09/28/05

Ice-cold soups match cool-as-ice decor at this hip Koreatown eatery.

by Justin Hartung

The Scene
Appointed with exposed brick and brushed metal and sporting a giant flat-screen TV, You Chun stands out amidst its midtown peers. Stove hoods loom large over each table, sucking up excess smoke and, at the same time, providing just the right touch of sci-fi cool.

The Draw
Though the basics of Korean dining are covered, the specialty is chilled soup, available with beef or cod. Don't be scared by the slushy ice floating in it: The mix of root veggies, opaque noodles, and earthy tones of the broth makes for a surprisingly delectable chilled treat. The yakitori combo, loaded with a perfectly grilled assortment of shell-on shrimp, doughy rice sticks, and decadent bacon-wrapped scallops, may lead to thumb-wrestling matches for the last bite. More traditional dishes like tender, table-cooked, mushroom-laden bulgogi make the grade, but the mystery parts in the pepper sauce-drenched cod are for experts only.