Hangawi

“I highly recommend the rice and noodle bowl with vegetables and tofu – the combo of the flavorful clear rice noodles and the crispy rice is insane.”

“Black Sesame Porridge – creamy and effing amazing with a touch of sweetness, Avocado Stone Bowl Rice – perfect.”

“They give you leek, kimichi mushroom, and kabocha pumpkin with mung beans pancakes that are comparable to potato pancakes.”

Hangawi

Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes

Price range.

$$$ Price range $31-60

8 reviews

  1. The food was really truly delicious and the staff were very courteous. I liked that the food was plant-based, as many Asian restaurants go heavy on the fried wheat protein. My main criticisms are 1- that the vibe was super-stuffy, so if that's what you're going for, then this is the place for you and 2- the prices are outrageous and each person has to buy a minimum amount of food to be served (it's something like $19). I found to be preposterous. So the 4 stars is for the food, but not the experience or the cost. Plus their house wine (the only kind you can buy by the glass) is really bland and cheap-tasting.

  2. I went here several years ago and felt like I didn't order well, but this time 5 of us ordered a bunch of things to share and it was all delicious. You leave your shoes at the door, and walk back to a shin-height table. However, you don't actually have to sit cross-legged, as there's a depression below the table. So it's like sitting in a chair without a back. There are hanging fabrics that separate some of the tables, which must create some sense of privacy when it's busy. I had heard they were really strict on reservation times, but this time they sat the first three of us without making us wait for the last two. The pancakes were really easy to share, and the spicy baby dumplings were small but memorable. The stone pots were great, and they brought us the spicy red garlic sauce on the side. The kimchi only came with our meal, not as an appetizer. They were willing to split the soup we ordered into several small bowls. They only take a max of three credit cards for the bill. There are little slippers you can use to go in the bathrooms.

  3. Hangawi is EVERYTHANG. Let me preface this review by saying I am not a vegetarian. In fact, I love my meat. But my little sister was in town and I was treating her and her vegetarian friend to a meal. To perceive myself as the "cool big sister", I decided to drop some coins on their dinner. The ambience of Hangawi was adorable. We had to take off our shoes (thank gawd for clean socks) and walk over to these really cool elevated tables in the center of the restaurant. We ordered the veggie spring roles and then we all ordered a beverage and the avocado stone bowl. For my beverage, I indulged in a delicious pomegranate iced tea. Ok, I need to emphasize how amazingly delicious this ice tea was. Refreshing, delicious, fruity..it was the perfect beverage to compliment what was to come. The waiter arrived shortly after with our meal. The avocado stone bowl was HEAVEN! Fresh from the stove, steaming to gluttonous perfection. After cleaning my plate, the bill came. I knew I was going to spend a grip on this meal. It was about $120. But worth every freaking penny. Hagawi – I need you in my life.

  4. Pricy but legit Korean vegetarian restaurant!

    Location: cross the main korean restaurant street, you will see this place. Inside, the decoration does give you a sense of Asian decoration, or even more Korean traditional decoration. You will soon be greeted by their front manager, who will tell you to take off you shoes so that you can enjoy their food. Please do so.

    The tables are next to each other, left no intimate space between different tables.

    Food: we were there around 2:30, when their lunch hour was almost the end. However, we were luckily enough to order before their kitchen closed. We did had their pre fix lunch and the gluten free – egg plant stew.

    I personally very enjoy the egg plant stew, very balanced well, and gave different textures of veggies at the same time.

    Their pre fix salad and spinach porridge is bit off, in particularly the spinach porridge. The porridge should be more spinach, however, the corn is definitely override the spinach taste making it hardly to be enjoyed.

    The entrees are good tho. I would recommend both.

    We also ordered their vegan platter..
    Pretty weird

    Service: waitresses and waiters do care about their customers and keep well-behaved manner.

