Choga Korean restaurant NYC About Us

Choga's first grand opening in 1979 marked a historical event in the New York City NYU Area. Choga was the first restaurant to introduce authentic Korean cuisine in NYU Area.

Winning numerous awards and receiving outstanding restaurant reviews by the NYU Area's most famous food critics, Choga quickly acquired a long list of dedicated followers. With growing popularity and an ongoing desire to introduce Americans to the rich flavors of Korea. Choga has been a dominant player in the food court arena, becoming a top grosser at New York City, NYU Area within a very short period of time.

The Choga Concept

Choga is a contemporary quick-serve restaurant committed to serving the finest and freshest authentic Korean cuisine and Asian noodles. We offer an extensive menu that caters to a broad range of clientele, spanning well beyond the Asian customer. We provide the convenience of fast-food while offering delicious meals at affordable prices, making Korean food a quick and easy alternative to traditional fast-food choices such as hamburgers, sandwiches or your typical Mexican and Chinese options.

The main feature of our concept is traditional Korean Foods - a key pillar of Korean cuisine - which include popular dishes such as Kalbi (barbecued short ribs) and Dak Guyee (barbecued chicken). We also serve our barbecued beef and pork recipes which have won numerous awards.

In addition, our menu includes a selection of popular noodle dishes reflecting various Asian flavors. These dishes, prepared as individual orders, feature only the freshest ingredients and can be customized as desired. To accommodate the varied palette of our customers, we offer noodle dishes with and without broth, different types of noodles (e.g., egg, spinach, soba and udon) and even a range of spiciness. In Asian cultures, noodles have always been a symbol of long life. Noodles are often served at major traditional and cultural celebrations as well as weddings and birthdays. They are also commonly served for breakfast because they are considered a healthy start to a long day.

For those with a lighter appetite, we also offer a variety of flavorful vegetarian dishes, stir-fried entrees and tasty appetizers (e.g., dumplings, scallion pancakes and rice rolls). Every item on our menu is prepared fresh throughout the day by our experienced chefs in a flavorful yet healthy, low-fat fashion with absolutely no chemical additives such as MSG.

Our concept appeals to a varied market by providing a healthy, satisfying meal, distinct from other common Asian fare. Primarily, we try to locate ourselves in high traffic retail and entertainment centers as well as college campuses and financial districts. Our commitment to authenticity and friendly service makes even fast-food a pleasurable dining experience full of culture and flavor.

Very good food, reasonable price, nice atmosphere

Choga is a great restaurant. The food is very good (especially the Korean dishes, though the sushi is decent) and reasonably priced. The management and wait staff are very friendly. And the vibe is nice.

Fish Cakes and Flaming Ice Cream

One of the most delectable items at Choga is the appetizer dukboki, a spicy red pepper broth with Korean rice and fish cakes nested in julienned vegetables. The rice cakes are soft yet satisfyingly chewy in the same instant, a pleasure for the mouth both taste and mastication-wise. The flat strips of ground white fish conceptually seem unappetizing, but that could not be farther from the truth. Supple on the tongue, they have a pleasant, unobtrusive fish flavor. The spicy broth may be the best part of the entire dish; savvy diners often retain additional sauce to use on main courses much to the bemusement of the wait staff. The dukboki is a substantial portion easily sufficing for two, but hungry diners will not find it difficult to finish alone. At $8.50, its certainly a bargain considering the complexity of flavors it presents.