On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
I am Korean and i have to say that this is my favorite Korean restaurant in the NY/NJ area. Of course, nothing compares to my mother's cooking but the BBQ is yum and the "free" side dishes are better and more plentiful than most.
The line is crazy and you will leave smelling like bbq. But if you're craving Korean, it's worth it.
What a nightmare! We were looking forward to some yummy Korean food but never got to try it. Short version of the story: SERVICE IS A HORRENDOUS MESS.
From the minute we sat down, we were rushed into ordering - we needed some time to review the menu but the waitress was relentless. Then, when we didn't order enough meat (according to her), she suggested that we order more. She reminded us that each plate of meat is for one person (I *hate* when you're bullied into ordering more - but we didn't in this case). Plus, one order of kalbi is a whopping $27! Shouldn't service be a little better? Then, we were told that if we didn't order more meat or at least a soup (in addition to the existing 3 dishes we had ordered), we'd have to move. UGH.
At that point, we decided to leave. It simply wasn't worth the hassle of rude service. Why spend a butt-load of money at a place that doesn't put some care into customer service?
Came here for lunch. I got the tofu soup, which I thought was okay, but not better than what I can get at So Kong Dong in Fort Lee. However, the people I was eating with thought it was really good, and given that they eat this stuff more often than I, I guess I'll defer to them.
Their galbi tang is pretty good too, as is their japchae. The service is decent. The only weird thing about this place is on the outside. Palisades Park is eerily quiet on Sunday afternoons.
So Moon Nan Jip is one of the (much) better restaurants in this part of Jersey. I had the dduk mandoo gook (rice cake and dumpling soup) and the portion is very, very large and they season the soup perfectly. In terms of taste, this is a relatively subtle soup dish, but when it's done just right, it is sooo delicious. I was very satisfied with how good So Moon Nan Jip's dduk mandoo gook was. The soup broth was very soothing and the dumplings were very good and meaty and the consistency of the rice cake was just right.
I've also had their maeoon galbitang (spicy short rib stew) and it is delicious! I'd say this is one of their more popular specialties. The soup has a very deep and rich taste to it, and the spiciness is just perfect. The meat was so tender and falling off the bones. The portion is also large and be warned, this is a pretty heavy dish with a lot of meat and fat in it. Nonetheless, it's perfect to chow down on after a long night of drinking.
Damn there are too many people saying great things about this place! Well I hate to admit it, but they are right. This is why I always have to wait for a table here... but it is SO worth it. Every time I have eaten here my meal has been nothing short of stellar. We consistently order the seafood pancake, kalbi, and then try to mix it up with a few other things. One or two less entrees than the number of people eating is still always more food than you need when dining with 5 or so people. I couldn't possibly order less than 3 entrees though, no matter how few people are with me, because it's just too hard to decide. The banchan (or kimchi as some refer to it - little side dishes) are yum and plentiful.
If this place was close to home, I'd eat here at least once a week. As it is, I usually make this a required stop every time we are in NJ to visit my sister.
Recently, my girlfriend has grown a furious addiction to Korean BBQ, galbi in particular. The banchan (side dishes) are decent. I highly recommend to come at dinner time because they serve complimentary dishes often. I prefer samgyupsal (pork belly) more but I have never eaten it here. Galbi is pretty good, one of the best I've had. However, there is a noticeable difference in the amount of galbi they have served us over the years which makes me reluctant to come considering the price.
I also highly suggest that you ask them to grill the bones in the back. I love to eat them and if you have a dog, it is a real treat for them! Beware though, once you give them that bone that dog might turn demonic on you and growl like you've never heard before!
Absolutely DELICIOUS KALBI, omg...the pork belly wasn't too bad either but the Kalbi was on point! The banchan was quite limited but there was plenty of food to go around. I'd have to say that the seafood pancake was the best I ever tasted, MMMMMMmmm. The jop chae was the best I ever tasted as well :)
The wait time was very quick 15 min wait on a Sunday night. I thought the waitstaff was quick and attentive - they actually cook your food so make sure you call them over if you're ready for round 2.
