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“Danji”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Asian	Hell's Kitchen	Cheap Eats	Off the Charts

starch then flash fried so they are robed in skins that are hot, delicate and crisp, while their centers remain smooth, creamy and cool. They're served in a nest of tempura flakes, flecked with scallions and slivers of hot red peppers-a gentle fury of combustible flavors.

There is wonder lurking in the food at Danji. This is a chef who plays with food like Mamet plays with words. Pungent pickles come up fast and quick with hearth-bitten chile peppers, fiery ginger, juicy tart citrus, silken buttery fish and fatty deeply flavored meats. It's hard not to swoon.

But the restaurant does have its issues, primarily its close quarters. The white-washed space, on 52^nd Street between 8^th and 9^th Avenues, is quite small. Too small I'd say for the number of people that are clamoring to get a seat. (There are only a precious 36 of them.) You'll find blond wood communal tables so tightly spaced that you may not be able to exit your assigned row if you've indulged too much. Be prepared to suck it in!

And another thing: The hard bar stools you'll be perched upon (with short little backs that just dig into your spine rather than support it) don't make things much better. Maybe it's just me. I'm a comfort seeker. I like to be able to relax at dinner. This is not the experience you'll have at Danji. It's crowded, high energy and fun, sure, but just know the deal and go in the right mood and with the right person. I like a chair with a back. I like a little leg room; mine was completely obscured by our neighbor's coats. And while there were hooks under the tables for purses, they were all taken by the time we squeezed in our communal feeding station, so I ate with my purse on my lap.

My advice: Treat your experience as though the TSA might come by for a surprise raid. Wear light layers. Pack little. Nothing more than three ounces. I plan on returning in just a tank top, light sweater, and fanny pack. No joke. That said, a state of nirvana-like bliss does come from Kim's food, so it's possible to tune out the crowds and rush of the restaurant and focus just on your companion and the food between you.

Given how close you are to your tablemates, the possibility of adding dishes by sharing with neighbors is also an option. We had food envy a couple of times. It was at its worst when the Korean couple next to us dug into a stack of the chef&# ... [more, click below]

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Posted: December 7, 2011

Other restaurants in Hell's Kitchen :
+ Nizza   + 5 Napkin Burger   + Danji   

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