On a recent weekday evening in Flushing, Meju drew a steady crowd. The restaurant sits on Northern Boulevard, surrounded by grocery stores and bakeries. Diners came in pairs and small groups, some speaking quietly in Korean. The space is plain, with wooden tables and minimal decoration.
Meju’s menu departs from the usual barbecue and fried dishes common in the neighborhood. Instead, the kitchen focuses on soups, stews, and fermented vegetables. Dishes arrive simply plated, often with a bowl of rice and an assortment of banchan. Prices for main courses start around $22, a modest figure for this part of Queens.
The restaurant has earned attention this month after being named among The Times’s top five in the city. Staff describe a philosophy that centers on nourishment. Broths are made from scratch; kimchi is fermented in-house. A server explained that the chef’s mother visits weekly to check on the pickles.
In the dining room, conversation tended to hush as plates were set down. On Thursday, a nurse from Elmhurst Hospital ate solo, spooning dwenjang jjigae and rice. "It tastes like home," she said, before heading back outside into the warm evening.