Anytime
| Cuisine | Korean |
|---|---|
| Price | $$$ (31-50) |
| Rating | 7/10 |
| Last Visit | April 21, 2023 |
| Location | New York: Midtown |
General Notes
2023 edit: Anytime has changed quite a bit since they opened in 2019. When they first opened, I found Anytime to be a fun, creative, and unique restaurant; a true gem in Koreatown that serves some of the best food that I've ever had. Since then, it's definitely not the same place. The food is overall still very good, but it's definitely not the same quality as it was back in 2019. A lot of the thoughts I had then about the place are probably no longer up to date. It seems a lot more calm / quiet / instagram-friendly than it was before. It used to be much more oriented towards small plates; it still does emphasize the tapas aspect but much more of the menu is larger items.
Dishes Tasted
- ★★★☆ Bulgogi Fries -- fries, nacho cheese, bulgogi, pickled jalapenos, shaved red onions, buttermilk ranch, parmesan cheese, parsley. Pretty similar in nature to nacho fries. Pretty delicious (the fries are fried REALLY well, and the beef is surprisingly tender). The nacho cheese + buttermilk ranch sauce is a bit much though and feels a bit too heavy
- ★★☆☆ Popcorn Chicken (2023) -- boneless fried chicken, sweet gochujang glaze sauce, black sesame, nut crumbles, parsley. Decent flavor and fairly tender, the exterior could have been a bit more crisp.
- ★★★★ Popcorn Chicken (2019) -- Sweet gochujang glaze, squid ink, nut crumble. The best popcorn chicken I've had, period, even beating out Thursday Kitchen's popcorn chicken. Perfect combination of sweet, salty, and savory. Chicken is fried nicely and the nut crumble adds further to the crisp texture.
- ★★★★ Anytime Steak -- Marinated short rib, creamy cheese corn puree, chef's special jus. Beautifully cooked steak, medium just the way I like it and tender. Delicious flavor.
- ★★★★ Bossam -- Braised pork belly, pearl barley, korean chives, coconut soy sauce. The pork belly is incredibly tender. The freshness and acidity of the chives and coconut soy sauce complement the rich pork belly beautifully.
- ★★★★ Super Creamy Ddukboki -- Gochujang, heavy cream, rice cake, candied cocoa nibs, grana padano. Delicious flavor combination; I've never really had creamy ddukboki before but it works really well. Texturally, the rice cakes are beautifully, and the cocoa nibs added the perfect contrast.
- ★★★☆ Stir-fried Seafood -- Octopus, squid, shrimp, clam, onion, zucchini, soybean sprout. The flavor is delicious. It was the perfect level of spiciness for me, but that is likely a bit much for most people. The food was perfectly cooked. I just wish there were a bit more seafood and a bit less zucchini/onion
- ★★★★ Mackerel -- White wine marinated mackerel, chimichurri, lemon ponzu. Tender, smoky, and delicious. Has a bit more of a subtle flavor compared to the other dishes. Personally, I don't think the mackerel really needs either sauce. The marinade cuts into the fishiness/oiliness of the fish and the end result is some of the best mackerel you'll ever have.
- ★★★☆ Monkfish Bourguignon -- Herbs cured monkfish, fish stock, clams, thai basil, tarragon, baguette. I love the flavor profile and would honestly just drink the soup if I had some bread. The seafood is beautifully cooked. I only wish there were a bit more monkfish and less of other components. Also a bit confused why this is a "bourguignon".
- ★★★☆ Korean Shrimp Poke -- Citrus soy cured shrimp, barley, couscous, perilla leaf, uni. Shrimp was delicious - had a texture similar to amaebi. Generally good flavors, though I would have liked to see slightly more acidity.
Bulgogi Fries
