Ariari is another Korean spot from the team behind Palpal and LittleMad. Like a lot of their restaurants, this place in the East Village warrants a priority visit—especially if you love seafood. The menu is inspired by the South Korean port city of Busan, and you should start with the poached octopus with white kimchi followed by a hot stone bowl filled with crispy rice that’s sweet and rich from uni cream. You’ll see groups around you sharing simmering cauldrons of soup, as well as couples out for a casual date night. The noise level at this relatively small spot stays mellow, so you don’t have to shout when saying things like: “I wish more places like this would open up near me.”