Temple, as it's known by many long-time visitors to the restaurant, is one of the better Asian eateries in a neighborhood where you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an Asian eatery. Started as a school project by the original owner, it quickly took off and became a popular destination with a clientele that ranges from NYU students looking for a lunch deal, to upscale visitors from upstate. The food is a slightly-Americanized selection of traditional Korean dishes and a wide selection of exotic wines and liquors are available to round out a delicious meal. The staff are picked for their friendly, agreeable demeanor, and the musical ambiance is always sophisticated and subtle.

I've eaten here many times, and my personal favorite lunch dishes are the kimchi stew and the bulgogi on rice, both have flavorful ways to break up your day without emptying your wallet. For a more elegant (and expensive) dinner, the kalbi is fantastic, the bulgogi is something to write home about, and the bibimbap is the weapon of choice for vegetarians. Having lived and worked in Seoul, I will say that the food here comes pretty close to tasting like homecooked Korean food. What you won't find, however, is the Korean BBQ that you are able to get at most other Korean restaurants.

For a taste of what urbane Koreans drink at dinner, try some of their soju cocktails. Their lemon soju is the best I've had in either New York or Seoul, and they have some Korean liquors that I haven't seen anywhere else in New York. Also try the bok-bun-ja, a mountain berry wine that supposedly is hangover-proof (I've tried!).

The place fills up around dinnertime, especially on Friday nights. As every true New Yorker knows, Thursday is the night to go out, and Temple is no exception. The place is packed with people from all over the world. I've heard English, Korean, Japanese, Cantonese, and French spoken by various customers while I was there.

This is one of the first places I recommend to people for almost any situation. I've been here for lunch, for dinner with my roommate (when I lived in the neighborhood), on dates, for business dinner meetings, and as an early evening nightspot on "out on the town" nights. It's a good introduction to Korean food for an American audience, as the dishes aren't as gut-wrenchingly spicy as you'll find in other restaurants.