Doma Food and Drinks debuts on 1st Avenue

[Photo by Steven]

Doma Food and Drinks, a Korean bistro, is now in soft-open mode at 120 First Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

As you may recall, the Tang closed here back in the fall with a notice that owner Yu Li was going to reboot the space with a new concept.

Florence Fabricant had this preview online yesterday at the Times:

[C]hef Jackie Kim weaves traditional dishes like bibimbap and Korean fried chicken into an eclectic menu. More offbeat are kimchi arancini made with kimchi rice, ceviche in a Korean mustard vinaigrette, and bossam to wrap in steamed buns instead of lettuce. (Ms. Kim is from South Korea, and has lived in Spain, which accounts for some of the influences.)

And the design?

The room, designed by Mr. Li’s partner, Minn Hur, who is also from South Korea, is done in pale tones with eye-catching pink velvet and strips of neon on the back wall.

Find the menu as well as photos of the food and interior at the Doma website.

The Tang opened here in July 2016.

Yes, the Tang has closed, but something else is on the way

While on the topic of 118 First Ave. ... The Tang, the Chinese noodle bar and its neighbor to the north at 120 First Ave., closed in early October ... an event that I forgot to note...



Here's part of the closing message from Team Tang on Instagram:

After three years of serving the neighborhood, we are sad to announce that The Tang EV will be closing on Monday, October 7.

Since we have found a new home at Upper West Side, to be more consistent with our brand, we are shutting down our East Village location. However, please stay tuned on our upcoming project, which we are very excited about. It will be a brand new concept that we will turn this space into.

We want to thank all the neighbors for your continuous support and all the employees who have worked here.

Last month, reps for The Tang appeared before CB3's SLA committee for an alteration to their existing license. CB3 approved the extended hours. Per the official minutes of the meeting:

[T]his is an application for an Asian noodle restaurant with a certificate of occupancy of seventy-four (74) people, six (6) tables and twenty-two (22) seats, no bar, proposed hours of operation of 11:30 A.M. to 1:00 A.M. Sundays through Thursdays and 12:00 P.M. to 4:00 A.M. Fridays and Saturdays, a kitchen open during all hours of operation...

No other word on what this new concept might be...

The Tang is now open on 1st Avenue

As we first noted back in May, there's a new restaurant in the works for 120 First Ave. near Seventh Street (and next door to the International).

The owners of The Tang, a contemporary Chinese noodle bar, had its soft opening yesterday. ("No boisteous celebration, no crazy party, no private media tasting session ... simply opening our door to our EV neighbors who love noodles.")


[Image via Facebook]

And the owners shared this description of their restaurant:

At The Tang, we serve noodles, wraps, and appetizers based on traditional recipes originated from various regions in China and present the essence of authentic flavors, together with innovative twists inspired by the big apple’s metropolitan appetite. Our menu features our specialty noodles and wraps, in addition to seasonal dishes.

We understand how sipping hot noodles soup becomes challenging in the summer, and that’s why we are currently offering you exclusively our dried and cold noodles with a variety of toppings and sauces. Of course, cold drinks like ice brew oolong tea and refreshing appetizers, such as Chungking Express salad and Hala Chicken, are included in our menu to beat the summer heat. But don’t worry, by the time you pull out your winter jackets, we will have the steaming soup noodles ready for you.

The hours are Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Friday-Sunday noon to midnight.


[Image via The Tang]

The Tang bringing Chinese noodles and wraps to 120 1st Ave.

Over on First Avenue next to the International, a new restaurant is in the works...

EVG correspondent Steven spotted friendly signage up from the proprietors behind The Tang, "a contemporary Chinese noodle bar" ...



The Tang expects to be open in late July here between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place. The previous tenant, Wechsler's Currywurst and Bratwurst, closed in December 2014 after nearly five-plus years in business.