yolk is already tore apart. It should be our right to break them apar… — **Tofu & Mushroom Jr Bibimbap ($10)** - Kimchi, farmer's greens, sunny side up egg, seaweed. The vegetables were fresh, but they kinda ruined the fun when I found out that the egg yolk is already tore apart. It should be our right to break them apart and mix the whole bowl, don't you think? Haha. But what really bring the dish to a maximum tasty level is the sauce (made of Gochujang). I didn't have it on photos but I swear it's what make the dish 'alive'.

Bulgogi Pot ($14) - soy-garlic marinated beef ribeye, mushrooms, local greens served with white rice and salad. It was tasty and you just know that the beef quality they're using is just perfect for Korean BBQ. Good for sharing too! — **Bulgogi Pot ($14)** - soy-garlic marinated beef ribeye, mushrooms, local greens served with white rice and salad. It was tasty and you just know that the beef quality they're using is just perfect for Korean BBQ. Good for sharing too!

Spicy Chicken Pot ($13) - spicy marinated chicken thigh, onion, and cabbage with crispy chips on top. Again, they probably use similar sauce as what they put in the bibimbap mixture, because this was really good. I just wished it would be spicier, a… — **Spicy Chicken Pot ($13)** - spicy marinated chicken thigh, onion, and cabbage with crispy chips on top. Again, they probably use similar sauce as what they put in the bibimbap mixture, because this was really good. I just wished it would be spicier, although my friends said it was perfect though.

Berkshire Pork Belly Confit ($18) - Heritage pork belly, kimchi, scallion salad. — **Berkshire Pork Belly Confit ($18) -** Heritage pork belly, kimchi, scallion salad.

THE DESSERTS

Barn Joo doesn't have much options when it comes to dessert, so don't get high hopes with their selection. We had Black Sesame Mousse with berries and crumbs and it was just okay. Not exactly the flavor I was looking for. — Barn Joo doesn't have much options when it comes to dessert, so don't get high hopes with their selection. We had **Black Sesame Mousse with berries and crumbs** and it was just okay. Not exactly the flavor I was looking for.

Overall it was a good meal, I can't wait to go there again and check-in on Yelp to test my luck on their Freebies Wheel! Their 4pm-7pm Happy Hour package also sounds interesting, where they have special prices for drinks and the $1 Oyster which is soooo popular.

Cheers!

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BARN JOO
893 BROADWAY, FLATIRON DISTRICT, NEW YORK, NY 10003
T. 646-398-9663
http://www.barnjoo.com/