Korean restaurant offering a casual take on refined Asian fusion cuisine. Franchia Decor is traditional Korean architecture that contrasts with elements of modernism. Dishes may include spicy duck salad, ramen with tonkatsu, sizzling bulgogi plate, and a large selection of sushi. Sister-restaurant to the venerable Hangawi vegan restaurant. Open Mon-Thu 12:00pm-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 12:00pm-9:30pm, Sun 12:00pm-9:00pm.
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12 Park Ave (at Midtown Manhattan), New York City, New York, USA, 10016
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Last update on 05 Jul 2024 by geometric-noise
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Featured Review
CelianRaimbault
Points +220
Best Vegan Restaurant! - Edit
One of the best vegan restaurant I tried so far! Both the presentation and the taste were amazing. I strongly recommend
Read morePros: Taste, Presentation, Originality
INTJ_mara
I loooove Franchia. What’s the dish in the first pic?
Read moreLidekouRashikpkps
Nice dishes
Read moreGuest
330 Reviews
First Review by Poundie
lizzette
Points +22
Wasn’t my favorite - Edit
It was not gross in any way. But they need to definitely step it up in the fake meats department. We got the assorted dumplings. They were more like empanadas but they were decent so I’m not complaining. They could have done better with the stuffing thou. We got these lemon grass noodles with chikn. It was hot it should have been cold. It was wierd. I felt like noodles fell in my dish washer. We got a noodle soup. It was pretty good the broth was delish. But the fake meat tasted like soggy crispy wontons. The actually wontons in the soup were so squishy didn’t like it. Also we got the crab cakes. My boyfriend was so grossed out by them. I really liked them thou. They tasted like egg and seafood. I wouldn’t say crab thou. Then we had the chocolate cake and the blue berry cake. Both were so delish! I probably wouldn’t come back here
Read moreGuest
sglcklch
Points +3703
Meh - Edit
I'd say this is more of a pan-Asian restaurant with a slight Korean slant. You may be disappointed if you're looking for straight up Korean food. The fact that they don't serve banchan should be a clue.
Read moreWe got the Peking buns and scallion pancakes to start with, then the kimchi bibimbap and the sizzling "bulgogi" mushroom plate for entrees. I love scallion pancakes and the ones here were pretty decent. Everything else ranged from so-so to underwhelming. The bibimbap came with three sad pieces of kimchi in a tiny bowl on the side and just wasn't worth the price. The "sizzling" "bulgogi" mushroom dish was a misnomer because it came out hardly sizzling and nothing about it reminded me of bulgogi at all. I would've been fine with it had the price tag been $15 instead of $20. I wish we'd ordered something else.
Overall it was an okay meal but overpriced for what it was. There's a reason why I skipped this place every time I visited NYC. This is a 2.5 rounded up to a 3.
Pros: scallion pancakes
Cons: overpriced
Guest
KiaiKim
Points +20
Too much soy - Edit
The menu at this place was expansive and it took my partner a while to decide what to eat. But it took me next to no time to decide, because I knew that I did not want fake meat, which most of the menu had. Of course I could have ordered a dish without it, but I expect a chef to choose ingredients purposefully and want to experience a dish as intended. But this restaurant is not a place to expect much.
Read moreI was disappointed that the menu looked like a conventional Chinese restaurant's with a gazillion options that include "meat" with nearly every dish. And all their fake meat products contain soy according to the waitress. I already had plenty of soy to eat that week and didn't want to ingest any more phytoestrogens. I also didn't want tofu made with calcium carbonate, a dessicant. That left much less choice. I went with the bibimbap, which lacked the variety of flavors that come with Korean side dishes. I wished I had ordered the panang curry sans fake meat.
The waitress did not know if the gojuchang had preservatives. I didn't bother asking if there were any stabilizers besides starch.
Yelp said this place is fusion. I did not see one fusion dish on the menu. It's just Asian with different Asian cuisines. This place is great if your friends can't decide between Thai and Korean. To me, "fusion" indicates creativity. But the menu had no creativity, which was a big disappointment.
