REVIEW

  beautiful and elegant flavors. royal platter was fresh, donabe was rich and comforting.

obviously not a lot of vegan options--I got the donabe and didn't eat the egg yolk. I think... read more that was the only option--really good but not vegan friendly.

  Came here for a weekday lunch and was very impressed with the food.

Royal Platter (shared among 4) - They were out of lobster so they added more oysters and shrimp... read more for us, which was perfect since we wanted to eat the oysters the most. The seafood was very fresh and beautifully presented.

Truffle Danube - Great mushroom and truffle flavor. The rice was nice and toasted and slightly stuck to the pot which made it sticky and delicious. The salted egg yolk was also a good complement. We also ordered this with the hanger steak which was good, but not completely necessary.

Salmon - My favorite dish. The salmon texture was perfect and the pieces just flaked off, yet it was juicy on the inside. The citrus flavor seeped into the fish and was balanced by the salty crispness of the skin.

Prime Rib - Solid steak, but honestly did not enjoy it as much as the other dishes, so I would not recommend ordering it.

Sides (Cucumber Salad, House Pickles) - Nothing special, I would skip them.

Service - Also good, it seemed that there was only one hostess / waitress, but we didn't feel like we had to wait particularly long.

Ambiance - We were seated outdoors in the terrace / greenhouse and it was quite beautiful.

Would recommend checking this place out for lunch. A delicious, filling meal without breaking the bank!

  The food was incredible, 10/10 and I can't wait to eat there again. The only issue was that we went to celebrate our anniversary and we were sat in a... read more very small room with a large party, it was very loud and the atmosphere did not match the quality of the food.

  Got the PrixFixe Menu (appetizer + meal) that was $45/person. We got the king crab noodles and crispy octopus for appetizers, and the Truffle Donabe + Hanger Steak and Spicy... read more Braised Short Rib for meals. We opted for the Monaka ice cream (black sesame) dessert. Despite the dishes being small, we were actually very full afterwards. The Truffle Donabe + Hanger Steak is very hearty and claypot style, and this is the dish I'd recommend others to get. While the decor, atmosphere, and food is good, it's not a place I'd be dying to go to again. Regardless, it's definitely a cute spot I would still highly recommend to friends if they specifically wanted Korean-fusion and were in the area.

  Delicious delicious meal with great service and nice ambiance (was here for a team dinner but wow so many couples/pairs here and I can see why!!)

We shared and tried a... read more lot of dishes, here's my ranking (though I liked basically everything I tried, really don't think you can go wrong):
1. Spicy Braised Short Rib - didn't think I'd like this but this was my favorite favorite and my friends agreed, super tender
2. Grilled eggplant - would recommend as an appetizer to share!! Yummy generous blob of mozzarella on top 🙂
3. Crispy octopus - delicious but smaller serving than the grilled eggplant
4. Truffle Donabe - yummy if you're looking for a carb dish; portion out the salted egg well so that you don't have too much in one bite!
5. Sea Urchin Donabe - was also really good but it felt like we had a very tiny amount of actual sea urchin in the dish
6. King Crab Noodle
7. Duck

The desserts were good, would recommend tiramisu (less sweet) or Thai tea pudding (more sweet) over the ice cream because the ice cream had a wafer type cookie that just wasn't very good ):

Service was super sweet and helpful 😀 and really topped of the experience.

Tldr share eggplant and try the braised short rib!

  Loved everything about our dining experience - the decor, atmosphere and, of course, the food. Bonus: There was a live jazz band, which wasn't too loud for conversation. We all... read more thought that the prix fixe was a fantastic value for the high quality of the food.  Will definitely come back.

  An amazing experience all around! Sharp looking upstairs dining room with forest green walls and cool pendant lighting that is really relaxing is only the beginning of the great dining... read more experience that Hortus offers! What were the best items that my colleague and I ate? We loved the marinated Ribeye steak with veggies (meat is grass fed and brought brought in from Texas), roasted Sushito peppers with shredded parmigiana cheese and green tea tiramisu! Lovely super fast service. It is gets crowded after 7 pm so get an early reservation! PS Treat yourself to the speciality pineapple cocktail made with a Japanese specialty alcohol) in the cllpineapple shaped glass if you want to really treat yourself!

