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Baden Baden - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Korean Korean [Edit]
28 W 32nd St(between Broadway & 5th Ave)
New York, NY 10001
Neighborhoods: Midtown West, Koreatown
(212) 714-2266
- Nearest Transit:
-
34 St - Herald Sq (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R)
28 St (N, R)
33 St (4, 6, 6X)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
136 reviews for Baden Baden
Review Highlights
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"probably my favorite rendition of fried chicken ever." In 74 reviews -
"Oh how I love K-Town spots." In 15 reviews -
"Pickled Radish: yum." In 8 reviews
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136 reviews in English
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Review from Arjun C.
Manhattan, NY
3/18/2012
I sure miss this place. The new place is very "traditional", and doesn't really stand out from the other restaurants in the area. The menu is largely the same, but the prices are a bit higher and the proportions are a bit smaller.
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Review from Helena H.
6/30/2011
3.5 Stars.
Good for Groups.
If you're a drinker, come to this spot!, Plenty of space for you to Sit and drink and mingle. Mix music.
Must Order The Fried chicken with Fries if you're hungry
Wings are not bad. A bit dry.
Prices are ok in Ktown.
Expect noise. You're just partying but sitting down.Listed in: Can you Say... Chicken?
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Review from Jenny H.
8/16/2011
Great late night place to get good, Korean bar food.
Their fried chicken was good (large, crispy chicken pieces in a decent sauce), we also ordered their dduk bbuk ggee which was super spicy, thick and saucey (not very good). -
Review from Freya C.
3/18/2011
Korlee-in fwied shickin, ships n bir!
Sorry I know it's rude to talk with my mouth full I just got so excited!
Late night munch-comforts in this great Asian sports bar.
So step one, stuff face.
THEN... you must go and spend the rest of night belting out Kelly Clarkson pop hits to an Asian mock tragedy music video whilst slapping a tambourine on your butt at the Korean karaoke upstairs until the wee hours of the morning, soju all round... -
Review from Grace S.
11/15/2011
This place is closed now--guess the competition from Kyochon and Bonchon a block away proved to be too much. It's a new restaurant called Dduk Ddak, which is fantabulous. Awesome korean "pub food" and good alcohol list, esp. w/ mak gul lee.
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Review from Cliff K.
5/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Great Sports Bar! They have uber-cool bartenders that hook you up! I've gotten a free shot of whiskey every time I've sat at the bar!
The chicken is delicious. It's juicier than you would imagine for bar food! The fries are also a really good surprise! I'd probably put it as a top 5 french fry I've had in NYC! Pretty legit...
They only problem, is the place is kind of small, and they don't play audio of the games, but really... I'm just nitpicking. -
Review from Geezy B.
New York, NY
12/7/2010
I come here with hot American babe. We eat Dukbokki, Tong-Dak, French Fry, Beer, and Soju. She give me kiss on cheek after date.
I want to marry her and make 1/2 American babies.Listed in: Where Ninjas Eat
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Review from Briana M.
11/30/2010
So, I had this date with Eugene B.
Someone had to pay someone money for me to go on this date. I mean, I'm not easy. I don't go on dates with just anyone.
Whatever.
So, I was like, "Hey, Geezy. We'd better get this date over with. I'm doing this for (unnamed patron). We gotta make him happy. I guess I'll meet you in K-town for that food and a drink...If I have to."
He told me to meet him at the Red Mango. If you want me to be real, like, really real, this pissed me off. Who tells a lady to stand in a yogurt shop waiting for their date? Please. Where's my limo? Then, when I got there, the place was boarded up. Great. Now I have to stand outside? I have to lean against a boarded up building, trying not to look so cool while waiting for some punk? I think I smoked 2 cigarettes. I didn't want to intimidate anyone with my pleather and my chain smoking.
He FINALLY showed up and dragged me into this sketchy doorway. You know what I was thinking. Rape. I mean, this place was dirty. He said that is how it always is in K-Town. Sure. Anyway, after walking up the stairs (Have you ever heard of an ELEVATOR? Or, maybe CARRYING ME? I'm a lady) we entered this "Baden Baden" place. Which you know, sounds like a concentration camp. I should have been skeptical when I heard the name, but I try to keep an open mind. It was your average looking sports bar, except everyone was Korean. Yeah. Everyone. Including me. I might not look it, but I swear to god I am Korean.
So we sit down and he asks what I want. I don't play that. Man always orders. I judge you. Fortunately for Geezy, he knows what I like. Booze. Fried shit. And ddukbokki. This was the Ultimate Test. We got some beer, plum soju, and those "DELICIOUS" spicy rice cakes. Oh, and some of that "FAMOUS" Korean fried chicken.
