Mokbar, a popular Korean eatery in New York City, will open in Newark in the coming weeks, making it the restaurant’s first location in New Jersey and the fourth location of the franchise. It will be located in the Gateway complex at 1 Gateway Center, Newark. Read on to learn more about Mokbar coming to Newark.
(Photo credit: @mokbar_nyc)
The Announcement
News of Mokbar’s expansion was presented in a press release that stated Mokbar will occupy 950 square feet in the Market Hall area of Gateway One.
“I’m very excited to get back to my New Jersey roots! What better place to open Mökbar, my flagship restaurant than Newark,” Esther Choi, Chef and Owner of Mökbar, said in the release. “I’m ready to get to work and share my Korean culture and cuisine with the downtown residents and workers.”
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A daycare center, One Step Ahead Learning & Performing Arts, also signed a lease for interior and exterior space to be used for a private outdoor playground in Gateway One near the Doubletree Hotel in Newark.
(Photo Credit: @mokbar_nyc)
“Just as we’ve brought diverse food options from the other side of the Hudson River to the Gateway Center, it’s important for us to share Newark’s local flavor and culinary talent with central downtown commuters, residents, and visitors,” said Matthew Flath, Vice President of Asset Management for Onyx Equities, the real estate firm that owns Gateway.
What To Expect
Mokbar was founded by Esther Choi, a James Beard Award-winning chef, who also owns the cocktail bar Ms. Yoo located in NYC’s Lower East Side. The other three locations of Mokbar include inside the Chelsea Market (75 9th Avenue), inside The Atrium (601 Lexington Avenue), and near the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (212 Flatbush Avenue).
The menu at Mokbar includes appetizers like edamame, dumplings, Ho’ cake, and Korean fried chicken. There is also a variety of ramen dishes, bowls, and kimchi.
(Photo Credit: @mokbar_nyc)
Per the website, “Our menu is constantly changing to incorporate the freshest ingredients from places like the Union Square Greenmarket or the Korean markets in Flushing, Queens. All of our ramen dishes are made to order — and the soup for each is born by combining the ‘mother broth’ with another specialty broth or sauce.”
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In addition, “Almost all of our dishes (from kimchi to ramen) include gochujang, a traditional Korean red chili paste…We use only the finest gochujang — a local, artisanal product that is custom made for us — that is aged 18 months to achieve just the right blend of sweet, spicy, and savory. The same goes for our doenjang, a fermented soybean paste that is considered to be one of the most essential condiments in authentic Korean cuisine. Our doenjang is also unique in that is a local, artisanal product that is wheat and gluten-free – something very difficult to find.”
(Photo credit: @mokbar_nyc)
The opening date of Mokbar is still up in the air. In the meantime, Mokbar is available to be shipped straight to a customer’s door through Cookunity. It also is available to ship nationwide through Goldbelly. Mokbar also caters a variety of events such as weddings, holiday parties, and office meetings.
Be sure to follow Mokbar on Instagram found here for the latest updates.