(212) 967-1880

37 West 32nd Street
New York, NY 10001 40.748 -73.9873

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Neighborhoods: Koreatown, Midtown

Price:

$$

Last updated 6.15.09

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express , Visa , MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot

Cuisine:

Korean

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Shilla

Featured Review

Keith Wagstaff

Contributor

In Short – Small and homey, this place is not--three stories of sleek, barbecue-ready tables welcome diners 24 hours a day. The menu, like the restaurant, can almost be intimidating in its size, but almost everything is a winner. Meat items ranging from beef short ribs to slabs of bacon are available for a little D.I.Y. cooking in the middle of your table, while the entrees include classics like beef bi bom bob and tofu hot pots, plus more adventurous fare like beef intestine casserole and boiled eel. – –

Editor's Tips

Save Money:
Check out the lunch specials, Monday through Friday from 11am-3pm.
What to Drink:
Try soju, a Korean alcoholic beverage which falls somewhere in between sake and vodka.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The place is very clean with a decor (which is very rare for a korean restaurant).”
  2. “The decor is very clean and modern, so it's the perfect place for gatherings of all types.”
  3. “The location of the restaurant is great because the neighborhood is notorious for its Korean BBQ restaurants and bars.”
food quality
94.04999732971191% positive
  1. “The food is good - better than any other K. Reastaurants in K. Town.”
  2. “All the ingrediants used are ultra fresh, especially the vegetables.”
  3. “Ban-chan (side dishes) was disappointing.”
  4. “When they first open it was good price for the amounts of food but now they are getting more cheaper every time.”
  5. “LOVE the food here.”
  6. “great bbq in koreatown”
  7. “awesome bbq”
  8. “The place was full but service was decent and overall we had a very enjoyable meal.”
  9. “Shilla produces authentic dishes with clean precision to the palate.”
  10. “The bibim bap (rice with mixed veggies) is awesome too.”
  11. “Bite my tongue, Shilla's dishes are as good as Mama's cooking!”
  12. “The food was great, with generous portions and a pretty good selection of side dishes.”
  13. “The popular marinated beef is so delicious and just melts in your mouth.”
  14. “Majority said the food was great, so I had to go check it out for myself.”
  15. “The quality of the meat of their Kalbi is good.”
  16. “The food was good, but in Flushing NY there are many better representations of Korean food.”
  17. “discerning taste critic will enjoy their dishes.”
  18. “The quality of Kalbi was not good, Clear noodle was not tasty and too sticky because cooked a while ago.”
  19. “We've taken a number of friends there and it's unanimous, they all agree its the best bbq.”
  20. “The waiter/tresses are attentive enough to pay attention to the meat and have it cooked perfectly.”
  21. “If you order the pork, make sure it's cooked thoroughly, otherwise you'll end up with a stomach ache.”
  22. “The quantity of meat is almost double that of other restaurants, and quality and marinade is the best.”
  23. “Their Silver Cod dish is notably delicious, sweet & spicy.”
  24. “Great interior, delicious food, great service!”
  25. “Decent food, but nothing exceptional.”
  26. “Best korean bbq on 32nd, by far.”
  27. “highly recommend this place to anyone who has never tried Korean food or want a favorite Korean restaurant to go to.”
  28. “The food was good and the service matched.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The food was great, with generous portions and a pretty good selection of side dishes.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “highly recommend this place to anyone who has never tried Korean food or want a favorite Korean restaurant to go to.”
  2. “It's also a great meeting place for a large group, and don't need to worry about making reservations, since they have three floors of seating.”
  3. “Definately the best new restaurant on 32nd Street!”
service
78.79000186920166% positive
  1. “Great interior, delicious food, great service!”
  2. “The service is fast, prompt.”
  3. “The staff is very freindly especially John -who is my favorite server.”
  4. “The waiter/tresses are attentive enough to pay attention to the meat and have it cooked perfectly.”
  5. “The waitstaff is helpful and attentive, but the hosts/hostesses tend to be snooty sometimes.”
  6. “The food was good and the service matched.”
  7. “The place was full but service was decent and overall we had a very enjoyable meal.”
  8. “Not only was the service great, but the manager was present the whole time.”
  9. “Since the last time I was here, the staff has gotten more attentive and nice and helpful.”
  10. “Especially the guy with suits and earpiece on the 3rd floor was soooooo rude.”
  11. “took my mother and grandparents who are from korea here and we were very disapointed because the employes were SO rude to us.”
value
75.0% positive
  1. “The proportions are small, and the prices are expensive for what you get.”
  2. “The portions are large and the marinade is perfect.”
  3. “The food was great, with generous portions and a pretty good selection of side dishes.”
  4. “When they first open it was good price for the amounts of food but now they are getting more cheaper every time.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/06/10