I don't want to embarrass Geezy, but when you are trying to impress someone, you don't start sweating and turning red from ddukbokki. It wasn't that spicy. I think I saw tears in his eyes. Wimp. I could eat that for breakfast lunch and dinner and my taste buds would feel nothing. This also happened to be the 100% best ddukbokki I've ever had. But he can't take credit for that. What? No, I don't think he can be on a date and working in the kitchen at the same time. The chicken was good. And Geezy was right. A little hot sauce will work miracles on this crispy, greasy goodness.
After some "Good" conversation and some "tasty" booze, I was feeling kind of drunk. I wasn't sure if it was the soju we were knocking back, or some rohypnol. Geezy might act like a gentleman but you never know. I am suspicious. Who is so "nice"? Who is so "funny"? Not possible. When I say these things he says "Please believe it." Does he really expect me to fall for that?
Whatever. I guess the date was "Excellent". I guess Baden Baden was "Awesome". I guess Geezy is "Pretty Cool".
Oh, and...Happy Birthday, Eugene B. Try harder next time.Listed in: I am a drunk.
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Review from Caroline L.
New York, NY
5/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Met up with one of my boys here before we went to the Knicks game. (Why doesn't my man like sports? WHY?!)
Chicken was a little bit drier than on previous occasions but we had a good time. Beer + chicken + fries + onion rings + sports talk = good times. -
Review from Angelina K.
New York, NY
This has been, and still is, my favorite place in K-town. If I had a choice, I'd probably not go anywhere else. I don't like the throngs of Korean yuppies in 3rd floor with the pseudo models hanging (or pretending to hang) on their every word, or the mixed crowd of yuppies in Players who think they're being cultured by being in a Korean "sports" bar.
Don't get me wrong, Baden isn't without its flaws. The random signage hanging on the walls is reminiscent of an Applebees but to throw this feeling off, they dress their waitstaff in black dress clothes and black vests-- like they're catering at a gothic wedding.
Regardless, it's unpretentious and most days you can actually hear what the people you're with have to say. Their nakji bokkeum (octopus stir-fry) is what I come back for every so often. It's delicious and spicy (not for those who have low spiciness threshold) and chewy and filled with noodles. I will warn you that the kind of noodles you will get aren't consistent-- sometimes they're udon and sometimes its the angel hair noodles. If you have a preference, ask for it. Nonetheless, when it's drenched in the red sauce, it's all delicious!
I would like to take a little more time to address some of the previous chicken comments. This place does not serve Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) nor does it claim to. It claims to serve "tong dak" which means whole chicken. I think they just meant rotisserie chicken. And before Bonchon came and started frying the critters, this was the golden standard of Korean chicken.
Random nostalgic moment: before I had to worry about weight gain, my girlfriend and I used to come to drink a pitcher of beer (each) and eat a whole chicken and nakji bokkeum. And we cleaned house, yo.Listed in: Like the Asian glow of buzzed…
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Review from Judy R.
Hoboken, NJ
6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
My short impression:
After a dizzy Friday night of happy hours, then karaoking at Ding Dong Dan (upstairs), we decided to go here. Since we were on the hunt for some dumplin's, this totally random, unmarked eatery looked really good! At 10pm on a Friday night, this places is buzzing. We had banchan (of course) and had several orders of kim chi dumplings. These monsters (really big) were absolutely yummy. The dipping sauce was the bomb and we were all fighting for the last dumpling!
HOWEVER, the after effect is kind of bad... Let's just say you should not go on a date or speak to any one up close after that unless you/they are fond kim-chi-licious breath!
Good stuff. -
Review from Rebecca C.
Brooklyn, NY
11/29/2010
Maybe you don't feel like dressing up to go to Third Floor.
Maybe you don't feel like getting stared down at Players.
Maybe you don't want to wait outside to get seated at Kunjip.
Maybe you'll like Baden Baden :) -
Review from Holly C.
3/21/2011
Enter a random door and climb up some sketchy looking stairs. Open another door and you're in a dim restaurant with a bar on the side. Oh how I love K-Town spots.
The chicken here is better than the Baden in Jersey. The difference is that they fry their chicken, but its a light batter, not completely deep fried like KFC. The fries that came with the small chicken was good. Washed it down with a pitcher of Blue Moon. A little on the pricey side ($45 for all that), but I guess that's the price you pay for a Korean K-Town spot. -
Review from Lara G.
11/11/2010
"Baden Baden is one of New York City's few hofs, Korean restaurants where beer is the drink of choice, instead of soju or sake, and fried chicken is a specialty of the house. The provenance of the term hof seems uncertain; an acquaintance said it was derived from a Korean mispronunciation of hops, the ingredient that adds bitterness to beer." (Peter Meehan, Korean Fried Chicken with a Beer and a Beat, NY Times, September 20, 2006)
http://www.nytimes.com...
