Meet Sinsa, the Wine Bar Defining Korean American Food on Its Own Terms

1. Let’s dive straight into the food.

It’s cliché (and sometimes fraught) to invoke the idea of America as a “melting pot,” but the fact remains that many of the foods we eat originated from somewhere else in the world. Living in the U.S., it’s virtually impossible not to become exposed to all sorts of Americanized versions of international cuisines — think Chinese American takeout, or the competing New York, Detroit, and Chicago renditions of Italian pizza. Lee and Yang both come from Korean families, but have both spent most of their lives in the U.S. And since Korean food isn’t quite as ubiquitous in the U.S. as some other cuisines just yet — but is certainly on its way — they feel like they have the opportunity to define Korean American cuisine for themselves at Sinsa.

While Rice Thief serves classic family recipes (literally), Lee’s dishes combine influences from throughout his life, like his affinity for Chinese food and his time spent at the legendary, Michelin-starred Family Meal at Blue Hill in New York City. The menu is primarily made of smallish, sharing-friendly plates, ideal for having a bite with your glass of wine, or for devising a feast that lets you try a number of different offerings. These are some of the recipes Lee is most excited to serve.

The Boat

“There is a very popular Korean banchan known as myulchi bokkeum, which is basically stir-fried anchovies with some bright flavors of shishito pepper,” Lee says. “Now I decided that, OK, Caesar salad goes well with the idea of shishito pepper. So, let’s char the peppers, and then grind them up into the salad dressing. It has this beautiful color, vibrant green, almost like a green goddess dressing, but has the flavor of a Caesar dressing with that charred shishito. We’re basically brushing that on some beautiful romaine lettuce, and sprinkling that with some beautiful candied anchovies — some of that is mixed in with some charred as well some fresh shishito on top, and then we grate parmesan cheese on it. And we add rice croutons. They’re basically dried rice. We fry them up, season them with a little bit of our Korean seasoning.”

Yang explains that virtually every Korean household has their own way of preparing shishito peppers, called kkwari-gochu. But for him, the Caesar also evokes memories of a buffet in Seattle he used to visit with his grandfather growing up.

“I take one bite, and it instantly transports me back home,” he says. “It’s just phenomenal.”

Galbi Bourguignon

“We have a Korean dish known as galbijjim, which is braised short ribs,” Lee explains. “Normally, galbijjim is like a pot roast, but we decided to make it more elegant. I took that concept and decided to make beef stew with it, with the classic French beef bourguignon concept. I decided to marinate the same galbi concept, combine those flavors with the same bourguignon French technique. The only difference is that there’s no sweetener that galbi usually has. It’s more of a savory course, and it’s got a lot of red wine. Pinot Noir goes in it to give that really umami flavor that is perfect in a hearty dish, especially during the winter time around here. And we have some amazing autumn vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, celery and also maitake mushrooms, which are in season, to go along.”

Bibim Guksu

“There’s a Korean dish called bibim guksu. Bibim means ‘mixed,’ guksu means ‘noodle,’” Lee says. “A traditional version typically uses a buckwheat noodle, or a somyeon noodle, very thin noodles, usually dressed in a little bit of spice, or sometimes it’s just a refreshing water frost, with ice and pears in it. Now, instead of using that kind of noodle, I decided to use hand-pulled noodles that we blanch and then make cold. And then we have ground pork that’s been minced and cooked in a house-made ssamjang. It has this really nutty aroma. It’s basically dandan noodles, in a way, but we took that concept and made it more Korean, so that’s going to be dressed with a little bit of butter and minced scallion. And right on top of that, we have what’s called a mayak gyeran, which is known as ‘drug eggs’ in Korea. The reason why it’s called ‘drug eggs’ is because it’s very addictive. This is a soft poached egg that’s been basically marinated in soy pickling liquid for about two to three days. Once you slice it up, it has this nice soy egg yolk that just goes well with the noodles.”

