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
SoCalCal
Points +1857
Outstanding variety of tasty Asian dishes - Edit
Excellent service, excellent food, and overall excellent experience! We arrived in NYC and made our way a few hours afterward, as it was the closest all-vegan restaurant to our hotel. We had made a reservation, but had not anticipated how soon we would arrive, and they had no problems accommodating us early.
Read moreHubby started with Meditation Soju Cocktail which he thought was very tasty. He's accustomed to vodka martinis, so he was hoping for a bigger punch, which soju does not provide.
Since there was so much on the menu that looked good, we ended ordering a few combos to try more. We started with the Peking 'Duck' Baos. I thought they were good, but hubby thought they could use a bit more sauce and 'duck'.
Next was the Dumpling Combo, which we ordered fried. I was envisioning steamed and pan-fried, as is typical with dumplings, but these were deep-fried. Tasty, nonetheless, but not what we were expecting.
Jeon Combo was next. There was not a huge difference in the flavors of the three different pancakes, but I thought the Crispy Scallion has the strongest flavor. Hubby thought the Sweet Corn Cilantro had a noticeably sweet flavor, but I didn't get much of that. The Kimchi we both agree had the subtlest flavor. Perhaps the ingredients were consistent in the pancake mix or maybe the mix needed more ingredients to distinguish from the pancake batter, but these could have had much stronger flavors in my opinion.
Our last orders were sushi. We got the Roll Combo and the 'Bulgogi' Kimbap. Everything was good! The Crispy Tofu Skin Roll was very reminiscent of a salmon skin roll, but the tofu ate slightly dry. The chicken in the Spicy 'Chicken' Roll definitely had the consistency of chicken, but slightly firmer. I didn't get much spice in it, even though it was very tasty. To me, the California Roll had the subtlest flavor. I ate my half of the Roll Combo before starting on the Kimbap, and I thought the Kimbap was very good! What really struck me was the plethora of ingredients present, compared with the rolls. Each bite of the Kimbap had so much flavor and the 'bulgogi' was flavorful, but did not overpower the other ingredients. It had good balance.
We finished with the Black Sesame Pie, which hubby did not like at all. I'm accustomed to the flavor of black sesame, and this had some nutty flavor addition. The crust also had a coconut flavor, so there was a lot going on. For those unfamiliar, the texture of the black sesame was very similar to tahini.
Pros: Great food, Great service, Large selection of dishes
Guest
274 Reviews
First Review by Poundie
Johnnykt
Points +96
A little gem with fantastic food! - Edit
On a recent trip to NYC, I had a chance to eat at quite a few vegan restaurants. This was, by far, the best meal I had in the city. A very creative menu and a wonderfully decorative setting. A lot of the places I ate at in NYC were really pricey. I don't know if that's an NYC thing or a vegan thing. But, this place seemed very reasonable by comparison. Certainly not an inexpensive restaurant... but at least the food and atmosphere are great.
Read moreGuest
bantunes
Points +75
Pretty swish place, good food - Edit
Traditional restaurant experience, good food. Metal chopsticks are annoying.
Read morePros: Lots of options
Cons: Metal chopsticks, Desserts
Guest
BuddyBart
Points +81
Nice fresh food - Edit
Food tasted good. Little expensive beer (only Korean beer).
Read moreGuest
daroff
Points +1613
great Korean vegan! - Edit
Wonderful food and service. Somewhat casual restaurant with many options of traditional Korean fare served in vegan style. The tofu dishes are my favorites - along with the steamed dumplings. Reservations are not required, but can be helpful.
Read morePros: delicious food, attentive service
Cons: long wait, if no reservation
Guest
tamflo
Points +47
amazing place - Edit
Food was awesome and the attention was great! I really love Korean food and I had the vegan jajjangmyeon ver with kale, it was delicious! Also the Tealatte with non-dairy milk was fantastic! Definitely one of my fav places :)
Read moreGuest
MelHeinrich
Points +132
Lots of Asian Options - Edit
Food was delicious! There were sooo many different options and different types of Asian cuisine which was awesome. Their servers could be more attentive though. Modern vibes and creative dishes.
Read moreGuest
shirley1
Points +340
yummy and delicious - Edit
Vegetarian Bibimbap or Stone Bowl Rice
Read moreNoodles
Bodhi Noodles
(sweet potato & gluten free buckwheat noodles topped with mountain greens and vegetables )
I had the Bibimbap which was full of delicious veg on brown rice
And my husband had the Bodhi noodles. Also very yummy.
We shared a veg sushi before which was very fresh .
Pros: very yummy and huge portions.