The truth is since a friend brought us here several years back, my husband has fallen in love with the fried chicken. In fact, he looks at the fried chicken with more love than he looks at me. For crying out loud, I never thought I'd be competing with a fried chicken. ~_- Not that I mind for I also fell in love with BBNY's fried chicken. Moist and crispy chicken perfect with your favorite beer should be on everyone's bucket list. :-) -
Review from Julie W.
New York, NY
4/30/2011
I would have NEVER found or sought out this place without some co-workers' suggestions. Went here for a post-work dinner prior to some karaoke across the street.
Really enjoyed having other people also order for me the following:
- Spicy wings: Wowza but delish. Definitely needed some soju and beer to wash those down
- Fried Chicken: Yum - no arguments here
- The sides (there were rice cakes, fries, kimchi)
If I wanted to try to impress someone with my hole-in-the-wall restaurant finding skills, this place would definitely be on my short list. -
Review from Tam N.
New York, NY
7/10/2007
The scene here is like a Korean Chi Chi's / Chili's / TGI Friday's. If Bon Chon is full of sleek, urbane, hair-straightened honeys, Baden Baden is where their fat suburban sisters hunker down to chow.
Whole Fried Chicken (Large, $18.95)
The always-amiable Greg T. and I split a bird. Skins are thinner and flakier than Bon Chon or Bon Bon's but have no inherent flavor of their own. If you want flavor, you're best sorting it out yourself with squirt bottles of ketchup and hot sauce. The leg meat is juicy, but the breast meat is dry. Wings are scrawny little fuckers, more skin than meat. Pound per pound, it seems to me you get more edible meat at Bon Chon.
Vegetation
Every order of chicken comes with crisp, pickled daikon. The pickles here are tangy and not as awfully sweet as Bon Chon's. Chickens are also served with stray hunks of raw onion and 2 or 3 pieces of red bell pepper.
French Fries
Chicken orders also come with a heaping plate of french fries. Fries here are unseasoned, floured, medium-cut fries. Fabulously crispy exterior with a fluffy potato interior.
Soju (Plain)
$12? $20? All I remember thinking was that I could get this in my local market for $4. Next time, I'll flask it.
Grey Goose Tonic ($9)
Cheaper than Bon Chon's but much too sweet.
If I find myself here again, I may try the Spicy Squid or Rice Cake dish.
Food: 3.5
Value: 3.5
Craveability: 3
Service: 3. Never wholly attentive, but not entirely absentee.
Ambience: 3. Two largish flat-screen TVs behind the bar. One was showing poker; the other, some programming with chick-appeal. Though the front of the bar blasts West Coast hip hop, it's a concession you have to make if you want 32nd St views and some distance from the Baden bathroom. -
Review from audrey k.
Queens, NY
4/21/2009
This is my favorite k-town food/bar joint because I feel like it is the most welcoming to non-koreans of all the ethnocentric ktown places. Even though I'm korean, sometimes I feel alittle out of place listening to rich international students from seoul speaking konglish (kor+eng). The crowd here is pretty diverse (for korean bar standards), and the last time I was there, George Wendt from Cheers was sitting at the next table. I thought that was funny.
Anyways, this place is really famous for their chicken--my favorite thing about korean chicken is the pickled radish cubes that it comes with. Yum! Other good an-ju's (korean equivalent of bar food) are the jwee-po (some kind of dried fish), dduk-bok-ki (spicy rice tube-like cake thingies), and the bbok-eum's (you can either get stir-fried octopus or squid). Pretty typical korean bar scene--full bar with hip hop music or kpop. Good place to come with a group after a long night (this place is open very late) and just have a good time over chicken and beer. -
Review from Amy L.
New York, NY
3/28/2007
Following the hype caused by the NY Times article, I too followed the masses to Baden Baden for my first taste of Korean fried chicken.
Their house specialty is, in essence, rotisserie chicken covered with a thin layer of deep fried crispy skin. Great if your priority is juicy, flavorful meat. Not as great if you're hankering after the crusty, crumbly, fall-apart batter-y goodness that comes in your bucket of KFC.
In addition to the chicken (which was accompanied by ketchup, tabasco, a side of pleasantly, more crispily battered fries, and a bowl of sweet pickled white radish cubes), they've got other thin-deep-fried options such as beef, pork, and octupus. We had a spicy rice cake entree that was pretty good -- filling, and pretty spicy even though we'd asked for it not too spicy. Full flavored-soju menu including selections like yogurt and aloe-pear.
Four of us split the large-size chicken and the rice cakes. Without beverages, our meal came to about $12pp -- not bad for a filling, flavorful, and pretty thoughtfully fried meal. -
Review from Maria M.
Woodside, NY
5/26/2008
When I first heard about this place, my ears perked up.