Ok, I'm drooling now...I wanna go back soon :)
So Moon Nan Jip is one of the best Korean BBQ restaurants in the area. While the food is good, the prices burned a hole in my wallet the last time I came. I was here for lunch and for two servings of kalbi and seafood stew, the bill came out to $75+ for 3!
Korean BBQ here is flavorful and good because you can cook the meat to your own perfection and the grease drips down into the fiery coals, making it a very high protein meal. In addition, the coals are changed very frequently, but one thing I really dislike is how the waitresses hover around you. They really want you to wolf down your food and leave asap. No time to relax over good conversation. Banchan (side dishes) are plentiful and refills are provided free of charge. The place is a mad bustle and it's a great place to come with friends, but not with family.
I eat Korean food 3 times a week. I went here with my girlfriend, and we both loved the food here. She had a Kalbi-Tang, and I had a Yuke-Jung. I liked her Kalbi-Tang soup better than mine. I will try it here again, when I am near by. Highly recommended.
All around great Korean food. While the meat here wasn't quite up the level of my favorite Madangsui, it was still pretty damn good. The pajan (Korean pancake) was the best I've had before.
Kimchi was pretty mediocre though.
When I got there... it was packed on a Wednesday night at like 7:30pm... I waited about 15 minutes for a table..but no problem...
I would have to agree that the food is pretty good. I didn't really get to try the kalbi and bulgogi but definitely looked great! I ate bosam and kimchi jigae with some soju...
The banchan was pretty good... especially the egg stew and korean pancakes...
A little bit pricey but the feeling of being in Korea felt good...
So Moon Nan Jip is my favorite Northern NJ Korean BBQ restaurant.
The pork BBQ was good. Unlike many places, this place has grills installed at the tables and uses real coals, so you can cook your own tasty Korean BBQ.
For the best Korean restaurants in the NYC area, try Flushing, Queens.
I think this place gets great reviews.. And tho, I found it to be very good, I find a lot of places to be very good.. There was nothing really that distinguishes this place.. No tricky or scary sounding hot pots where body parts like "Bungus" or various entrails are listed.. Looks like the offerings are simple and prepared well.. The staff was friendly, they use real charcoal, the banchans were good, everything was very good... A solid place that if was close to me, I would go often..
Got the Kalbi, the pork belly, and a cold buckwheat noodle dish everything was very good.. If you are in the hood check this place out..
I attached some photos.
My new favorite Korean restaurant in NJ! I really liked the seafood pancake. The kalbi and bulgogi were tender and flavorful. I also liked the small scallions that come with the meat. I think it's the first Korean BBQ joint that I've been to that has them. Don't be thrown off by the brown colored water. I think it's wheat tea but I find it funny that the wait staff refers to it as water when they ask you if you want a refill.
My sister and brother in-law told me this place served the best Korean food in all of New Jersey. Now, that's hard for me to gauge how good that is being from California. Having dined out with my sister on many occasions before, I know I could trust her opinions when it comes to food. And this place certainly did not disappoint.
So Moon Nan Jip serves a variety of outstanding Korean dishes. They even have a sushi bar which I didn't try.
I didn't care for their maeuntang (spicy fish stew) too much and their ban chan was good but nothing special. However, their gui (grilled dishes) like galbi and gobchang gui (bacon) were outstanding and the mul naengmyeon (cold noodles) was excellent. And they gave us free haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), which was excellent, compliments on the house.
The dishes are all quality and you get big portions too. I was stuffed after trying everything and had to force myself to keep eating because the food was so good and it's not everyday that I get treated out like this. My family there in Jersey are regulars here and I could see why.
This place is certainly LA worthy and ranks right up there with the best places I tried anywhere. I might have had some better individual dishes in Los Angeles but I have my roots here in California, so I have my biases. The BBQ was definitely very tasty and I loved the mul naengmyeon.
