You'd have better luck around k-town (31st to 35th btw 5th and 6th aves). Han Bat is pretty good and reasonably priced. posted by subtle-t at 7:54 AM on September 10, 2008
My favorite Korean place is Cho Dang Gol, which isn't nearly as expensive as the $$$ would suggest, especially at lunch. Most dishes range from $10-20. Check out NYMag's extensive restaurant listings, where you can narrow down options by ethnicity and price range.
What's your price range? posted by zoomorphic at 7:59 AM on September 10, 2008
12 bucks a person or under. posted by mammary16 at 8:06 AM on September 10, 2008
definitely woorijip. so cheap yet so delicious. I love that place.
perfect for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. all kinds of lovely premade food as well as a buffet by the pound, soups, even a special order window to the kitchen. mmmmmmmmmm. I would kill for some kimbap right now.
as mentioned: not sure I've ever seen a korean place in chinatown, 32nd st is definitely your best bet. posted by dorian at 8:16 AM on September 10, 2008 [1 favorite]
Another vote for Cho Dang Gol. Portions are huge and the banchan extensive, so you'll be able to feed two people off of one entree easily. posted by soma lkzx at 8:24 AM on September 10, 2008
Mandoo Bar was very good. (And go to Pinkberry across the street after! Mmm Pinkberry.) posted by olinerd at 8:37 AM on September 10, 2008
Ditto Woorjip and Mandoo both in Koreatown. If you want only vegetarian, try Hangawi. I really don't think there are any Korean places near Chinatown. posted by kenzi23 at 8:49 AM on September 10, 2008
oooo hell yes mandoo. (there used to be an unrelated mandoo in hoboken that was 10x better, but the one in manhattan is still quite good)
that is the one thing about places like mandoo or woorijip: if you want panchan type stuff, you will have to pay for it. soma is right that you could go to more upscale places (e.g. won jo, kum gang san) and split some $15-25 dishes among 4 people and with all the free sides you'll have more than enough to eat and enjoy.
even so, the cheaper places will still come out cheaper. but as much as I enjoyed the student cafeteria atmosphere of woorijip or the hectic busy feel of mandoo, it was nice once in a while to be in a classy, quiet, understated won jo.
it's always a tough choice for me on 32nd st. oftentimes the decision was made for me: woorijip is open 24hrs (more or less)
also, sometimes it's nice to go in han ah reum and get some premade snacks to take to central park. the quality of the stuff in hmart seems less than woorijip (altho I suspect they do just buy it from them) but it is also a little cheaper. posted by dorian at 9:25 AM on September 10, 2008
Li Hua on Grand Street is pretty good, pretty inexpensive, and pretty close to Chinatown. posted by saladin at 9:55 AM on September 10, 2008
Thirds on Woorijip - it's my absolute favorite, though it has the atmosphere of a high school cafeteria. Their pre-packaged foods always come out much cheaper than the buffet, but the buffet offers a chance to try little nibbles of everything. posted by abirae at 11:09 AM on September 10, 2008
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posted by subtle-t at 7:54 AM on September 10, 2008