Korean food...and BEER? Like those beer places downtown that I like so much? Like 20 million different kinds of beer the names of which I can't even pronounce? I'm THERE.
This place did not meet any kind of expectation I had for it. Wait....let me be fair. If you are in the mood for nothing but fried food (I don't think there was anything non-fried on the menu except for the rotisserie chicken - which was not as good as I expected), this is your place. Fried beef strips, french fries, onion rings, mozz sticks, fried fried fried. Pigs feet and octopus? Oh hell no. Strike those from the menu. Actually, I couldn't keep my hands off the beef strips, but still.
The beer selection? Not what I thought it was going to be. The soju was OK, but expensive in comparison to all the other places on the K-Town strip.
The ambience is like Korea trying to do a touristy Cheers replica. It reminded me of the Yokohama Hard Rock Cafe. A cute little joke, very much out of place and unnecessary.
After we finished dinner, we went to Pocha 32 for boo dae jjigae. Yeah. Ee cha!!!! (that's "second stop" in Korean) Maybe this is a normal thing for Koreans, to have many dinners (and I don't know where they put all that), but in that case, color me immersed in the culture. -
Review from Christina C.
Chicago, IL
8/26/2009
Baden Baden, where all Korean gluttons eat.
I love this place for its unpretentious atmosphere, good service and large portions of bar grub to go with your cold pitcher of Blue Moon.
4 girls. 1.5 hours. 1 pitcher of beer and a diet coke. 3 dishes. Here's the lowdown:
*Fried Chicken and Fries (Large Size)
This lightly fried bird sits on a white oval plate on top of a bed of roasted peppers, onions, and garlic cloves aside a pile of crispy potato fries. These fries are top notch and received the seal of approval from my roommate/friend/fry connoisseur, Sara. Salt and pepper are the only seasonings you'll find on these bad boys. The chicken comes out piping hot and if you consume it fast enough, you'll notice the juicy meat falling off the bone instantaneously and a swig of beer is the only thing that will prevent you from burning your tongue. Pop cubes of pickled radish in your mouth too while you're at it.
*Spicy Squid with Udon Noodles
Oh yeah, this totally brings me back to L.A. This tasty mixture of spicy squid, peppers, onions in a fiery red chili sauce is poured above a giant platter of thick white udon noodles. My one complaint is that the squid was overcooked and had a rubbery texture causing me to chew and chew and chew. The flavors are all there and I'm a sucker for anything mixed with fat udon noodles. I really love carbs....sigh.
*Kimchi and Pork with Fresh Tofu
This dish had so much potential but I found it pretty bland compared to the ones I've had in Koreatown. It only needed a spoonful of sugar and a dash of sesame oil to enhance the flavors of the fried kimchi and pork belly. The triangular shaped tofu was the redeeming factor that helped me to enjoy this dish a lot more. They were boiled perfectly to reach this soft, yet firm consistency that stayed on my chopsticks until consummation.
We ate until our hearts and stomachs were content and ended up killing all three platters of food. Gosh, we're such monsters.
The laid back vibe and the straightforward cooking in this place are characteristics that make this a gem in Koreatown. My advice: come with an empty stomach and in loose fitting clothes. Good company is also highly recommended.Listed in: my home away from home:…
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Review from Rashid M.
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wasn't a fan of the chicken. I've been to Bonchon, Mad for Chicken, and a few other Korean fried chicken spots, and this was nothing like it. More like a whole rotisserie chicken.
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Review from Ben K.
New York, NY
8/30/2010
Up a dirty stairwell off 32nd Street lies Baden Baden, a wood paneled second floor joint that feels more Irish pub than Korean restaurant. We were seated promptly and immediately placed an order for chicken - the reason we were here.
In the past few years Korean fried chicken has possibly usurped the banh mi as the latest Asian-American fad. Before that it was froyo; although the explosion of the soft serve treat is credited to Pinkberry, the store was actually a fashioned replica of Red Mango, a chain that originated in South Korea.
After checking out the rest of the menu we also placed an order for seafood ramen, which came out in minutes, piping hot and stinking like a fish market. The dried seaweed used in the soup was overwhelming and lacked flavor, it's crunchiness jarring and in grave opposition to the noodles and seafood that lie below. The thin angel hair noodles and tiny shrimp did not save the fishy broth, overall this soup was an utter fail.
The large plate of chicken arrived soon after we finished the soup, with a heaping side of onion rings - how authentic! Baden Baden calls this "rotisserie fried chicken" and while it did have a crunchy exterior and succulent inside, it was completely flavorless. For less than half the price I could have roasted a whole bird at home and seasoned it to my preference. The tiny drumsticks and wings that accompanied the butterflied chicken breast had little to no meat, and the skin was so crunchy to the bite, I nearly broke a tooth. The hot sauce set on the table tasted like watered down Frank's Red Hot.
