Sik Gaek

Went on Sunday for the first time in a long time. This is definitely one of the original "hipster" flushing Korean places to eat. I think they may have been one of the original places to intentionally mimic the decor of a shoddy looking street vendor vibe. Generally known for their large seafood broils but they have a varied menu consisting of more traditional fare as well. When we arrived, there was a brief wait and so we were offered some sample appetizers for anyone waiting and a complimentary beers (what??) for both of us! Off to a great start! We ended up getting a seat right away, which was a shame since the sample appetizer was pretty good (some kind of deep fried shrimp with sauce). Their schtick is to serve you a freshly fried egg while you settle in. Tasty. We also got a small spicy rice cake and steamed egg along with a small assortment of the typical banchan like kimchee and carrots & cukes with red pepper paste. We ordered the everything (seafood) hotpot. It's a full of seafood that's been precooked but finished at your table. Super big with giant clams and mussels that looked like they grew up near a nuclear power plant. The broth was spicy and refreshing. It was filled with udon noodles, fish cakes, calamari, baby octopi, bean sprouts, etc. We had the addon of the rice and roe that is mixed in to the leftover liquid and cooked almost till it makes the crunchy noorungji. One sign that a Korean establishment has hit their peak hipsterism is its large number of non-Korean diners. This place has definitely gone mainstream, but is still pretty good.

Awesome seafood hot pot with live octopus. Yummy.

Loud atmosphere good service fresh seafood so fresh in fact that the octopus is still moving when it gets to your table . Nice experience

I don't usually write reviews, but I hope the owners read and improve. The steamed seafood platter was recommended, but was just over cooked, rubbery and unflavored. A little garlic or ginger would go a long way. The pumpkin and seafood was decent, but was smothered in cheese possibly to hide lack luster quality of seafood. Their octopus is on point, but it's kinda crazy to charge $19 in queens for a dozen of oysters which need to be smothered in lemon and sauce because of poor flavor. Also, they were genreous with complementary dak and steamed egg, but besides that no pan chan. The venue is cool, and has potential. But all it really is now is a hang out spot for people who want to drink and don't really care about splurging on mediocre food

This is one of the best Korean BBQ in Queens. Staff is friendly, attentive and fast.

Locals gather here to celebrate their birthdays. It is truly a unique experience.