REVIEW

  Overall is closer to a 4.5 - a very enjoyable fine-dining Asian-fusion lunch experience with the (typically $40 but on Mother's Day, they only had dinner and special) $50 prix-fixe... read more menu with a choice of appetizer and main.

Me and my friend got half-dozen Kumamoto oysters ($24) to share, Yuzu Bacon Rose Pasta & King Crab Noodle for appetizers, and Sea Urchin Donabe & Truffle Donabe plus Prime Hanger Steak for the mains.

WOW, those are some really sweet oysters! They were small but packed with flavor. We both enjoyed them with the vinegar sauce the most. Definitely would have gotten more if we didn't have more food incoming.

The appetizers could pass off as mains with how heavy they were but the serving portion was controlled well. With an overwhelming majority vote (2/2), Yuzu Bacon Rose Pasta was the table favorite. The cream-based pasta was not as rich as it looked and the bacon was slightly sweet. Not too sure where the Yuzu flavor was, I suspect bacon and my friend suggests in the sauce. The King Crab Noodle reminded me of a Chinese spicy noodle dish and a lot of chili oil was used. There were crab meat pieces mixed within but feels more like texture than taste. The noodles were cooked harder than I would have personally preferred.

For the mains, the truffle donabe was overwhelming in smell because it was served HOT in a clay pot. The flavor was milder than it looks. Lots of mushrooms, warm rice, and medium-rare steak (they didn't ask how you like the steak beforehand but fine to us). The sea urchin donabe was saltier in comparison because of the ikura on top but I liked there was some crunchy texture in the rich. Not a fan of the cured egg yolk, would have preferred a normal egg yolk.

The service was fantastic! I loved that they explain what dish is being served and what was in it.
We choose to sit indoors but saw the outdoor/terrace seating on the way upstairs, it was an enclosed space with natural lighting all around.

One question: Why is the bathroom so dark?

  Forgot to write an updated review from my lunch in Feb

They only had outdoor seating in their patio when I booked. I think it's because of a party they... read more had indoors. The outdoor area is just behind where they usually seat ppl indoors. The area was pretty big. It can fit ~ten tables and there were two large gas heaters in the center. It's quite warm but still a bit chilly. It's fully enclosed so don't really know what's the outdoor parts about it.
I was lucky they gave me a table for four when I only had two ppl. Spacious~

Last time I was impressed by their dinner but turns out lunch isn't as exciting. There's less options and the options aren't as exciting.

I'm amused/annoyed by how the prix fixe menu has so many options that need to add money. It would feel better imo to have more options without needing to add extra.

I got the prix fixe. Yuzu bacon pasta and ribeye. Yelp check in offers a free side which I got seasonal veggies.
The yuzu bacon pasta was solid. The bacon was candied but still had savory notes to balance out the sweet yuzu. I'd actually be interested if this was a main course but tbh some places really only give this much for a main too.
Ribeye was kinda sad. It was dry and had tough parts. The chimichurri sauce wasn't enough in quantity and substance to give the steak more character.
Seasonal veggies turns out where the same that came with my steak. I didn't like the other options and my friend didn't like any so here we are with more veggies. The miso glaze was nice to give some flavor. Unfortunately it still felt bland and dry, partially due to it getting cold from the weather.

My reservation was for 12:30 but we sat until 2ish. Lunch ends at 3 which means they only expect one round of customers during lunch. I'm surprised they schedule it like that even on a weekend. Good for us that they don't rush to kick us out.

I still have hopes for this place but next time it'll definitely be dinner.

  Decided to give it a try when we're in NY. The place looks really cozy with the good ambiance atmosphere indoor and relaxing outdoor. We ordered 2 apps, 2 main... read more and 2 side dishes.
- Crispy Octopus: we're fan of octopus and usually order it almost every where we go if it's available. The octopus was crispy outside and tender inside. I just don't think the combo with hummus would be my cup of tea.
- Beef Tartare: this is Korean style tartare so the way they cut the beef was different. It was small slice instead of ground beef. Well seasoning and pair great with the sauce made from egg yolk.
- Truffle Donabe with Prime Hanger Steak: definitely our favorite of the meal. The steak was tender and cooked to medium, paired well with truffle and mushroom. The crispy rice part underneath added an interesting texture to the dish.
- Duck: I thought it would be served by slice but it was the whole leg. Definitely tender but it would be more of fingers food this way for me. The sauce was good and goes well with it.
This was a day or two before my birthday and I didn't leave any note on my reservation. However, they did notice and gave us their desserts with candles. Awesome staffs and service! They also change the menu so make sure you check them out often that you won't miss out on any new dish. Reservation recommended.

  4.5/5

Asian fusion done right! My boyfriend and I had their tasting menu ($70 per person with some menu items costing extra) this weekend.