My recommendation: Stay away from Baden Baden if you're looking for tasty, flavorful and well seasoned chicken. This place really has no saving merits, and I have no reason to ever step foot in there again. -
Review from Yvonne W.
New York, NY
8/1/2008
We went here last Sunday at the suggestion of my cousin, who apparently has tried every major Korean chicken place in New York (and I'm not just talking Manhattan -- ALL of New York). The difference between this place and say, Unidentified Flying Chicken or Bon Chon is that the chicken is roasted instead of fried. I guess you could say that makes it healthier, but is it just as good as the fabulous fried stuff?
A slightly frustrating thing about this place (and many other Korean places on this block) is that you need to look up around Ktown to find it -- you're not just going to pass by it and be like, oh wow, I want to try this place! It's on the side of Ktown with Citibank on the second floor.
The interior of this place is very relaxed and just resembles a big bar-type hang-out, but with cooler jazz music. When we were reviewing the menu, I was noticing how high all the prices were -- $50 for a fruit platter? Give me a break.
The only things that seemed reasonably priced were the roasted chicken combinations -- the two of us shared a whole roasted chicken, which comes with a side of "Korean" radish (I don't know why Korean restaurants call it Korean radish -- Chinese people eat/prepare the same thing...) and your choice of fries or onion rings. We got the fries, and all that cost about $22. So split in two, it isn't too much to spend per person for dinner.
The chicken's skin was really good -- well flavored, not too salty with a nice crunch. I'd say I really liked this chicken and thought that the leg and thigh pieces were moist, but the breast meat was too dry.
I could definitely see myself coming back here, but fried chicken rules over roasted (especially Unidentified Flying Chicken, my fried chicken lover). Sorry. -
Review from C A.
San Francisco, CA
6/2/2007
I would characterize this place as more of a bar/lounge than a restaurant. This is the type of place where you feel like drinking first, eating 2nd. My friends and I always used to come here during our college days to chill out and drink a few cocktails, eat some chicken, and chat about stuff.
They're best known for their rotisserie type chicken which I'm not sure why because I was never a huge fan of it. I always found it too dry, but my friends seemed to love it. I prefered the tonkkatsu or the spicy noodle dish (I forget what it's called). I remember that it used to be really hard to get a table during dinner to midnight at this place, but it seems to be a little more slower these days (well, at least the last time I went there) and I've noticed it seems like more of an older crowd too.Listed in: Navigating around K-town
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Review from Gina K.
4/21/2009
Never been up here before, even though I practically live in Ktown. Finally, my friends and I decided to come here on a Thursday night before hitting our usual happy hour places (Third Floor, sometimes Maru). The place was definitely not what I was expecting. It had a very cozy feel to it and the decor is just different from all of the restaurants in Ktown.
We ordered the chicken and fries combo. Both were really good. Would recommend it for sure. The waiter could have been more attentive, but I think he was just giving us space, unlike those annoying waiters who ask you every two seconds if everything is okay.
We sat by the window and it was nice to look down on the street to the masses of Koreans just walking by.
I would definitely recommend this place. -
Review from Nicole E.
Brooklyn, NY
10/6/2010
First of all, spent a couple minutes trying to find this place. Now I'm in k-town ALL THE TIME so you figure I should be able to find my way around, but this was the first time at the place and there was no sign! I had to go on yelp to find out the actual street number address. +1
The interior is actually pretty nice and a chill place to bring a casual date or friend. The waiter was really nice.
The food. Well.
I'm sorry. It just wasn't that good. The white meat was a little dry and the only redeeming factor was the skin (the best part!) but even that tasted mediocre. I wanted this chicken to rock my world. And it failed.
Oh, what's with the radishes? Not that I'm complaining, because it added a nice little tang, but is that a normal Korean thing? -
Review from Jase E.
New York, NY
2/20/2009
Oh My God, I LOVE this place! Even though it's a bit small and can be tricky to find - it's on the second floor of a nondescript entry way.
Famous for their fried chicken - batter-less, crispy-skinned pieces of heaven. Finger-licking good, especially dipped in ketchup and hot sauce. Goes great with french fries and cold beer.
There's also a smattering of other dishes which are good: hot wings, fried calamari, onion rings; but nothing compares to the chicken.
Can you believe they ran out of chicken the last time I went there?! I HATE this place!!
Service was nice and prompt.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Natalia J.
New York, NY
2/17/2008
Standard hof. Spent about two hours eating good fried chicken/fries, drinking from pitchers of (yuck) Coors Light, and just cheelin with friends.
It's too bright in there. -
Review from Jessica F.
New York, NY
6/9/2007
I did not get this place AT ALL.
I am a 32nd Street regular, but I had not been here before. YES, it was the NY Times article (Peter reads it, I hate the paper) that made him suggest it when I was craving Korean food. I was dubious.
