Cathy Palm is turning the border of Prospect Heights into a mini restaurant empire. In 2004, Palm opened Le Gamin, a casual French bistro where one can while away a lazy afternoon over a crepe and hot chocolate. The locals have been so receptive to the place, that in September, she decided to add Noo Na, a Korean restaurant, to the end of Vanderbilt Avenue.
“I got really tired of trekking into Midtown for Korean food, so I thought I’d give it a try here,” says Palm.
Noo Na (an endearment a Korean boy says to an older sister) is a modern, industrial-looking corner space with huge windows. Inside, diners can sit beneath red lanterns and indulge in “banchan,” side dishes like “kim chee” (spicy pickled cabbage); big bowls of chef Victor Kim’s “bibim bob” a hot stone pot filled with white rice, vegetables, meat or fish and a fried egg; “man du gug” a dumpling and noodle soup with rice cakes, thinly sliced beef, scallions and egg; or “son kal guk su” which is described on the menu as “fantastic homemade noodles bursting with clear broth that mingle with octopus, shrimp and mussels in this complex Korean comfort food.” “Bul go gi,” the Korean barbeque, is available with beef or a whole mackerel.
There’s a full bar with an international wine list, a variety of sake, “soju” (liquor made from rice, that tastes like vodka) and a lichee martini that’s smooth enough to take the sting out of “kim chee.”
Noo Na (565 Vanderbilt Ave. at Pacific Street in Prospect Heights) accepts American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $8–$20. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily. Subway: C to Clinton/Washington Street. For more information, call (718) 398-6662.