I'd give them five stars for the number of tasty dishes they serve here and because I think overall, they have a greater variety of excellent dishes than most others I've tried in LA. Many places really just specialize in one area (i.e., BBQ, noodles, soup).
I'll just let the fish stew just kind of slide by, not that it was bad or anything.
This is where my true love affair with Kalbi & Korean BBQ began.
My ex bf and I would drive 2 hours and come up here - any weekend we had the chance to - to eat here.
The food is ridaunkulous.
My favorite Korean BBQ in the east coast.
The crowd back in the day = mostly older Korean gents getting their kalbi on & families. My ex and I were the youngest patrons there it seemed. I'm sure you will find every age up in there now - this place lives up to its name.
fyi
(So Moon Nan Jip = Loose translation is The place people talk about)
So Moon = Rumor
Nan = Made
Jip = House
I've eaten here twice, and both times left very satisfied. The Kalbi beef is phenomenal. Great marinade, tender, melt in your mouth short ribs. I mean....yum. The side dishes were different each time - my favorites were the kimchi of course, sauteed broccolini (or something similar), some kind of mackeral (delicious), and other tasty sides (which by the way, are all FREE - which is what i truly love about Korean food - all those tasty sideplates, amazing flavors). Very attentive service, adventurous food, all for $13. The best bargain out there. There is no need to try any other Korean joint in the Pal Park/Leonia area - this place is tops.
I have to tell ya, having lived in Southern California for most of my life, I've become one of those Californians who think CA is the best in all aspects. This includes Korean food. I think SoCal has better Korean food than Korea. Really.
However, dining out in Palisades Park has made me start to believe that maybe there are places outside of CA that have decent Korean food. So Moon Nan Jip is one of those places.
We had a large party, 12 adults and a baby, but the staff was very accommodating, reserving a table for us even though they usually don't take reservations on the weekend. Service was fast, very efficient, and very courteous. A combination that's sort of hard to find in Korean restaurants a lot of times.
The restaurant buys their meat from a Korean butcher shop down the street and I was told the butcher there is related to the owner of So Moon Nan Jip and that's the reason their meat is so good. The Kalbi is melt in your mouth tender and marinated to perfection. Their Samgyupssal (pork belly) is thick and meaty. Our server grilled it up to perfection for us. The fat crisp and crackling, the meat still juicy. The kimchi jjigae (Kimchi Stew) was boiling hot, spicy (but not overwhelmingly so), and very savory due to the chunks of pork ribs in it. The Daegoo Maeoontang (Spicy Cod Soup) was delicious. The soup was spicy but refreshing at the same time. There were huge chunks of cod as well as lots of shellfish. The dwenjang jjigae (fermented bean stew) and grilled mackerel combo is also a pretty good deal, both in taste and price.
They do have sushi and sashimi here but I haven't tasted it. But from the looks of the huge platters at many of the other tables, the fish looked fresh and well presented.
The restaurant can get really busy and you have to be careful walking around because servers are always carrying around huge trays of food and containers of hot coal for the grill. I saw a waitress trip over a customer's foot and drop a bowl of Mool Naengmyun (noodles in an icy broth) all over her. That customer was not very happy.
This place has valet parking and its own parking lot which is nice since parking around here can be a b*tch.
( ^________^ )
A Korean BBQ place that uses wood charcoal instead of gas?! Oh my, I'm in heaven...
The taste of the Korean BBQ using wood instead of gas takes the flavor of the meat to a euphoric level. It makes the meat taste sweet and smoky w/ no hint of propane. Their service is great too... all the wait staff constantly attends to you by bringing you lots of delicious ban chan, filling your glass w/ hot tea, roasting the meat, and changing the grate of your grill. Oh and their haemul pajeon (seafood pancake) was delicious! The batter they used made the pancake taste light... I loved it.
The only down side of this place is that I wish the prices were lower but I don't believe it's any more expensive than any other Korean bbq place and if it is, the flavor factor from the wood charcoal makes me feel like the extra couple of bucks is worth it.