You have to travel a TINY elevator that can't possibly be up to code given the capacity in the bar (it's a bar, not a restaurant, and don't let anyone tell you different) to a crowded, loud, narrow place with a limited menu and a limited bar menu. This is definitely a place to come when you know exactly what you want. Peter ordered the fried chicken, and I ordered the spicy octopus. Big mistake.
The portions are enormous, and the service was brisk and efficient, but the chicken was dry and flavorless. The fries were limp. My octopus was tasty at the time, but I was laid flat for two days with food poisoning the next morning. Considering I eat octopus and Korean food all the time, I can't imagine what else it was. It was ghastly.
OK, we were there once and other people are raving about it, so what can I tell you--it seems it's hit or miss there, but after the two days I spent getting super well acquainted with the marble patterns on my bathroom floor, I don't think we'll be back. -
Review from William L.
South San Francisco, CA
10/7/2007
Like most other reviewers, I was lured here by the $25 and Under article in the Times. (Difference is I came all the way from SF to satisfy my curiosity!) Came twice earlier this year. The first visit was at 12:30 on a Friday night. The place was 3/4 full, and most customers were in large groups. My brother and I, who had just bopped our heads like nobody's business at a concert at Irving Plaza, were jonesing to replenish protein in the form of rotisserie chicken. Unfortunately, our waiter informed us the chicken was sold out. We settled for buffalo wings. These wings were more sour than spicy, a little too vinegary for my taste.
We wondered what we were missing that night. A while after we sat down, a Caucausian couple entered. We saw their waiter mouth the out-of-chicken apology. Immediately, the man ushered his companion out the door. "Must be damn good chicken," I observed. The big parties around us rollicked, lubricated by pitchers of beer, plates of seafood and bowls of noodle soup.
I returned with my brother and his friend a couple of days later for happy hour. This time we were not denied. We ordered one plate of the rotisserie. Boy, was it worth the wait. The meat was juicy and the crispy, well seasoned skin exploded in my mouth. The $20 plate fed the three of us handily.
This place attracts a mixed crowd, likely due to its huge reputation. In spite of its location, you're more likely to hear English than Korean spoken at Baden Baden. -
Review from Daniel L.
San Francisco, CA
7/7/2008
This is actually one of my favorite places for chicken in NYC, forget Bon Chon, UFC, and Kyo-Chon. It's a little hard to find being on the 2nd floor with elevator or stair access. You just need to make sure you go into the right hallway. Look for Forte restaraunt if you're confused.
The place is reminiscent of a small bar and very dimly lit with loud KPop playing in the background. If you've come for drinks, it's one of the cheapest I found on the KTown strip. It has this underground, dirty look. But I think it's the chicken that makes it worth repeating.
The large order is a little under 20 and comes with a side of french fries, onion rings, or veggies. The small is a few dollars less. This chicken is usually cooked perfectly (no one is perfect). It's still moist and has a light, crispy outerskin like from a rotisserie. It is not greasy or leaves you with this oily/bloated feeling. The fries are great as well and are also very crispy and not oily.
Other dishes I've tried are the spicy rice cakes and sweet/sour beef. Stay away from those. Although they taste ok, It is way overpriced for what you are getting. The sweet/sour beef is way too sweet probably due to the excess amount of fruits in the dish ( strawberries, pienapples, oranges ... ). -
Review from Wing L.
12/4/2009 2 photos
My friend and I were hungry one day . We were near Koreatown at 32nd st and couldn't decide what to it. He suddenly remembered a place his Korean friends took him to two years back. He yelped it (thanks yelp) and figured out where it was.
It was on the second floor of a building and there was no sign, posters, menu, or advertisement indicating that it was even in the building. Guess it's all word of mouth. Secret handshakes and all that jazz to figure out where it is. We walked into a non-Discript hallway, got on a small elevator and pressed second floor and the next thing we know, we were in a bar / restaurant. Felt a little like we were avoiding the cops to get some drugs.
We sat down and since it was my first time here I asked for their signature dish which was the "Tong-Dak," a rotisserie-fried chicken. It comes as a half chicken or full chicken. Not knowing how big it was, assuming that it was a small chicken like most places serving whole chickens(I'm especially looking at you Boston Market), being very hungry, we ordered the whole chicken with the onion rings instead of fries. As a side dish we ordered the hot wings.
When the chicken came, we realized how big it was and that even for two starving people, a half chicken should be enough. I know. I could have simply asked but being a hungry idiot, and being a guy, I didn't bother. At least I know I was getting my money's worth.
The chicken have a very nice crispy skin and the meat is juicy and tender. It was well seasoned. The only condiment it comes with was ketchup and hot sauce. If this was the only thing I ate I might have given the place 4 stars.