Pros: Many menu choices, Pleasant atmosphere
Cons: Unknowledgeable staff, Not much soy-less choice, Boring menu
Guest
talevis
Points +127
Great food! - Edit
Really good drunken basil noodles, but a bit too expensive for me.
Read moreGuest
GingerCline
Points +1035
Great vegan Asian fusion - Edit
I like this place even more than Hangawi, I think. Not as upscale, and it has fake meat options.
Read moreGuest
Jen6201
Points +37
Very good food - Edit
The food here is very good, not amazing but very enjoyable. I had the drunken basil noodles and my brother had bibimbap. The "chicken" and "beef" were good. There is an interesting selection of herbal teas, I recommend ginger. For dessert, I recommend the blueberry coconut cake, it was great!
Read morePros: Entirely vegan, Lots of options
Cons: On the expensive side
Guest
Streets
Points +22
Great food and service. - Edit
Beautiful ambiance. Delicious food & felt a little rushed but it's NYC 💙💛
Read moreGuest
erykah
Points +72
Great place - Edit
Stopped in here as we were close by. Definitely worth it! Delicious Asian food! Super delicious. I had the “meat” and wonton noodles and we shared the mixed entree (4 pieces each). Was very flavourful. They also have a massive tea menu!
Read morePros: Huuuuge menu, Good and fast service , Friendly
Guest
TheVeganCowboy
Points +601
Vegan Sushi !!! - Edit
Quaint spot on Park Ave. Vegan Korean!!
Read moreTried the Dragon Roll, BBQ Satay and Spicy Chili Todu. All was quick and superb.
Pros: All Vegan , Kim Chi , Vegan Sushi
Guest
Kyla
Points +48
Great way to get vegan Asian cuisines - Edit
I enjoyed the place. The main dishes are so savory even meat-eaters will not believe it's vegan. The dumplings were so-so (personal opinion); the kimchi dumplings were better compared to the other flavors. Most of the vegan spots I've been to in NYC served western food, so this place was a great change for me.
Read moreGuest
SofiaLeivaEnamorado
Points +56
I love this place! - Edit
The sushi was amazing. I dream of it.
Read moreGuest
Suzykiwi
Points +372
Nice food - Edit
Amazing kimchi dumplings! Food is good on the whole. If you don’t like fake meat ask to have without as plenty of veg etc in dishes.
Read moreGuest
jainstonge
Points +270
Solid vegan. Overrated? - Edit
Too much rice, not enough veggies. terrible wine, but good sake. I mean who wants to pay $12 for an airplane bottle of Woodbridge (barf)? Tasty soup. Lots of “fake” meat on the menu, if that’s what you’re into. Tasty kimchi. Slightly disappointed but maybe I ordered wrong.
Read morePros: All vegan, Extensive menu, Good service
Cons: Expensive, Bad expensive wine, Dim ambiance
KiaiKim
Did you get the bibimbap? I thought the same: too much rice, not enough veggies, especially since there was no added protein like egg.
Read moreGuest
PlantBasedFuture
Points +38
One of the best Vegan choices in NYC - Edit
The food was just amazing. I had steamed mixed vegetables dumplings, then the basil noodles and a cheesecake for dessert. Everything was delicious, well prepared and served. Friendly and customer oriented service. Asian customer service is the best :)
Read moreKiaiKim
Wish I saw your review before ordering.
Read moreGuest
pebble
Points +492
Fantastic! - Edit
The food was great, the restaurant is beautiful and the service just wonderful.
Read moreWe ordered the spring rolls (good) and the assorted dumplings (Spicy Kimchi were the best) for appetizers.
And also Lemongrass noodles, basil noodles, javanese noodles and the dumpling noodle soup, all just absolutely delicious.
Pros: Food, atmosphere, decor
Guest
sarahssoares
Points +831
Incredible food - Edit
Small place that does not look from the outside, but inside is large and with many tables. We went without reservation in the early evening, we got a table. Ask for the crab cake, it is wonderful and bizarrely similar to the traditional version. Even the smell. The sushis were ok. We also ordered the "chicken thigh" which looked bizarre, but the taste was not so similar. Amazing food.