(it's really 2.5 stars)
i came here for kalbi couple years ago for my bday, and yes, their kalbi is as good as everyone says. however, i went here again couple week ago i realized that this place is good, but NOT THAT GOOD....and i have a very good explanation for this:
of course it was super-packed because it was a saturday evening during dinner time and because it was just my girlfriend and me, we decided to order bo ssam (pork dish that comes with cabbage, raw oysters and kimchi type banchan) and an order of bibimbap.
the only reason why we ordered the bo ssam was because while we were waiting in line, another table ordered it and the way the people were eating it made it look so delicious. when we finally got ours, the pork was cold. obviously they made a bunch earlier in the evening and just served us the leftovers. but considering how famished i was that day, i still chomped on everything -- including those raw oysters...that my friend stayed away from.
to make a long review short, the way they handle their food is probably not the most sanitary or hygienic -- especially those oysters -- which is probably the reason why i felt like crap, started to feel dizzy, utimately leading me to yak up all the food couple hours later.
stick to kalbi or samgyupsal or anything that requires grilling your own meat at your own table. this ensures killling off all the bacteria and unsafe food preparations.
I wish we had this restaurant in the Bay Area. Awesome flavored BBQ with fresh meat and seafood grilled over wood charcoal. It just give a unique flavor unmatched by gas grill.
One of the best seafood pancakes we had! fresh, soft, tasty.
Jigae are delicious. Eventhough none of us speak korean, the staff is still very welcoming. Thank you Jinkoo for introducing us to this place. We're sad that we don't live in NJ to enjoy this food all the time.
Yes, this is far for me (Jersey) but they have really good galbi. It melts in your mouth.
They give you extremely small portions. We had to get 5 orders for 3 people.
I grew up in SoCal and even though I think SoCal has the best overall Korean food in the USA, So Moon Nan Jip has the best Korean food in north Jersey.
They have a big menu with all the standard Korean fare that you would expect from a decent Korean joint. I was very very satisfied.
This is my favorite Korean BBQ place in NJ, until I find a better one. ;)
the best korean barbeque place in palisades park (korean town).
It is packed but their service is fast and prompt. the wait
staff is friendly.
great. i won't bother writing a long review because plenty of other people already have. very busy, even for a monday night.
Two years ago I would have given this joint five stars. But lately there have been small signs that the success has gone to the heads of those who run this Jip. Prices have crept up, and the side dish spread is not quite as plentiful as I remember.
That said, the food here is quite good. I have never barbecued here, but their hot pot selections (chigue) are solid, and their spicy pork sizzling plate thing, with little slices of rice cake all up in its business, is pretty awesome. The side dish spread, even if it does not live up to my memory, is still more than satisfactory.
Atmosphere is hectic and loud at peak hours, and there can be some pressure to clear the table if there is a line at the door. Dudes hustle through the tight spaces with red-hot tins of burning charcoal. In short, an "authentic" Korean dining experience.
This place has made its way into our regular rotation. I seem to crave ethnic joints where I am in the ethnic minority. The meal starts with a seafood pancake, maybe some Jap Chae and/or dumplings followed by some sushi or hae dop bop. But the Kalbi grilled at the table over hot charcoal is the center for it all. If you seek fine dining there are better choices. But if you want some Korean comfort food anytime up to 2am, pop on in for some frenzied but somehow orderly (and always appreciative) service.
I have had been introduced to Korean food many years ago and visited most of the Korean restaurants in the Northern New Jersey area. This is absolutely the best. The prices and portions are the most reasonable and the food is absolutely the freshest. 90 percent of the customers are Korean which tells me that the place is absolutely authentic. The Korean Barbecue is a fun night out. Very Social.We were a party of 12 and 4 of us had never eaten Korean food before. We called for a reservation and they answered around noon you could hear a busy background of patrons. She said they are too busy in the evening and they don't take reservations. I said we are twelve and she asked me for my last name and phone number and said OK see you at 7:00 pm. There is parking on the street with meters (.25 per hour). Oh, By the way, No U turns!!! A traffic police person gave me a break because after I dropped off my guests there is a municipal lot a block back if the street is full and I made an illegal U turn.
