Oct. 10, 2014 By Michael Florio
Astoria is about to get a big taste of Korea.
Two new Korean restaurants are expected to open in the next month, with one located on Broadway and the other on 30th Avenue.
Mokja, which will be located at 35-19 Broadway, is likely to open in November, according to Jay Jung, who will be the chef.
Jung said the restaurant will serve a mixture of Korean cuisine and Asian fusion. However, he said the menu has yet to be finalized. The restaurant will also serve beer and wine.
Mokja will seat up to 60 people. However, he said there are plans to offer sidewalk seating by next spring.
This will be the owner’s second restaurant. The first is Korean Express, which is located at 807 Lexington Ave in Manhattan.
Jung said the owner, who couldn’t be reached for comment, picked this location because there is a shortage of Korean restaurants in Astoria.
“He wanted to bring something new to the neighborhood,” he said.
The location was formerly a 1-800-Flowers shop.
Jung was born in Korea before moving to Brazil when he was 4-years-old. He lived there until he was 20, before moving to Queens. He has lived in Bayside for the past 25 years.
He has been a a chef at several Korean restaurants in Flushing and Manhattan.
Another Korean restaurant, Don Korean Cuisine, is getting set to open at 42-06 30th Ave, where Astoria Sushi & Asian Bistro was previously located.
One construction worker said yesterday that the restaurant is likely to open this month.
An owner or manager was not available for comment.