  Fabulous - the PrixFixe Menu was a great value: Seafood appetizer: Lobster, Kumamoto oysters, Fluke crudo, Shrimp cocktail with some delicious dipping sauces.

Appetizers:
-The Sea Urchin with Lobster tempura, yuzu... read more harissa ($10 supplement) was very interesting, and we all love Uni, no? The lobster tempura was a bit tough and colored black.

Mains:
-Branzino filet cooked perfectly (I would've preferred whole fish).
-Spicy Braised Short Rib with Creamy millet risotto, asian pear gremolata- very flavorful and the meat so tender.
-Truffle Donabe - not exactly what we thought, lots of mushrooms
-Duck, Asian soy glazed, celeriac purée: Probably the best Entree, perfectly cooked medium-rare and the glaze was superb.

Desserts were outstanding.
-Macha Tiramisu served with vanilla ice cream : Tiramisu was really well crafted
-Thai Tea Pudding with fresh mango with condense milk : Exotic although the  mango was a bit sour
-Monaka ice cream with chocolate mochi (Black sesame, green tea or vanilla), this is the best dessert

  my friends and i came to eat here, excited to dine at a michelin restaurant. we all had the two course prix fixe which comes with an appetizer and main... read more course of your choosing ($45/pp). we were seated at the terrace which was very lovely!

king crab noodle * appetizer
i thought this was very delicious! it is onion jalapeño pesto, onion, lemon oil, and mala sauce. the plating was beautiful and it did what appetizers were meant to do - make you excited for your next course!

duck * main course
i will admit, this was not my favorite. i'm sorry i didn't have a picture, i was super excited to eat lol. the duck is asian soy-glazed with a celeriac purée. the purée was very tasty but i was still hungry after my two course. either be prepared to spend more or come on a not so empty stomach!

matcha tiramisu * dessert
hands down the best part of my meal!!!!! this matcha tiramisu was $8 and it came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. the tiramisu was heavenly

i'm not sure if it was bc they were busy, but the service was a bit slow 🙁 i also added a picture of my friend's appetizer which was yellowtail crudo (amazing, i loved the charred onions which gave a good crunch) and the peach mule (soju, peach, and tonic) drink that was sweet and tasty!

  Went there for lunch and was really disappointed with the restaurant, the appetizers were okay, the mains were way below expectation. We waited for a long time after our appetizers... read more were finished and before the mains were served. The mains were not very well seasoned, the steak was over cooked and bitter, the salmon was bland and came with a weird sauce that didn't taste good at all. Would never come back for another meal.

  Okay Hortus what did you put in your vinegary sauce for the oysters because I swear there is crack in there. My mouth may or may not be salavating thinking... read more about the amazing sauces hortus created for the oysters. The service was A1 and the food was great to say the least. I really enjoyed both the crab pasta and oysters. Will be coming back for you!!!

  We booked the table in their 'terrace seating' -- it was implied that this was outdoor seating. And in the COVID era, this kind of thing matters. IT WAS NOT.... read more It was a cramped, loud, tiny indoor space and I felt we had been duped. Food was fine. But did NOT like the atmosphere.

  New favorite date spot. Incredible flavors, unique dishes, elegant experience. Will return again soon for a nice occasion.

  We were seated upstairs in their courtyard. The host was nice to let us know about the ventilation in the room and made sure we were comfortable in the restaurant.... read more I came here with my roommate and we both opted for the 2 course prix fixe for $45. We got the octopus and yellowtail to share and both ordered the truffle donabe with added hanger steak for an additional $7.

Crispy Octopus 3.5/5: the octopus itself was cooked really well but the sauce was overpowering and the vegetables didn't jive well with the octopus for me.

Yellowtail Crudo 3/5: the yellowtail was fresh and buttery soft. It was tasty but I didn't care for the sauce or toppings that came with the dish.

Truffle Donabe with hanger steak 4/5: this dish comes in a donabe and when the server lifted the lift, you are met with a whiff of delicious truffle scent! This is a pretty plain dish of mushroom and rice if you don't add meat. The rice gets a bit soggy on the bottom but I didn't mind it as it was soaking in the flavors from the dish.

Overall I really enjoyed the ambience of this restaurant and the food was pretty good. However, the server kept rushing us during the meal even when we were there for just an hour. We were looking around and wondering why they were rushing us even with empty tables around. Because of that, I'm giving them a 3/5 overall.

