Star chef Sungchul Shim had already cooked at some of the most esteemed kitchens in the city like Le Bernardin and Per Se before branching out on his own. Today, New Yorkers best know him as the chef behind MICHELIN-Starred Korean gems Mari and Kochi, but his latest, Gui Steakhouse in NYC, marks the beginning of an exciting new direction.
“I’ve been planning this for more than 10 years,” says Shim, who debuted the new steakhouse on February 22. “It was my dream to open a steakhouse in Manhattan, in Times Square.”
That means you can expect meticulous attention to detail at this glamorous restaurant, including a carefully prepared prime rib, stellar martinis, luxurious booths, and more. “I want all the people to know that this is a steakhouse concept,” Shim says. “We are not a Korean barbecue with table grills where you cook the food yourself.”
Read on for what to expect at Gui Steakhouse in NYC, and make a booking on OpenTable.
What to eat
The expansive menu has a mix of raw bar offerings, appetizers, and hearty mains and the star of it all is signature prime rib that’s prepared with a shio kombu and koji crust. “A steakhouse should have the best prime rib,” Shim says. “We have a wet-dry and wet-dry again technique, cooking for almost seven hours with a beautiful crust.”
It can take anywhere from 24 to 30 hours to prepare the dish, and Shim orders and cooks the prime rib based on the number of reservations each day.
But before you dig into the star attraction, consider some of the raw bar options like the Fisherman’s Boat where you can choose from different seafood like Hokkaido scallop and lobster tail and pair it with exciting condiments like a makgeoli mignonette, a spicy chojang cocktail sauce, and a black rice citrus soy. And keep building with other dishes from there like the A5 Wagyu katsu sandwich featuring milk bread, caramelized jam, and truffle brie.
“We have a classic steakhouse concept with a lot of Asian flavor,” Shim says.
What to drink
Start your evening at Gui’s ground-floor Bar 92 (the restaurant is on the second floor) with a small bite and one of the signature cocktails—The Gui-tini is Shim’s favorite. “It’s a must-try on our menu,” he says. It’s a creative mix of Scotch, mezcal, and orange bitters, among other ingredients and is topped with housemade beef jerky.
Keep the night going as you settle in for your meal at the restaurant where you can still choose from the cocktail list or pick from the extensive wine list that includes more than a dozen options by the glass.
Where to sit
There’s not a bad seat in the house in this glamorous joint. The restaurant’s 130 seats are spread out between green leather booths and tables, some of which have views of the open kitchen. If you’re into city views or want to get a peek at all the action in Times Square, request a seat by the window. For bigger groups, the restaurant has two intimate private dining rooms that can seat between eight to ten people.
Alexis Benveniste is a big fan of Persian food, sushi, and finding hidden gems she can recommend to her friends. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The MICHELIN Guide, Bloomberg, and New York Magazine. You can find her on Instagram at @apbenven.
