OK, OK. So, I’ve been on a little bit of a hiatus this summer.

The company I work for opened up a brand new hotel in May (the East Austin Hotel in case you’re unaware!), and my summer has been INSANE. I even needed a root canal for an infected tooth! Needless to say, there wasn’t a whole lot of time to try out new eats and drinks, but I have found myself at a new East Austin eatery TWICE in the past couple of months—it is THAT delicious.

Oseyo is sort of an upscale-ish Korean spot, but it’s actually really affordable. The most expensive thing on the menu is around $25, but you get A LOT OF FOOD.

Because it only opened in May, it’s super popular, so you can expect to wait an hour during the peak times on the weekends. But, if the weather is not that terrible (i.e. under triple digits), sitting out on their adorable patio under string lights is the perfect way to pass the time. Pro tip: Order the Toki Tea cocktail (Suntory Toki Japanese Whiskey, Plum & Toasted Matcha Tea Syrup, Lemon). It’s really refreshing and an easy cocktail to sip on while waiting for a table.

Once inside, you’ll be greeted to a really sultry interior perfect for a date night. It’s dark and moody while light and airy all at the same time!

I love to start off with their Tong Dak, which is a spicy-sweet Korean fried chicken. As soon as the spiciness hits your palate, the sweetness comes in to cool you off. I simply adore Korean fried chicken, so this is an absolute must for me.

The Gun Mandu (house-made pan fried dumplings with assorted vegetables & mushrooms) is great for those who, like me, abstain from eating pork. It’s extremely rare to get a veggie dumpling in this town, trust me! These are crisply pan-fried and have an incredible umami flavor from the ‘shrooms.

When I go to a Korean restaurant, I typically order the Dolsot Bibimbap, so I quickly ordered this my first visit. Now, it was delicious, but when Greg’s entree of wood grilled sesame-marinated chicken thighs came out, I was immediately jealous. And, he almost NEVER orders better than I do. So, of course, when we went back a second time, I totally had to order it as well.

The chicken is so flavorful and incredibly moist, which is extremely rare when ordering chicken—honestly, I hardly ever order chicken out at a restaurant, but with the sesame and wood grill this one is to die for.

And, because it’s a Korean eatery, there’s a whole slew of banchan condiments that come with your meal, including kimchi cabbage, kimchi cucumbers, bean sprouts, spinach, pickled veggies, and a whole lot more. It’s one of my favorite parts of eating at a Korean place, because you get to combine so many fun flavors! The ones at Oseyo are simply perfection. I usually hate one (looking at you soybeans), and here I love all of them.

I’ve been eyeing the short rib every time I go, but honestly the menu is too tempting. I want to order everything. Go with friends and do just that!

Oh, by the way, they just announced they’ll be offering lunch service starting September 24, so this month is the perfect time to give Oseyo a try if you haven’t already.