Gangnam Style Korean Kitchen brings the heat in more ways than one (Dining Out Review)

Syracuse, N.Y. — Gangnam Style Korean Kitchen in Syracuse’s Westcott neighborhood notes that its ossam bulgogi ($26.95) is prepared in a spicy sauce. Sometimes the word “spicy” on an Asian menu is merely a suggestion. Here, it’s both a warning and passive reminder that your sinuses will be cleared with no delay.

My seasonal allergies were no match for the gochujang chili paste, and jalapeño and Korean chili peppers at the base of the dish, which was cut only ever so slightly by the sweetness of maple and plum syrups. Thin strips of squid and pork belly were stir-fried together with carrots, mushroom, scallions and cabbage and served on a modest plate with a side of rice.

Fiery sweetness punctuated every corner of the dish, though not so much that the squid and pork lost their own natural flavor. Both were cooked just through, allowing those ingredients to maintain their structural integrity without becoming too chewy.

Gangnam Style Korean Kitchen opened in spring 2016, occupying half of a single-floor building on Harvard Place near its intersection with Westcott Street. The name may be a play on the 2012 K-pop song of the same name, though ― like the song ― it takes inspiration from the Korean phrase that means hip and trendy.

That said, the menu is anything but fashionable. There’s no Korean barbecue or street food. There aren’t any shareable ssam platters on the menu. Instead, you get what I would characterize as an assortment of dishes that provide a home-cooked feel for those in the local Korean diaspora, and approachability for those new to the cuisine.

Ambience isn’t on the menu either. The small dining room consists of seating for about 30 people in mismatched chairs. During our Saturday evening visit, two people cooked, served and managed the steady takeaway traffic that managed to find the entrance; a sign in the window directs you to enter through a red door, however that door has since been painted beige. We took a guess based on the Doordash sign posted on it.

We started with an order of shumai ($9.95), a cylindrical dumpling with roots in Chinese cuisine that is found on Korean and Japanese menus. Five steamed dumplings were light and airy, presenting nearly zero resistance when bitten, but packed with chopped shrimp. The shumai served as a fine opening gambit to our other starter, a seafood pancake also known as haemul pajeon ($21.95). A potato starch, egg and flour pancake batter encased flash-fried green onions, chopped shrimp and squid. Served warm and sliced into eighths. This savory pancake offered a balance of gentle green onion and seafood flavors and textures, with a side bowl of soy sauce for dipping provided an extra bit of salt and umami.

We opted for ground pork as the protein in our order of bibimbap ($20.95). Served in a hot stone bowl that sizzled for most of our stay, never losing its heat, the mixture of rice, meat, spinach, bean sprouts, mushrooms, zucchini and carrots was cooked in a sauce blending sesame, soy and garlic. Fried eggs served on top acted as a binder when the yolks were broken, pulling together the contents. Full of umami and savory flavors, the bibimbap was like comfort food in every sense, with warmth from both the heat and ingredients.

I hogged the pickled cucumber and onions, and bean sprouts from the banchan delivered to the table with our entrees. These little side plates offer complementary flavors to the main course. The kimchi – pickled cabbage – was largely bland, though the thin slices of pan-fried tofu offered a bit of kick from the use of gochujaru (chili flakes) or gochujang in the marinade.

In many ways, Gangnam Style Korean Kitchen reminds me of Angotti’s Family Restaurant on Burnet Avenue. A family-owned and run restaurant with limited seating and little to look at, but a menu of traditional, homestyle and unpretentious dishes.

The Details

The Restaurant: Gangnam Style Korean Kitchen

Takeout/Delivery? Yes through DoorDash.

Reservations? No.

Credit cards? Yes, with a 4% surcharge.

Noise level: Respectful and moderate.

Access to the disabled: Tough. There is a step up to the front entrance and walkways are narrow. A unisex restroom is through the kitchen.

Parking: Use the Westcott community lot adjacent to the building. If that’s full, on-street is another option.

Outdoor dining: No.

Special diets? Vegetarian and vegan diners will be easily served here, as will those with dairy-free diets. Given the use of soy sauce, gluten-free diners may have difficulty.

Children’s menu? No, but chicken fingers are an option.

Hours: Sunday-Monday and Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays.

Cost: Dinner for two with starters, entrees, one can of soda, tax, 20% gratuity and 4% credit card surcharge was $109.44.