The tasting menu came with a royal seafood... read more platter (shrimp, lobster, oysters, salmon) to share and an appetizer, entree, and dessert each. The only thing that was not great on the royal platter was the shrimp, which was bland and nothing special. For appetizers, we had the fried octopus and the beef tartare. I loved the fried octopus and almost wanted to order another one. Didn't love the beef tartare myself, but my boyfriend enjoyed it. For entrees, we ordered the ribeye and the pork ribs. The ribeye was amazing and we would highly recommend it. My boyfriend loved the pork ribs. I am not a fan of sweeter sauces like the one they had on top of the ribs, so I didn't eat much of it. We were already very full at this point, but were still looking forward to dessert. Dessert was the chocolate brownie with matcha cream and the tiramisu. I liked the brownie better and my boyfriend liked the tiramisu better, but both were good desserts.

  This was definitely one of those hidden gem moments for me. I originally booked the restaurant for their food, and then upon entering got the nice surprise of a live... read more jazz band playing while we ate.

They have a tapas style menu with appetizer and main dishes sized courses. Most of their food was very good, some a little salty, but mostly yummy. They also have a set menu of one app, one main per person for $60 which is quite reasonable.

The food is a mix of Asian and Italian fusion. I loved their eggplant, truffle Kobe nabe, and pasta. Servers weren't super friendly, but weren't mean either. I would come back

  Dined in on a Wednesday evening and opted to seat in the outdoor terrace. It was heated and covered, very comfortable and cute.

I opted for the pre-fixe app and... read more main. I had the beef tartare and the truffle donabe with hangar steak added. The beef tartare was good, paired with Korean pears and some radish and rice crackers.. nothing super phenomenal but still good! The truffle donabe was really good, the mushrooms were flavorful and the cured egg made the rice creamy when I mixed it up. The steak was sooo tender and the rice was very crispy on the bottom. I do wish it had a little more truffle flavoring but considering the fresh white truffle shavings, I cant complain too much. I finished the entire thing and I usually can't finish a whole rice dish by myself! Not sure if this means it was small or it was just that yummy haha. My friend and I shared the yuzu panna cotta and it was small but a great way to end the meal.

IMO, this was such a good deal, $50 for an app + entree and my entree came with fresh truffles! Whether you opt for the $70 (which comes with dessert +seafood platter), both options don't break the bank for a nice meal. They also seemed to have a pretty extensive wine list.

The service throughout the dinner was a little rushed at some points but the waitresses were accommodating once they took a hint we were taking our time. We definitely surpassed a 2-hr time limit but for a weekday night, I guess it was okay. The ambiance was classy, but not over the top.

Overall, I felt the meal was great for the price! I would love to come back to try their king crab noodles and uni donabe. I also heard good things about the royal seafood platter.

  For dinner my friend and I both ordered the prix fixe and split everything. The king crab noodle, which had a sharp and unique flavor but very little crab. Yuzu... read more bacon rose pasta was good, but honestly tasted similar to a lot of pastas I've had before. Cod was pretty good - really liked the chickpeas and green onions underneath. The sea urchin truffle donabe was definitely the most unique thing we ordered and had a lot of different textures and flavors going on that all worked pretty well together.

  Good place to eat if you are on a diet...we got the prix fixe lunch which consist of two courses. I got the king crab spaghetti and the truffle donabe... read more which were both quite good but really small portion. I'm 5'5 and 100 pounds so if I'm left hungry I don't think anyone will leave this place feeling fed...overall won't go again

  I came here a few times before and I love the food and ambiance every time I visit. I always have to get the King Crab Noodle because its sooo... read more delicious.

My friend and I ordered half dozen oysters from Island Creek and they were extremely fresh. The pieces were large and the oyster was the perfect amount of saltiness.

We ordered prix fixe and got the King Crab Noodle as an appetizer and the Sea Urchin Truffle Donabe. The king crab noodle was delicious as always and is honestly pretty filling for an appetizer. The donabe was a mouthful of flavors in every bite. Lastly we ordered the matcha tiramisu for dessert, which was okay.

I recommend to make a reservation before visiting especially on the weekends. Hortus is perfect for a date night or a fancy lunch with friends.

  Such a hidden gem in ktown! Definitely one of the more upscale places for the area. The vibe is intimate, perfect for both a date night or a nice dinner... read more with friends. Their menu is a blend of different Asian cuisines.

I thought the tasting menu layout on their menu was a bit deceiving - we thought it came with the royal platter as well as dessert, but that was separate. Their prix-fixe menu came with one appetizer and one main per person for $70 each. For appetizers we got the King Crab Noodle and Lobster Claws with Caviar. The noodles were not heavy at all and the flavor of the crab really stood out! The lobster claws were lightly fried and tasty. For entrees we got the Ribeye Steak and the Sea Urchin Donabe. The standout was definitely the Donabe! All the flavors worked so well together and the rice was so crispy.

