Musaek has finally opened its doors beneath its sister concepts, HOWOO and DubuHaus. Tucked into a moody, atmospheric 12,000 square feet space, the eatery draws inspiration from South Korea’s coastal cuisine.
Highlights
- The restaurant is celebrating its grand opening on July 8
- Musaek offers a seafood-driven menu rooted in Korean flavors and traditions
- Musaek is among the few bars in NYC serving a fully clarified cocktail menu.
Musaek Opens as a Sprawling New Food and Cocktail Destination in Koreatown
Musaek’s seafood-driven menu is rooted in Korean flavors and culinary heritage. The menu blends Korean traditions with touches of Japanese, French, and Mediterranean flavors. The focus is on small shared plates for an intimate dining experience.
After 9 PM, a late-night menu with select dishes becomes available. Musaek is open from 5 to 11 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On Thursdays, the restaurant is open till 1 AM, and on Fridays and Saturdays, it remains open till 2 AM.
Shared Plates, Clarified Cocktails
With its coastal Korean influence, Musaek sources premium ingredients flown in from South Korea. The bar menu features unique Korean ingredients like maesil (plum), boricha (barley tea), Korean pear, and Jeju citrus.
The food menu features Bugak Trio, fried seaweed and Shrimp Crackers, a nostalgic nod to Nongshim shrimp snack. Some cold dishes include Yeosu Shrimp marinated for two days in 13-ingredient house soy sauce and Mussels steamed in dashi and topped with yuzu seaweed sauce.
Hot dishes include playful reimaginings of Fish & Chips using fried shishamo. It is served with potato wedges and tangy white kimchi slaw. Another standout is the Uni Bibimbap with pickled red cabbage, tobiko, salmon roe, radish kimchi, seaweed, and quinoa.
Musaek is among the few bars in New York City offering an all-clarified cocktail menu, with each batch requiring 8-10 hours to prepare. Inspired by Korean seasonality, the signature offers include innovative combinations like a tropical Mango & Nurungji, a tropical mix of rum, gin, lime juice, and coconut milk, and an umami Yuza & Seaweed with Korean pear, gin, milk, and lychee.
Other highlights include Korean Pear & Gochujang with Grand Marnier, guava, bergamot and tequila, and crafted Strawberry & Hallabong mixed with basil, vanilla sugar, and vodka. The bar also offers a curated selection of wine, sake, and non-alcoholic options to cater to every palate.
Inside Musaek’s Clear-Cut Vision
Musaek translates to ‘colorless’ in Korean. The vision for the restaurant lies in its Korean meaning, a symbolic nod to the place’s all-clarified cocktail menu. The name reflects a vision that transcends a single color or influence.
Musaek aims to be a space where diverse flavors and influences seamlessly coexist. Fittingly, their cocktail menu comprises clarified cocktails, each with a smooth, translucent appearance along with a balanced, refined flavor profile.
Their seafood ingredients draw from South Korea’s coastal bounty. Ingredients like Wando seaweed, abalone from Jeolla Province, and Jeju Island fluke are flown in directly.
Bringing a contemporary twist to traditional Korean seafood, Musaek offers a sensory experience of fine dining. The all-clarified cocktail bar menu is a bold addition to the ever-changing culinary scenes in New York.