There was a line when we walked in. This place is always crowded however they seated us immediately. We were brought to a side room which accommodates bigger parties which was a bit crowded and snug but not claustrophobic. They use real wood coal here to heat your table top barbeque's which makes all the difference in the world. To go full blast and order whatever you want and eat and drink to your heart's content it will cost you 40.00 per person including tip.
That's with OB Korean Beer which is similar in taste to Coors Light and a bunch of diet cokes too....
Speaking of Diet cokes most all the food is healthy and low fat, low carbs.... I was on a diet kick a few years ago so whenever I would dine out I would only eat heavy at Korean restaurants. It worked....
Part of the tradition is that once you order they bring around unlimited dishes of cold appetizers ranging from Steamed egg , seasoned vegetable and fish dishes to something called Kimchee that is a delicious spicy cabbage which I like to eat with the steamed egg. It reminds me of eating scrambled eggs with a little Tabasco sauce....
Andrew, Lauren and Bob started with a shared portion of Spicy Tuna Roll from their full blown fresh sushi bar.
We had Korean Barbecue which includes the grills with wood charcoal on the table. 4 orders of Galbie (Beef with a nice seasoned flavor, Dak Goy (boneless Chicken cut up into bite size pieces and the shrimp version of that as well(I just said the shrimp dish for barbecue) as well as Chicken Teriyaki , Chop Cheh (Clear glass noodles with seasoning and some hints of beef )and Jay You Boe Kum (Spicy Pork and vegetables) These are all hot dishes that are absolutely delicious and everyone will eat. Barbara does not like spicy or fish at all so she went with the white rice, Chicken Teriyaki , Dak Goy, Galbie and her favorites was the Chop Cheh. By the way we initially ordered and then as you see the flow of food diminish you can order more so at the end of the first wave we ordered another Chop Cheh making it 3 and the Shrimp for the barbecue. This place is like an ant farm every staff member is nonstop moving back and forth clearing and serving, changing plates, changing grills and replacing hot coals.
There is a slight hint of white ashes that fly around sometimes from the barbecue which adds to the atmosphere. There is something in the water that makes it a slight off color and things in it they said something about barley. It's their version for lemons in the water. It's fine and tastes great.
Anna was our main server. She was attentive, kind and courteous.. Anna even let us out the VIP entrance at the end...
Everything was great. All of us enjoyed (Even Bill). At the end of our meal they served oranges to us and then we headed back to my house where we had fresh Dunkin Doughnuts, Baskin Robbins ice cream and Entenmanns cakes with coffee and milk until 2:am.
this is the illest korean bbq spot in dirty jersey. i lived in harlem for two years and trekked over just to eat at this restaurant. the food is pretty much how the other yelpers described it, comparable to LA bbq. But they don't serve those sheets of duk with the kalbi. (i loveeee that duk and sweet radish.) the only complaint i have bout SOMOONANJIP is the prices are high (but it's high at Mandansui too), and those ajuhmahs be makin' you eat so fast to kick you out, and let the next customer take your table. i know ajuhmah gotta make that chedda...but if you're gonna drop like $80 on dinner for 2..at least let a sista breath in between her bites.
right when you sit down they bring you like 10 panchan dishes, and before you even mention bbq.....the mexican dude is already bringing hot coals to your table. The waitresses start cooking your beef before they even bring you water or rice, and by the time you take your first bite of rice...she's already flippin the beef over. Dayam...and before you even sip the jigae....the beefs all cooked, and they cover up the grill and leave all your beef on a plastic plate. i swear they bring you the check before you even put your chopsticks down. Slow your rolls ajuhmah.
regardless...i still love this restaurant cuz the food is delicious.
ok i still rank this second in comparison to san soo gap sen in flushing, ny because of the banchan.
must not have ordered the right things considering its a seafood based korean restaurant... regardless great place to go after snowboarding!
