We were going to have 15 Mexican restaurants, but Pequena is becoming Korean: White Tiger

601 Vanderbilt

We were so close to having 15 mexican restauants between Vanderbilt and Nostrand, but now we fail.

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150209/prospect-heights/korean-restaurant-replace-pequena-prospect-heights

Context: http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/43891/la-burrito-bar-comes-to-underhill-whynot-attempts-to-count-all-the-mexican-places/p1


Photo: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6N0V-ZcR6vM/U9Eg17v9qFI/AAAAAAAD_44/z-4g2wlYqnk/w2048-h1365/Tallia_PequenaVanderbilt012.jpg

OH. MY. GOD. YESSSSS!!!

First of all, why? How? Pequena has proven that there's an incredible thirst for bland food wrapped in a thoughtful decor.   They do great business all year.  I appreciate all the vibrant colors and quirk it brought to my corner, but that was it. 

Ok, back to my excitement.  A Korean Tavern???!! YES YES YES. Bring it.  I'm on watch.

 

I want you type 3 words within a few months: Bim bi bap.

Mmm. Tavern? Maybe we'll get some sort of Korean fried chicken wings!!

yassssss

Finally something interestingly different. Whynot....even bi bim bap

5 words: after hours bim bi bap

I'm excited about Korean!  That Korean bar/restaurant where Branded (?) is now didn't last very long, for whatever reason.

Surprised Pequena lasted as long as it did.  Food was, eh, and the service was never that good.

Bar Chuko is in the old Korean space, I do believe. 

yes, bi bim bap! and some awesome panchan and korean fried chicken and sul long tang and i'd be one happy neighbor!

I'm sure this has been seen, but another "Sensational" Mexican place is coming to Washington Ave? The Old Mason and Mug space.  I love Citrico BTW!

http://www.grubstreet.com/2015/07/el-atoradero-reopening.html

Good spot! I believe you are the first to see that, and I believe we are back up to 15.

Here's a new thread for it: http://www.brooklynian.com/discussion/45890/708-washington-ave-formerly-mason-and-mug-is-becoming-mexican

Have readers noticed a lot of progress on the Korean place that will replace Pequena?

They have had progress on the paperwork front, their alc license is in now effect:  White Tiger https://www.tran.sla.ny.gov/servlet/ApplicationServlet?pageName=com.ibm.nysla.data.publicquery.PublicQuerySuccessfulResultsPage&validated=true&serialNumber=1188820&licenseType=OP

Friends and Family night was held earlier this week, and I believe they are having their soft opening this weekend.

I am hearing this place has yet to officially open, but may be open at random times.

Here's their facebook page and their branding:
https://www.facebook.com/White-Tiger-449227641948568/timeline/

Now officially open.   Grand opening was last weekend.

And, unfortunately for Bopsot there seems to a clear winner in Vanderbilt's Korean war. 

I think the food at both places is good, and the menus, while different, feel the same.  It's Korean food - not too out of the box - Not trying to be different. 

But while Bopsot, pretty much hung a new flag on an already built French restaurant and kept it otherwise as is, White Tiger created a vibe (lighting, music, energy all carefully curated), and you need just walk by during dinner hours to see, it REALLY worked.

When I ate there with friends, my sentiment was, anyone who opens a restaurant in brooklyn and doesn't try to establish some sense of atmosphere doesn't really want to make money.

And this example of two restaurants on the same block, with similar menus, one with an established style, and one void of it, is a scenario that so perfectly makes this point, the Freakanomics guys could probably do a podcast on it. 

 

EDIT: hang on, I'm making this comment its own topic