The Korean business world is undergoing a colorful rebirth. There are so many eateries springing up on the streets of Flushing’s Murray Hill that Koreans have taken to calling the area Mokja Kolmok, or “Let's Go to the Corner to Eat.” Mokja Kolmok refers to the blocks bordered by 149th and 150th Streets and Roosevelt Avenue and 41st Avenue, right around the LIRR stop. This transformation began in 2002.
Back then there were about 10 restaurants in the neighborhood. The streets were as quite as empty country roads. Catering to a largely senior crowd, the area restaurants were both traditional and nostalgic. Elderly Koreans often met at the popular Evergreen Center (Sangnoksu). When the new mood of American prosperity climaxed, the area became known for its traditional foods and began to draw larger crowds. This was the start of Mokja Kolmok and it has been developing steadily ever since. The roughly 10 restaurants of the early 2000s have now blossomed to over 50 Korean businesses, including 30 restaurants.
Interestingly, these restaurants are all special, unique and different, and a far cry from the old, traditional folk spots of the past. Their menu offerings are a step beyond the, by now, widely familiar favorites, such as Korean cold noodles, morning soups, porridges, sushi, barbeque, blood sausage, or traditional drinks and pancakes. Mokja Kolmok offers a variety of foods for those interested in new, different, and special items. The area restaurants also cater to a growing western clientele that has discovered the health benefits of Korean food, made without artificial ingredients. There is certainly something for everyone at the closely packed corner restaurants.
Another great attraction to the area is that the restaurants cater to all ages; old and young people, and even children, all feel at home. A draw is the restaurants’ many novel decorations, like the tent restaurants, which make it easy for patrons to dine without negotiating heavy doors. This is typical of “food streets” in Korea, where covered carts might line an entire block. In fact, the mood and atmosphere of these tent restaurants have contributed to Mokja Kolmok's fame and are main factors for its rapid development.
The commercial growth of the area is not limited to restaurants. Now the area boasts beauty salons, barber shops, English institutes, kindergartens, karaoke, video shops, and professional offices such as lawyers and public accountants.
Ms. Hong, Yu-mi, a lawyer whose offices are located at 150th St., said, "There are more than enough restaurants to satisfy anyone, and traffic conditions are also favorable. The Korean population is large so many professionals are planning to open offices here."
Mrs. Kim, Sang-yo, the 76-year-old owner of a Korean blood sausage restaurant and one of the original area residents, said, "It used to be like a deep mountain village here; now the streets are crowded even at night. At first, the streets were like a wilderness, but when the Korean restaurants came, they brought new life, so the area is now bustling, thriving, and filled with all kinds of excellent foods." The expansion of the Korean restaurant business in this area indeed changed the mood and economic situation.
Kim's recipes at Minsok Shiktang, the Traditional Folk Korean Restaurant, meet the exacting traditional Korean taste. Koreans who miss their old hometown foods come to this restaurant with family members to enjoy the traditional Korean blood sausage, usually cooked by steaming them in a huge cast iron pot. Traditional blood sausage is tender, tasty and safe to eat because of the long steaming process. Kim noted, "Now that we have market streets with lots of people and many restaurants, competition is actually very high. I hope the economy will recover soon and for business to grow even larger. Come and visit!"