- the soondoboo jigae was very flavorful!
- some zuchinee jigae was pretty good too!
- eel melts in your mouth!
- banchan was good but not as plentiful as san soo gap san. the radish cakes were new and tasted like the pancake u usually order. the potato/pasta salad was refreshing, bamboo thingy was good, steamed egg always good
- kalbi was much better the second time around... great flavor be sure to cook it urself or else it will overcook. ask for the bones to be cooked if u like them chewy parts... comes with sweet onions... red rice available if asked...
- pork grilled was wayy too dry and overcooked
- mushrooms grilled with sauce pretty good though (don't spill it!)
- scallion panchan kinda too doughy
- mandoo soup was alright
interested in trying other restaurants in that area... actually pretty good deal for the amount of kalbi that we ordered... try to sit in the main room not the side room... they give u better service!
You can't go wrong with this place. The staff is super friendly. I left my sunglasses on the table and they had it the next day. This place has been around for forever.
Best place for Korean fish soup. Really spicy. The place is small, smokey and quite busy. Not a relaxing place to eat but great food. Kalbi is well flavored (a little expensive) but very good. You can also order some of their fish dishes in advance for pick-up. Great way to add a special dish when entertaining at home!
This is my favorite Korean place in the tri-state area, and I have been to them all. My most delicious fantasies have been realized many times at this establishment. Though in recent times I have seen the "freebies" diminish to some degree, but in this economy I am not surprised. The barbeque that they serve is very traditional and is served in a similar fashion to what you would get in Korea. It makes my mouth water just thinking about. Trust me when I say it is divine. The sushi is also surprisingly good and the rest of the menu ranges from good to exceptional depending on the dynamics of the day I suppose. The staff is nice, but not too nice. Though they do have some incredible waitresses there. I can't think of many things I would rather do than go there with a buddy of mine and eat ourselves into oblivion. With a few bottles of hot sake and some funny stories, this place just rocks. Keep in mind it is usually very busy and they will rush you to some degree, or so it feels this way. And despite the decor this is not a cheap place to go eat. But you do get what you pay for here though you can get meals during lunch for a reasonable sum. But if you are there to gorge, expect to pay for it....
they have the best al jjigae(spicy pollack roe stew)!!!!
this is one of my favorite korean restaurants - great service and a variety of great food. it's hard to order something poorly made at so moon nan jip. their prices have gone up, but i'm not going to begrudge them for it; it's still a better deal than korean restaurants in manhattan.
my first korean gf introduced me to this slice of heaven and even though we broke up i am so thankful that she brought me here as well as other korean destinations. the place is ALWAYS packed which obviously is a good sign with sooooo many restaurants on the avenue. the bbq is awesome as well as their spicy pork. god im so not korean its embarrassing. anyway back to the action, the service is always fast and friendly but i recommend bringing some who speaks korean to make the experience easier but its not necessary. might be better than mom's. thank god she has no idea what the internet is
A few girlfriends and I trekked all the way to Palisades Park for lunch after some early morning bargain shopping further south. A local coworker had suggested this place as a good all-around Korean restaurant in the area and he was not mistaken. We arrived shortly after noon and were promptly seated. A bustling restaurant with tons of Korean patrons is always a good sign. We ordered the soondooboo chigae, seafood pancake, and kalbi for the three of us. The side dishes and food came before we could blink. The kalbi was very well flavored and fresh. Each bite was heaven. The pancake was crispy - just the way I like it. The chigae - no complaints, but in line with my favorite Seoul Garden. Busboys would walk by every so often with heated charcoal that was so hot we could feel the heat a feet away. If we had a bigger party and more time, I'd loved to have bbq'ed at the table. I was even dressed for the occasion!
Palisades Park, NJ
Category: Korean
Fort Lee, NJ
Category: Korean
Palisades Park, NJ
Category: Korean
Fort Lee, NJ
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Category: Korean
Sometimes you don't know what you're missing until…