Read moreGuest
Kalbasala
Points +580
Pretty good - Edit
I ate at Franchia 3-4 times, the wait time was annoying to get seated but I guess calling ahead would solve that issue or reduce the wait. The servers were nice but very busy and rushed and food was okay but pricey for what it is. I recommend not getting the sushi. I ordered it on 2 separate visits and the rice was warm which I really didn't like. I also got a 'seafood' noodle dish which I liked a lot.
Read moreCons: Prices, Wait time
Guest
TorixBear
Points +138
Gluten-free options available - Edit
I had the GF leek pancakes and GF stone pot veg bibimbap, which were delicious. All GF menu items were marked. My not-fully-vegan husband and teenage sons enjoyed their meals too.Beautiful Korean temple / traditional Korean restaurant inspired interior, with low lighting for pleasant ambiance. Definitely recommended if you enjoy Korean food
Read morePros: Gluten-free options , Great interior / ambiance, Great range on menu
Guest
KhidraWeisman
Points +100
delicious,but pricey - Edit
The food is great, perfect for a nice lunch!
Read moreGuest
amelia3599
Points +274
great great - Edit
Great great food recommend vegan sushi!
Read moreGuest
abendlied
Points +143
Delicious food and friendly service! - Edit
Stopped in for lunch with my omni family and we all loved it! The “duck” steamed buns were amazing! I had a shiitake mushroom bulgogi lunch special - sizzling mushrooms and delicious, crisp vegetables! My fiancé loved the sushi too! Our waiter was incredibly nice and personable.
Read moreGuest
lady3jane
Points +314
Excellent - Edit
My meal was delicious. So delicious. Plus, tasty, inventive cocktails. My two omni friends loved their meals as well, and all three of us were satisfied, happy, a determined to come back again.
Read morePros: Delicious, Vegan Korean food! , Unique cocktails
Guest
Oboogy
Points +51
Love love love this place - Edit
when i tell you that this place has the best vegan sushi. My favorite is the Dragon roll sushi. i went there a few weeks ago and i had 42 pieces of Sushi. i ordered the Dragon twice and one order of everything else.
Read moreThe coconut blueberry cake is also rocking.
Guest
vannygreen
Points +66
One of the best! - Edit
Highlights were the pancake combination, the spicy crab cakes and the Peking Buns... this place blew us away - phenomenal!
Read morePros: Creative !, Perfectly presented , Sooo tasty
Guest
Philhower
Points +288
Delicious variety - Edit
We called for a reservation but it wasn’t completely full on a Wednesday evening. Large variety of choices in many different Asian styles. Food was hot and tasty. Portions were just right for us.
Read morePros: Entirely vegan , Friendly service, Delicious food
Cons: Pricey. But it’s Park Ave in NYC!!
Guest
brwilliams387
Points +18
Seriously delicious - Edit
Atmosphere, food, drinks and service are all A !!
Read morePros: try the Peking buns
Cons: close quarters
Guest
Tamy
Points +3397
Delicious! - Edit
As a huge fan of Hangawi, I simply had to visit its new sister restaurant on my trip to NYC. I expected to be impressed, and I certainly was.
Read moreTo begin, the Pekin “duck” steamed bun entree was phenomenal. I’ve been vegan for over five years and have always avoided any sort of faux meat, so it was an experience to eat something that tasted just like one of my favorite Chinese dishes from my pre-vegan days. It was seasoned beautifully. I also tried their asparagus sushi, and while this was tasty, it was underwhelming for a place like this. There are better dishes to order. As a main I had the rice noodles in bean sauce topped with kale and tofu. It sounds like a strange combination, but their sauce is absolutely amazing. Tangy, and with a clear umami taste. Amazing! Dessert was the coconut blueberry cake, a favorite from Hangawi, and it was as tasty as I remember it.
My only issue with Franchia is that I am not a fan of faux meats or seitan and it was hard to find dishes on the menu that that did not feature at least one of these. That is not to say that these dishes will not be delicious, I just prefer vegan food that is not filled with processed soy products and that is trying to be something it’s not.
Overall, though, eating here was a great experience and I would certainly return.
Pros: Tasty food, Patient and friendly staff, Nice decor
Cons: Menu features lots of faux meat
Guest
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