The accompanying onion rings was good. Passable but not outstanding. It has a nicely fried crust that I like.
The hot wings. It was on the spicy side which to me was a good thing but that is the best thing about it.. Sadly, I didn't think that their version was up to par with the likes of dedicated Korean friend chicken places like Bon Chon and Kyochon. The version here is more dry. Don't get me wrong, it's good but I know how great Korean fried chicken could be. I like mine more moist with sticky sauce like the other versions.
By the end we were all chickened out and I had to take home a quarter of the rotisserie chicken. I think next time we should ask for some Korean noodles or soups on the side instead of a chicken dish accompanied by another chicken dish. Heard some good things about them, especially how spicy some of them could be. Maybe then I might re review and up it a star. For now it's more of a 3.5.
The service is great here. We just got water and the waiter constantly pass by to refill our glasses. My friend asked for a refill of the free accompanying pickled radish and they quickly obliged.
This place seems very popular with the non Korean crowd. There was a few Koreans there but throughout our dinner at night, more and more people that are obviously not Koreans start coming in. The staff politely served everybody no matter how loud the groups got (and some of them became pretty loud, but in a fun happy way). No one would feel out of place here even though it's in the middle of Korean town. -
Review from James M.
Los Angeles, CA
7/23/2007
Baden Baden is like the Korean Cheers. No the food is not "the best" nor is the beer selection. But after a while, everyone will indeed "know your name." It's basically a Korean hof.
I do like the ttong dahlk (fried chicken) and the moo (radish side dish). But this was my joint to hang out and have some chicken and beer after work with friends.
It's not fancy or glamorous, but it's comfy, you know what to expect, and the seat by the window is nice on a warm dry day. -
Review from Sebastian S.
New York, NY
11/3/2009 1 photo
I often walk on 32nd street between Broadway and Fifth avenue on my way to work or on my way back home. I don't think there is any other block in Midtown that will make your mouth water, this block is full of great restaurants; mainly Korean BBQ places but also some restaurants showing hints of flavors from Japan and China.
Last time when I was getting my frozen yogurt from Red Mango, I overheard few people talking about this amazing chicken they had at the Baden Baden or BBNY for short. When I looked across the street I noticed a restaurant on the second floor with the BBNY writing. That was few months ago, somehow didn't get the chance to go try this place up until this week. When you work late you really don't want to deal with cooking, cleaning, etc. You just want to sit down with a cold beer and wait until your food is brought front of you, ready to enjoy. I thought why not try the BBNY.
BBNY is on the second floor of the 28 West 32nd street. You can see the BBNY writing on the face of the building when you look up. Take the stairs to the second floor and you'll be welcomed into a decent size seating area and long bar. When we got there around 8 pm, most of the tables were already taken but there were still three tables available. Believe me if I tell you that the drink menu was way longer than the food menu. There are pages of pages of beer, wine, cocktails, martinis, soju, etc. We sat down, ordered two OB Lagers, a large Baden Baden Chicken which is their special ity and the Buffalo Hot Wings ( They are"Uber-Hot" so be warned!).
I think this write up from NYMag describes their chicken the best:
"Korean-style fried chicken is cooked in a rotisserie to an exquisite tenderness, let to cool slightly, and then deep-fried, giving it a perfect combination of yielding moistness and crisp, garlicky exterior. "
For two people large chicken was more than enough. It is served with option of fries or onion rings. We went with the fried but next time we'll definitely try the onion rings. Also it comes with a small bowl of pickled daikon and a whole roasted garlic (watch out for this one...). We already decided what to order next; of course we would want that delicious BB chicken again but here are some other dishes worth a try: Spicy Octopus or Squid, Chopped Steak and Spicy Clams. There are also other tasty dishes on the menu so I suggest you should take a look at the menu and make up your mind.
Great place to enjoy a variety of domestic or import beer and an amazing chicken special. -
Review from Phannie P.
South Padre Island, TX
5/1/2009
Baden Baden was so hard to find, I now call it 'Baden BinLaden'
For any non-Korean person, good luck finding this joint - especially if you're looking for "Baden Baden". There's no such sign - it's almost as if it's this exclusive, in-the-know bar that only ppl with chicken and fries on their mind can find.
So I stood on the street below, looking right and left for anything to clue me into BadenBaden. All I saw was "BBNY" and "Forte" and "Fake Eyelashes" and "Karaoke" and...well, at this point all the signs whirl around me in a blur.
I finally decide to venture towards the brightly-lit hallway towards the staircase to the 2nd floor. Then suddenly I'm in a sports bar full of people shoving drumsticks into their mouths, with the smell of fried food, soju, and beer filling my nostrils.
My friends and I ordered the famed rotiserrie chicken with fries (that supposedly came with "sauteed vegetables"), a 640 bottle of Hite, and the Lychee Soju.
