Korean by Korean

A guide to excellent Korean food for when you want to be the only in-the-know white person surrounded by a sea of asian people:

It's 4:30am the bars are closed and you're hungry:
Kun Jip on 32nd St. between 5th and Broadway (north side of street, near the middle)

It's where all the Koreans bustle - there's always a line. Open 24 hrs day, it makes for an excellent stop for grub on your way home from clubbing. Try the galbi (marinated rib bbq). The dolsot bibimbap (stone pot cooked rice with mixed vegetables) is excellent here. And after you're done eating, why not relax for awhile at Juvenex, a neighboring non-sketchy spa that's open 24 hrs? Liz Ko and once got over our hangovers there.   

When you want to initiate Korean cuisine virgins and they're the scene-y bunch:
Woo Lae Ok in Soho

The decor is decidely sleek, modern, in shades of blues and grays and there's not even a whiff of tell-tale bbq burning. This is where Koreans come to entertain non-Korean clients who want to try that 'nouvelle asian cuisine.' The food is good, not entirely authentic, and pricier than k-town, but that's the Soho tax. It's nonetheless a good option for those who want to have an upscale korean dining experience.

It's cold outside and nothing but soup can warm you up:
Gahm Mee Ok

Open 24 hrs, this is the place to come when you're feeling a bit sick-y and want soup to warm you up. They are famous for their sullongtang - an oxtail broth with rice vermicelli, thinly sliced beef and rice inside. I'd ask for the rice separately and eat it alternatingly with spoon and chopsticks, accompanied by kimchi or kakduggi that they slice at the table for you. And - ask for bori-cha - it's barley tea, served free of charge - quite possibly the chosen drink of koreans all over the world. We drink it hot in the winter, cold in the summers.

More to come...

guard the list with your life. You don't want the spots to go the way of day old fish.