How to book Kisa

The drop

Tables open 15 days ahead at midnight New York time on Resy.

Rule from its booking page, last read by us 30 September 2026.

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About Kisa

Kisa is a small Korean diner at 205 Allen Street, at Houston Street, on the Lower East Side. It comes from David JoonWoo Yun and Steve JaeWoo Choi, the partners behind C as in Charlie, together with Yong Min (YK) Kim, and it opened on April 20, 2024, with chef Simon Lee, formerly of Jua, in charge of the menu^3,6.

The name is short for kisa sikdang, the "driver's restaurant": the plain diners that grew up in South Korea in the 1980s to feed taxi drivers^1,3. The restaurant serves baek ban, a home-style set meal of rice, soup and banchan built on that model^3,7.

The format is simple. Each guest orders one platter and picks a main from four: bulgogi, spicy pork (jeyuk), stir-fried spicy squid or sanchae bibimbap with mountain vegetables, which replaced the barley bibimbap served at opening^2,3,7. It comes with rice, soup and a ring of banchan that change with the seasons and can be refilled; the set is $36^2,6,7. Drinks are a short list of Korean beers, soju, makgeolli and other Korean rice wines, plus free coffee, cocoa or a black bean latte from a vintage coin-slot machine, paid for with a quarter the staff hand over^3,4,5. It serves dinner every day and lunch from Wednesday to Sunday¹.

The room seats about 36 and is dressed like an older Korea, with Korean signage, wall-mounted fans, Korean calendars, family photos and old TV sets^3,5. Kisa started as a walk-in-only place; it now takes bookings on Resy for parties of up to four and still welcomes walk-ins^2,3. Eater named it one of the best new restaurants in America in 2024⁶.

What people like

The banchan: a generous, refillable spread of side dishes that reviewers say goes well beyond the usual, from crisp jeon to soy-cured shrimp and rice cakes with Vienna sausages.^4,5,6
The value: one fixed price for a full set meal, which The Infatuation called one of the best deals on the Lower East Side and Resy one of the best and tastiest deals in town.^2,4
The mains, especially the spicy pork speckled with char and the bulgogi sliced into smoky ribbons.⁴
The room, which critics describe as a step back into 1980s and 1990s Korea, with oscillating fans, old TVs and VHS tapes.^4,5
The coin-operated drink machine that serves free coffee, cocoa or a black bean latte after the meal.^4,5,6

Pictures

A bulgogi platter with banchan on a newspaper-covered table Photo: Kisa

Sanchae bibimbap with mountain vegetables and gochujang Photo: Kisa

Bulgogi topped with sliced scallions Photo: Kisa

Stir-fried spicy squid in a steel bowl Photo: Kisa

Braised pork ribs with potato and carrot Photo: Kisa

Sources

Last checked 30 September 2026.

resy.com platform: 15 days at midnight, party size, cancellation fee, checked 2026-09-30

Sources for the description and pictures

kisaus.com official: Kisa | korean diner | 205 Allen Street, New York, NY, USA
resy.com platform: Book Your Kisa Reservation Now on Resy
ny.eater.com press: Kisa Opens From C as in Charlie on the Lower East Side | Eater NY
theinfatuation.com press: Infinite banchan plus limited mains equals big fun at Kisa - Review - New York - The Infatuation
grubstreet.com press: The Best New Restaurants in NYC
eater.com press: The 14 Best New Restaurants in America in 2024 | Eater
kisaus.com official: JUNE 2026 Baek Ban | Kisa