  Update: The restaurant manager Suhum Jang threatened to sue unless I took down my negative review via IG. See the photo attachment. This kind of practice is shocking, despicable...mindless. Supreme... read more Court ruled reviews are considered freedom of speech. Perhaps a quick review on consumer rights would help the manager take better course of actions (You're welcome, Suhum). I was curteous enough to accept a message from the manager via IG. Told him I don't accept offers in exchange for positive reviews.  His response was to threaten a diner. This is must be a common practice at Hortus. If guests are subjected to this for voicing an opinion....Can you imagine what the workers must be going through?

Also note, the manager doesn't seem to know that tobiko is not salmon roe. They're eggs of flying fish....

  My favorite restaurant in NYC so far. The sea urchin is so fresh!! A must try! The truffle don is so tasty. The service  is very nice. It's very pretty... read more inside. Highly recommend for a special occasion.

  We came here for dinner and sat in the outdoor space behind the restaurant. The space and ambience were beautiful and the service was very prompt and attentive. We got... read more the tasting menu which meant our meal started with the Royal Platter. The seafood all tasted fresh and was a great way to start our meal.  For my appetizer I got the crispy octopus and it was delicious; cooked perfectly and plenty flavorful. My entree was my favorite part of the meal, I got the truffle donabe with steak and it was incredible. It was rich, flavorful, and very truffle-y tasting which was exactly what I was looking for. For dessert I got the Thai tea pudding which was the perfect sweetness.  Overall I'd highly recommend this place and I will be coming back

  The service and the food here are impeccable.  I tried to prefixe menu which comprised the starter and the main for $49.   I had crab and noodles and then... read more the fish. Subtle flavors, great presentation. My dining companion had the duck as a main and all the items were delicious. We added on a couple of side dishes. Portions tend to be on the smaller side

  Was so excited to try this place and went through a lot of effort to get a babysitter on a Saturday night. Booked though Resy and requested an outdoor seating.... read more Reached out to them a day before the reservation to confirm it would be outdoors - they said it would be. We showed up and their "outdoors" was a sun room. It was all glass enclosed and there was no outside - also- people were seated on top of each other, like back to back. When we asked if they could do anything about it they said no. We felt uncomfortable so we left. I was so sad they would take advantage of people like this. I'm sure the food is great but they need to be honest about their set up when people are booking reservations.

  Taste: everything we ordered tasted great, and the truffle donabe was the best truffle dish I've ever had
Value: on the pricey side ($180 for 2 entrees, 2 apps, 2 cocktails,... read more 1 dessert), but felt it was fair given how much I enjoyed the food
Frequency: will probably come every 2-3 months for that truffle entree

Recommended dishes:
1. Truffle donabe with flank steak: the best execution of truffle I've experienced so far, and I am a frequenter of the tasting menu places in NYC that love to use truffle but tend to overdo it and have an overpowering truffle flavor. This is a rice dish with white truffle shavings that beautifully marries the aroma of truffle with the texture and taste of the rice. I am not a big truffle guy but I loved this. Massive flavor and aroma in your mouth

2. king crab noodle: a 50/50 fusion of fettucini pasta and Asian noodles in terms of flavors. It was so good that could eat a giant bowl of this; sadly the portion for this app gets consumed pretty quickly by a party of two

3. Matcha tiramisu: I had low expectations for this but it was a very good and cleanly executed tiramisu. very good for just $8

4. Oyster: the gochujang dressing was brilliant and worked very well with the oysters, which tasted fresh. Highly recommend getting a half dozen if you like oysters

We also had the Branzino and Sea Urchin appetizer. We weren't huge fans of the branzino - the fish could have been cooked fattier/juicier. the sea urchin appetizer was pretty good (pieces of uni on lobster tempura cakes) and a good mix-in, so I do recommend it, but we enjoyed the above recommended dishes more

in terms of conceptualizing the type of cuisine at Hortus, think of this place as Jungsik's counterpart as Nougatine is the counterpart to Jean-Georges. most dishes here could belong on a $200 per person tasting menu

can also think of it as a korean Kimika. it's very far from 'korean'. more like experimental fine cuisine with asian/korean influence