Chung Sol

It’s been forever since they put up the «For Lease» sign, but my eulogy to Chung Sol in review form is my nod in acknowledging their very solid execution of Korean fare. This place was sort of a last stand for Korean BBQ when it was prominent in Sunnyside, especially when the ol ShinChon Kalbi (
) also met its final days. Chung Sol followed only a matter of months later.
I will miss many things, but namely the super sweet husband and wife owners who managed a small team of folks who aimed to please from doorstep to table and back. They were generous with the banchan dishes, quick to refill drinks, efficient with taking orders, and did it all with a smile. More often than not they would swap out dishes when it was clear it wasn’t their best work. This happened at times without even asking.
Their bulgolgi was marinated wonderfully and the samgyeopsal may have been frozen, but still managed to impress every time. The BBQ was solid in all regards, even if the kalbi was a bit on the small side. For every subpar serving of japchae I had, I was able to substitute it with a killer naengmyun. Their pajun offerings were definitely underrated and still under $ 10 for a personal pizza sized portion, something no Korean restaurant in the area or western Queens does today.
Now the spot is the ever popular Sik Gaek (
). If there was a restaurant to replace, let it be them as they’ve been easily the most popular Korean spot between Manhattan «dinky» KTown and Flushing «serious» KTown. There is a part of me that misses Chung Sol still, but I hope the previous owners are enjoying the sunset than slaving to please gluttons like yours truly.

I came here for lunch with a group of friends and we had a good time. We all had the lunch special, their price is really good for the amount of the food we got. The place is small, only a few tables and it wasn’t busy the time we went. This is the place where I fell in love with the Korean sweet rice punch. They give you a tiny little cup of it for desert and I was hooked. I started going to the Korean supermarket to buy this drink regularly now.

This place is closed. Looks like another restaurant will be moving in soon.

Hey this is a nice, unassuming Korean restaurant if you live in Sunnyside. I live a block away from this place, and it’s the only restaurant I eat at around here. I’ve gotten the bi bim bap to go for lunch (7.95) and they pack up lots of banchan for you. They have a good assortment of lunch specials for under $ 10. I was nicely surprised when I went inside bc, yes, from the outside this place look closed.

It’s probably the best korean bbq in the sunnyside area, but is lackluster when compared to other places in NYC. Don’t waste your time with any of the soups, just come here for the meat. If you know what good pork belly tastes like, the stuff here just doesn’t cut it. It’s tough and chewy, not rich and delectable like it should be. If you’re determined to come here, stick with the kalbi and you won’t be disappointed.

I’ve been walking past this place for years, and it looks like it’s a closed business on a really sketchy block.
After reading the reviews I went here with a fellow Unilocaler and decent expectations.
First the GOOD…
1) Beef dumpling soup was tasty if something I’ve had plenty of places before.
2) The beef short ribs in special sauce were good, if not orgasmic.
3) Service was good and competent
The BAD:
I was expecting something just obscenely rich and flavorful with the pork belly after reading reviews here, and honestly it was kind of bland and chewy. I am a fan of pork belly so this was pretty disappointing. I would however return for more short ribs and to try the squid plus a few other dishes.

Don’t let the location fool you. It’s in cognito. The korean bbq was great!

Okay, so I’ve eaten out quite a bit in the last week… I was on vacation!
Anyway, this place was such a find! My husband sent me in to make sure it was okay because from outside it looks very very sketchy.
Inside, it was tidy and the food was fresh and wonderful. It is a typical Korean BBQ place that brings you tons of initial little dishes which you will enjoy if you are brave and willing to taste a bunch of roots and fish and veggies that you may have never tried before. The fried dumplings were excellent and the seafood pancakes was also really yummy. Best of all… was the meat grilled to perfection right before your eyes. We had two different types of beef, both with a sauce, and both were amazing. Wrap it up in the lettuce, throw some of the radish, sauce, kimchee, etc. from the dishes in front of you and voila! You have something fun and new and tasty to eat again.
What a nice change from the other typical more Americanized BBQ places… and no MSG! There were no after effects from this food, it was just fresh and delightful.
Oh and the people were EXTREMELY poilite and sweet and wonderful. Definitely do not be afraid to venture here!

Oh my god! This is the best Korean BBQ place ever! It’s small, inconspicuous, and close to my apt. They serve you a lot of small side dishes with refill without having to ask, the staff is very attentive and the food is superb. The pork belly is so tasty. Since it’s not in Flushing or K-​town, this place is totally unassuming and quiet. However, it’s totally worth the trip if you want to avoid the crowd, noise, and a rushy staff. The best part of this place is that they still use the old-​fashioned charcoal for their grills which def adds more intense flavors than the gas grill many Korean restaurants have switched to. I plan to go back very soon. I even took pics so this family-​run restaurant can get more business. What super nice people!
P. S. — They have 2 different types of Bi Bim Bab– the one in a hot stone pot or the one thats served a lil cold. I prefer the cold one. Its about $ 10. The bbq dishes are less than $ 20, except for the special kalbi (short ribs) which are $ 22. I think theyre reasonably priced and cheaper than k-​town or flushing.

Located on one of the most unattractive corners in Woodside/​Sunnyside, Chung Sol provides surprisingly good food considering its right next to a car repair center and almost right under the 7 Train Tracks. As such, its often forgotten in favor of those places nicely located on Queens Boulevard further West.
The specialty, as with many Korean restaurants, is the barbecue, and Chung Sol doesn’t disappoint with a nicely spicy barbecue sauce. Although it is not different in style to many other Koreans, Chung Sol does it all right, from the many-​dish accouterments that arrive after you order, to the large glass of tea, not water, that greets you upon taking your seat, to the little desert drink that ends each meal.
My only complaint about this oft-​forgotten place was that for a restaurant with little décor (almost none of it Korean) and a constantly blaring television (tuned to Korean tv) the prices seemed a bit high. The range of many dishes is near $ 20. Still, for an excellent, large, and hearty meal, it doesn’t feel so bad.