BEST FOOD IN KOREA TOWN!

by eric lee at Citysearch

My experience at Shilla was nothing more then outstanding. The moment I stepped in, I was greeted by friendly managers at Shilla. The place was so packed however the wait was only 5 mins. While waiting they offered me complementary cocktail which was very nice of them. When me and my friends set down at table side BBQ table, they put out more then 10 different side dishes ranging from Kimchi to Potato salad. It was enough to fill us up!! :)

As for our meal, we ordered Seafood Pancake. The pancake was cooked perfectly with outside being crispy and inside being warm. It was the best Seafood Pancake I have ever tasted. As for our main course, we got marinated beef ribs, and marinated black pork tenderloin. The meats were the best I have tasted in a while. The meat just melted off our mouths. My buddy also ordered BiBimBap as well which I took some and it was cooked perfectly in those cool sizzling stone pot which I thought was interesting.

The price of the meal I thought was very reasonable with the type of service we got at this place and the quality of the food that was served. I would truly recommend this place to anyone that would like to try to great Korean food!!!!!

1 Star Rating: Poor

04/23/10

TAKE YOUR MONEY ELSEWHERE

by FlipNYC2010 at Citysearch

WOW...I'VE NEVER SEEN A RESTAURANT GO DOWN-HILL AS BADLY AS THIS ONE. USED TO BE A FAMILY FAVORITE - USED TO GO ONCE A WEEK. WE WENT BACK A FEW MONTHS AGO..HOLY COW!!!

PORTIONS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER, PRICES WENT UP...

OH AND YES, THE SAME CRAPPY, NASTY KOREAN SERVICE.

  • Pros: NONE
  • Cons: EXPENSIVE, POOR QUALITY
4 Star Rating: Recommended

05/06/09

great bbq in koreatown

by oompanyc at Citysearch

Found this spot a few weeks ago and decided to give it a shot. Great Korean BBQ. A little pricey but not by NY City Standards. Plenty of food comes with the meal. Nice place.

  • Pros: great food and service in a cool neighborhood
  • Cons: pricey
4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/07/08

Great BBQ!

by foodenthusiast84 at Citysearch

The location of the restaurant is great because the neighborhood is notorious for its Korean BBQ restaurants and bars. Shilla is top on my list. I think they can improve on the service a little. The waitstaff is helpful and attentive, but the hosts/hostesses tend to be snooty sometimes. It's very busy on weekends, but you get seated promptly! If you order the pork, make sure it's cooked thoroughly, otherwise you'll end up with a stomach ache.

  • Pros: Good Food!
  • Cons: Crowded during the weekends.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/02/08

Best BBQ in Ktown

by yeller07 at Citysearch

I LOVE the food here. Since the last time I was here, the staff has gotten more attentive and nice and helpful. They painted the restaurant all different colors too. I never have complaints about the food here. The popular marinated beef is so delicious and just melts in your mouth. I come here often, and only once was it salty, but that won't stop me from ever coming back. The bibim bap (rice with mixed veggies) is awesome too. And OH! The soups, especially the bean curd soup and kimchi soup is to die for. I don't understand people complaining about the price because it's pretty much the same at every bbq restaurant on this block. It's definately cheaper (not by much) than the new place across the street. Plus, their portions are outrageous. I always have to pack food to go. I highly recommend this place to anyone who has never tried Korean food or want a favorite Korean restaurant to go to. I still don't understand the unisex bathroom, but hey, I'm not there to rate the men who I have to share the same sink with. Cheers!

  • Pros: Nice modern decor with improved waitstaff service
  • Cons: Unisex bathroom

The Details on Shilla

Place Categories:

  • outstanding meeting place
  • great service
  • great bbq
  • numerous banchan
  • sweet silver cod dish
  • good quality
  • helpful staff
  • helpful waitstaff
  • nasty korean service
  • too sticky clear noodle
  • authentic dishes
  • very clean decor
  • expensive price
  • favorite server
  • order pork
  • fresh ultra
  • terrific staple korean stew
  • very enjoyable meal
  • more tasteful trust
  • disappointing side dishes
  • best korean
  • very clean taste
  • great delicious food
  • perfect marinade
  • favorite korean restaurant