All the food came out super quick and $70 for a 2 set menu isn't bad at all in my opinion. Sadly they don't have a full cocktail menu - all their cocktails are soju based and they have wine/beer as well.

  Stopped by for dinner for the 2 course pre-fixe.

The apps were delicious - we got the king crab noodles (very little crab sadly but delicious and a good size... read more portion) and the tuna crudo. 10/10 for both.

The main entrees were unfortunately missing something. Friend got the cod which was well cooked but lacked flavor. I got the chicken which had the yummiest sauce + garnishes but the chicken itself was overcooked and dry.

We split a ice cream sandwich for dessert which was also delicious! If I ever come back, I might just order apps a la carte and skip the mains LOL. Or will def be trying a different main than what we ordered before.

  Came here during restaurant week and thus place is easily one of my favorite date night spot. The crab meat noodles was amazing!!!

  Went for a birthday celebration for mums. I actually liked the appetizer better than the actual entries. It's Asian tapas so the amount of every dish wasn't a lot. For... read more three of us, you would need to order more appetizers and I strongly recommended their oysters (very good quality). Everything was good but not like super impressive. However I do like their service and atmosphere and it would be a good place to hang out with friends.

  We had a truly lovely meal with friends here in the enclosed rooftop dining room. The menu is unique and each delicious dish is served with care and a bit... read more of a flourish. When a mistake was made and the wrong appetizer delivered to our table, rather than just take it away, the server left it with his compliments so my husband could eat something while the rest of us had our appetizers and his was being prepared. This is a thoughtful and unusual gesture as most restaurants would apologize and just take away the incorrect dish. The sums up the type of experience you can expect at this wonderful restaurant.

  Disclaimer for anyone who is physically challenged: the kitchen is on the first floor and dining is on the second floor. Requires climbing flight of stairs to get to dining... read more area. Seating is mostly benches/chairs but there are some high top tables too. I hadn't expected that so sharing for awareness.  

Service was really good. We were originally seated at a high top table and were moved to a more accessible table because one person in the party was injured. Waiter was accommodating with dietary restrictions.

Food was delicious and well priced for the quality and lux ingredients. The uni donabi has so much going on (in a good way) it is like a savory ice cream sundae. The fried lobster claw appetizer with uni and caviar is incredible. Highly recommend coming here and I'll be back!

  Korean is the cuisine du jour, and no one creams harder than a NYC "foodie" hearing the words "upscale Korean fusion". Sadly, Hortus isn't worth the cream. From food to... read more drinks to service, it's a resounding "meh".

Food: The King Crab Fettuccine was less exciting than run-of-the-mill seafood fettuccine I've had at Midtown theater restaurants (and twice as expensive). And the amount of crab given was dismal. The Sea Urchin Donabe was NOT worth the extra $10, as it was vastly oversalted--and the crisps were way too hard to blend texturally into the dish.

Drink: The Very Rose had no rose flavor at all, just lime. The Peach Mule was watery disappointment. And they literally FORGOT my friend's red wine--it was the Hortus Pour, no less! To be fair, they did offer to comp it since it was so late, but by that point, my friend had been drink-less for at least 20 min.

Service: Slow. Glacially slow. One server attending the entire upstairs area by the balcony. Another server occasionally helping to carry dishes. It took almost 30 min for our server to even greet us for the first time.

Hortus isn't terrible, it just isn't interesting or memorable. If this is your first "upscale" Korean fine dining experience, you'll probably be blown away. For the rest of NYC, you'll do better at other places.

  Hortus presents one of the best Asian-Fusion offerings in the fine dining executions. We really appreciate what Chef Lenny Moon has done because dishes are actually very good full of... read more taste and exotic flavors that are hard to find either in Asian restaurants or modern American restaurants. We like dining here often and will be a regular for his continued upward creativity.

  We came for their dinner Prix-fixe and had an amazing time. Beautiful and intimate ambiance and the staff was super attentive and very helpful with the recommendations. Food quality and... read more presentation definitely exceeded our expectations.

  Came for resturant week. The deal is defs a bang for your buck. The food is good and portions are good too! Most of the main items we ordered were... read more added supplements but worth it (and part of their regular menu).

  Definitely one of my top date night spots! Beautiful ambience whether you're out in the heated outdoor garden or inside. They have live classical music and a serene vibe which... read more makes for a pleasant environment for this upscale meal. Everything on the menu is fabulous! Highly recommend: crispy octopus, royal platter, kumamato oysters (worth the splurge!), both the mushroom and Uni donabae . For a drink: the yuzu tonic - it's fresh and delicious like a fancy spiked lemonade haha.