    This is a very good, pricy place but it provides a different perspectives in korean cuisine.
    It is worth a try, especially if you are a vegetarian.

    4 stars

  5. Made a reservation for this place @ 6pm yesterday. When my boyfriend & I arrived, it was pretty empty but it started filling up very soon after. This place is adorable! I love the traditional theme and they make you take off your shoes right upon entering the restaurant. It's a cute, dimly lit place–perfect for dates!

    We ordered the mango and pear cocktails which had some lime and soju mixed with them. They tasted pretty good, although I preferred the mango one much more. Either way, the taste of the fruits is authentic.

    Since we aren't vegan, it took a while to decide what to order for food. We decided on the combination pancakes, which turned out to be pretty tiny for $17 – 4 of each flavor (leek, kimchi, and pumpkin), but tasted incredible with the three side sauces. For the main dish, I had the avocado stone rice bowl and my boyfriend had the vermicelli stone rice bowl. I wasn't expecting too much because avocado + rice did not sound that tasty nor filling, but I am glad that I was proven wrong. Aside from avocado, there is fried tofu and some other veggies. The rice bowl itself is somewhat spicy, and the order comes with a side of kimchi or plain cabbage; mix those two items with the rice and you have a delicious vegan meal 🙂 I only had a few bites of the vermicelli bowl, but it was a pretty good combination of noodles & rice, paired with various veggies as well.

    We stayed here for about 1.5 hours and I must say that it was interesting to see the friendliness of all the staff members and how determinedly they try to maintain the traditional setting. Would definitely come back; although it is a little on the pricey side, it is indeed filling.

  6. Excellent ambience! Interesting food! I went on a Friday afternoon with my sister. We enjoyed good drinks (rice wine for me and lychee cocktail for her) and some delicious food ! We will be coming back!

  7. Get ready to remove your shoes and have a unique experience at Hangawi.  Upon arriving you will be asked to remove your shoes so make sure your have a rocking pair of socks on. This is a unique vegan dining experience.  The fare is Korean and the ambience is temple like.  It all works so perfectly together that you will think you are being transported to Asia for the next few hours.  The menu is extensive with plenty of appetizers and main dishes.  I found the food to be exotic and the service exceptional.  All items were explained in detail and that helped so much getting the guessing work out of it.  You will be seated on a wood surface with a place beneath you for your feet.  It's all very peaceful and tranquil.  Be careful with spicy items as the heat factor can get up there or my suggestion when possible is to add your own spice to your liking.  It's certainly a top pick in my book for vegan and if you haven't tried it yet, make sure you don't miss out on this opportunity.

  8. I brought my cousin here for a vegan dinner experience in the heart of Ktown.  While Koreans are known for smoky meat BBQ goodness, Hangawi is a standout among area establishments for being anything but BBQ. Interesting is one of those words best reserved for places like this.

    They are anything but typical, in that they often recommend reservations. It must be popular amongst non-meat-itarians… and rightly so, however it wasn't packed to the gills when we went early in the evening.  It is quite an experience as had been told by others to me in that once you arrive for your dinner, there's a cubbyhole for shoes you're required to leave behind before being ushered to your table, which is at ankle-level.  Cushions line the floor for seating and all the servers are dressed in traditional garb. So everyone sits on the floor, as best they can.   The ambiance is zen, rustic, dark, intimate, and lends itself to a different era. The service was stellar as can be expected of a place that showcases little fanfare.

    From among the items on the menu, there are some standouts, like the Avocado stone rice bowl we ordered… sizzling upon arriving, it's aromatic and smooth to the palate.  The dumplings/mandoo we ordered were less impressive, well… because they're dumplings that was too subtle in flavor.  We didn't get to try much else beyond that.

    4.2/5.0

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East 32nd Street 12
New York 10016 NY US
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Monday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Tuesday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Wednesday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Thursday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Friday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Saturday, 1:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Sunday, 5:00 pm - 9:30 pm