Korean fine dining restaurant opens in NYC subway station

NEW YORK - In the heart of Midtown Manhattan, an unexpected culinary gem has emerged. Tucked beneath the streets, nestled inside the Herald Square subway station at West 32nd Street, Nōksu offers an extraordinary fusion of Korean culture and fine dining.

The restaurant space is accessible only through a discreet key code and offers a 12-course tasting menu for $225 per patron. 

The dream of co-owners Bobby Kwak and Joseph Ko, Nōksu is a place where New Yorkers can eat food that is not only delicious but art as well. 

"It's almost like painting a painting but having 8 or 10 individuals paint that painting together. It's not easy. To get that actual picture you want, it’s a difficult task," said Ko. "It's really important for us second-generation Koreans to provide vessels and provide some type of transition to a newer and more modern age of Korean dining." 

Complementing the exquisite fare are Noksu's meticulously crafted drinks. 

Nōksu is designed to let its patrons forget the hustle and bustle of the city just outside the door while combining the co-owners proud Korean heritage with the latest in haute cuisine.

"We wanted to dig into our roots and create something and put Korean cuisine more on the mainstream. Give it a little more love. Give it some spotlight," Kwak said.