2. It’s a wine bar, but they’ve got much more than just wine.

Given that Korea isn’t a major region for producing grape wine (rice wine is much more dominant), there’s no obvious prescribed direction for what the wine list at a Korean American bar should look like. As such, Yang’s beverage program features a robust mix of options. You’ll find Old World and New World wines, some biodynamic, some made by women winemakers, and some from centuries-old wine houses. And as of now, the plan is to keep growing that list continuously.

“I try to make it so that I have a bottle of almost every single major varietal there is, coming from different places,” Yang says. “I have a southern hemisphere Sauvignon Blanc on the by-the-glass list, which a lot of restaurants don’t have, and I thought it was really cool. I think that sort of diversity also reflects our location as well, here in the East Village,” a neighborhood that’s been touched by a slew of different immigrant cultures over the last century or so.

But naturally, the beverage program also highlights Korean rice wine as well. Chungju and soju typically have slightly lower alcohol content than grape wine, so Yang is playing around with that by incorporating them into cocktails that are designed to complement the food. And if you’re overwhelmed by choice, fret not: the staff will be more than ready to provide recommendations based on what dishes you’re ordering. Every drink is designed to be paired with particular dishes, and vice-versa.

And if you’re not drinking alcohol, you still have options. It was important to Yang that the non-alcoholic drinks be just as complex and sophisticated as the boozy ones — none of the sickly sweet, juice-heavy, one-note drinks that you might expect when you hear the word “mocktail.” Sinsa is launching with four zero-proof cocktails, including the Upper West Side Cooler, made with mint, cucumber, white grape juice, simple syrup, and tonic water. Like the alcoholic drinks, the non-alcoholic ones will use syrups that are all handmade in house. Expect to find non-alcoholic beer and wine options, too.

3. It’s a natural fit for the neighborhood.

In case you haven’t heard, or noticed, the East Village is back. “Especially after the pandemic, people are starting to get back to going out to restaurants, going to bars, enjoying themselves,” Lee says. “I’ve noticed that this area is starting to flourish again. You see more people come in and come out every weekend.”

This neighborhood, defined by its abundance of cozy, chic restaurants and cocktail bars tucked away in small storefronts makes the perfect home for Sinsa. “This building itself is a historical landmark,” Lee notes. “We wanted to preserve this brick wall to showcase that this is a New York restaurant, in the heart of the East Village, producing this amazing Korean American food for the local community.”

4. “Sinsa” means “gentleman” in Korean, a nod to how they want their guests to feel.

Yang explains that the name was initially inspired by the entire team – Richard Jang, chef Lee, and himself. “It was three young gentlemen trying to start a dream together, and then we kind of expanded on that idea a little bit,” Yang notes. “In this day and age, with technology being so prevalent, people don’t have that interpersonal connection as much. But we want to showcase through our food and service that, look, there are still places where you can go and make genuine connections, and everybody can still act like a gentleman or a lady in the traditional sense, while also adhering to the modern social norms where everything is always changing a little bit. Everything is always developing further.”

The S logo also has some subtle significance, as it’s meant to resemble a necktie or a norigae, an accessory traditionally worn with women’s formalwear in Korea. The idea is to make diners feel like honored guests by offering an exceptional level of service that the Sinsa team finds is sometimes lacking from contemporary restaurants. When it comes down to it, it’s all about hospitality.

“We want to create an ambiance that’s basically like walking into a dinner party, where you can just be a guest — sit there and be catered to,” Lee says.

In Korean, the term “anju” refers to food meant to be enjoyed with alcohol. But for Jang, it has a deeper meaning.

“It’s more about fellowship beyond food,” he says. “We’re eating good food, but we’re also connecting with the person we’re with. You’re catching up, you get vulnerable, sometimes emotional. It’s always about the connection. And that connection happens through food. Every dish builds a fellowship, grows the friendship, and creates a family.”

Sinsa is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.

Ariana DiValentino is a writer, filmmaker, and actor based in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram, X, and TikTok. Follow Resy, too.