- Chicken: crispy skin (awesome) + dry meat (not cool.)
- Fries: pretty good
- "Sauteed vegetables": non-existent, save a couple pieces of oily onions and mushy (but tasty) garlic cloves - oh yea - and 1 piece of bell pepper.
- Pickled Radish: yum!
- Hite: always refreshing
- Soju: bleh - like drinking overly sweetened lychee juice from the can.
So...yea. I wasn't impressed with much here. The fries and the radish were good. Service wasn't bad though, I give them that. It could be fun with a large group of friends to drink and watch the games. But don't come here specifically for the food. Not worth the $$.
ByeBye BadenBinLaden. I don't plan on searching for you anytime soon. -
Review from Stella D.
Woodside, NY
1/21/2009
REALLY GOOD FRIED CHICKEN, REALLY GOOD FRENCH FRIES and ICE COLD ASAHI. i almost cried at how GOOD this chicken is.
i love how the place has an odd entrance. it felt like a mafia safehouse of some sort.
i told my boss and his wife to go.Listed in: Top Restaurants
-
Review from Michael L.
New York, NY
2/24/2007
I think I may be the only voice of dissent so far, but I thought the chicken here was thoroughly mediocre. The place is a decently furnished bar, with some tables.
Chicken was dry and unimpressive, I didn't like it at all. Everyone in the whole place seemed to be eating it. The fries it comes with are pretty good, however.
People are going to make a lot of comparisons with BonChon, but the chicken is totally different at the two places. BonChon is a lot more like fried chicken, while Forte/BBNY is a lot more like rotisserie chicken. If I was forced to make the comparison, I'd say the only thing I like better about Forte is that the chicken comes with fries and you get bigger portions.
For people who want to try this type of rotisserie fried chicken done right, I highly recommend Han Sol Nutrition Center in Flushing. That's a place that does prepare chicken in the same rotisserie style as this place, only they do it right. -
Review from emcee b.
Brooklyn, NY
6/15/2007
This much-hyped fried chicken dive in the heart of Koreatown is all that and a bag of chips, fries in this case, which rival some of city's top pommes frites on the important crunch scale. But Baden Baden is known for the chicken, served in both regular and large portions--stick with the bigger $18.95 plate and split it two ways, three if you dare to order extra dishes like the inexplicable Mexican Salad (mixed apple, ham, raisin, boiled egg white and cucumber, all mixed together with mayo).
The chicken is both moist (from the rotisserie) and crunchy (from the deep fry) and is served with the legs/wings off and quartered--the perfect prep for dipping chunks into the house hot sauce (a striking resemblance to Frank's RedHot which is a good call). Wash it all down with pitchers of Bud Light (or a Lychee Soju punch) while top-40 hip hop blasts through the room, which resembles a Harford T.G.I. Friday's (beer posters and neon sign galore), less the heavy-set white people of course. -
Review from Steve A.
Irvine, CA
12/28/2007 1 photo
Four stars. A strong four stars. Though I've only eaten here once, it really hit the spot. The place is open until 4am on weekends, so it was a nice post-drinking meal. This dish is Korean during-drinking food (anju), but can be fully enjoyed sober, drunk, or in the process of getting drunk.
I read an article online from the NY Times recommending this place. In a drunken stupor, I stumbled into this place with one of my friends. I promptly ordered the fried chicken with the fries (get the fries, don't care what else they offer). The chicken was flavorful and the skin oh so tasty. I did think the white meat was dry, but I'm more a dark meat kind of fella. But back to the skin. I've had Korean fried chicken before (tong ddak), but usually the skin is super crispy to the point where it rips the roof of my mouth, or greasy where I can't eat it all. This chicken skin had a nice crisp consistency, and wasn't overly soaked in grease. Fantastic. It's definitely on the list of revisits when I'm next in the area. -
Review from Alex T.
Quincy, MA
8/11/2008
Baden Baden is money. You have to find it. I don't see how someone without Korean friends in NY/NJ would ever just happen to come across this place. There are no signs and the hallway where the elevator is sketchy. Don't wait for the elevator. It's only one floor up so take the stairs.
Everytime I'm here, I'm already like sloppy drunk but somehow we would always order some more alchohol here (beer & soju). Of course, Baden x2 is famous for their fried chicken and rightfully so. I dare say that their fried chicken is the best food to eat after drinking ... EVER! Its just a tasty half a chicken (white meat) with peppers, onions, garlic, and fries. Very simple but excellent formula. I also enjoy their staple Korean dishes here like bulgolgi, noodles, etc. which are all excellent here. The fact that they still serve such quality food at 3 am makes this place money. Prices are fair too. Overall, you just can't beat this place with a stick in terms of late night/early morning KTown dining.