Guest
veggiehobbit
Points +274
Great food - Edit
Everything my fiance and I ordered was delicious. But we were disappointed that the duck buns weren't bigger. The tea was delicious but also felt a bit too expensive for its size. Our stone bowls were tasty and a good size, my only complaint is that the one I ordered had mushrooms in it even though it didn't say there'd be mushrooms in the menu (I'm not a mushroom fan). If the menu was a bit clearer I would have ordered something else. I'd still love to go back and try more of their menu.
Read morePros: delicious food, kind staff, nice atmosphere
Cons: small portion sizes, expensive, menu is a bit unclear
Guest
Shakhidra
Points +30
great! - Edit
Great food! So many options! Good prices! Small portions, but great atmosphere good staff
Read moreGuest
Ejl500
Points +49
wow! - Edit
What a treat! Right up there with the best vegan restaurants nationally. I had the spicy 'duck' salad, and two small plates; crab cakes and zen rolls with dill veganaise sauce. All three were outstanding. I chose dishes that I thought would be a challenge and they all exceeded my expectations. I will be back for sure.
Read moreGuest
candacebpinaud
Points +17
Vegan Elegance and Style - Edit
I LOVE this restaurant. While I am very happy to find any vegan restaurants while traveling - more often than not - they are a more casual, diner-type atmosphere with food to match.
Read moreBut Franchia is one of my all-time faves! It treats a vegan diner to a beautiful meal in a classy setting with all the trimmings to go with it from fancy cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks to home-made desserts like black sweet rice and coconut pudding.
This restaurant makes me 'want' to go to NYC....it's always the first place I hit when I go.
Pros: elegant atmosphere, wonderful gluten free menu, fancy cocktails
Cons: none
Guest
ufleydee
Points +466
WOW, such an amazing food! - Edit
This is a must stop for Vegans in New York. Amazing food, I really enjoyed it.
Read moreThe service is slow and the desserts are mediocre, however the main dishes, they are amazing.
Pros: Amazing dishes, so good, Plenty of options
Cons: Mediocre desserts, Slow service, Expensive
Guest
tommylane
Points +28
Tasty - Edit
Delicious Stone Bowl. A little pricy, but I'll go occasionally.
Read moreGuest
Alysoun Mahoney
Points +843
My favorite New York City vegan restaurant - Edit
My husband and I spend a lot of time in New York City - and Franchia is our favorite vegan restaurant there. The menu is extensive, and everything we've had is at least good if not excellent or outstanding. Our favorites are the Peking Buns, Spicy Ramen Noodles in Miso Soup, and various Bibimbap dishes. They have a nice menu of wines and teas, too. Like most places in midtown Manhattan, it is medium-priced and medium-fancy. Service is reliably efficient and friendly. We eat there many times each year.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Great wines and teas, Great service
Cons: None!
Guest
MJ001
Points +36
Great food and great service - Edit
I went to Franchia on a date night with my partner and we both loved it! We tried the mixed plate of dumplings the Peking buns and a California roll to start. The Cali roll was good but not great. The other starters were so flavourful and 100% would recommend.
Read moreI had the Bibimbap, not really knowing what it was very happy with it.
We also had cocktails and desert and both were great.
The best thing about this place was the service, we had a few different servers and they were all so warm and friendly and genuinely seemed happy to be there.
Pros: Friendly service, Flavourful food, Nice atmosphere
Cons: slightly pricey (but I would go again!)
Guest
reneeareneea
Points +16
wonderful!! - Edit
visited here on holiday in New York, ate where when ever I could even twice in one day, my non vegan family also enjoyed it. great service, high quality food, amazing atmosphere,
Read moreGuest
Brok O. Lee
Points +3390
Superb! - Edit
Great location in Murray Hill on Park Avenue near 34th Street shopping. Has a very dark intimate and subdued atmosphere. Nice lunch special menu with many options for $12; however, I had the Vegan Lunchbox which includes 2 appetizers. Everything was fresh and amazingly delicious. I can't wait to go back!
Read morePros: All vegan, fantastic food, great service
Guest
InkedHippie
Points +20
best restaurant ever - Edit
I moved away from the city and Franchia is what I miss the most. Best vegan Asian fusion food EVER. It's pricey but worth every penny
Read moreCons: $$$$
Guest
tauberl
Points +472
delicious and so many options! - Edit
Franchia was great, I'm so glad we were able to eat there! The menu is huge and has a lot of variety; we ended up going with a few tapas/appetizers, a sushi roll, and one entree to share, plus a delicious greet tea "icee" type drink with whipped cream on top- yum! Everything was great and very reasonably priced; my only regret is that we couldn't try more! This would definitely be a place I'd come back to on a return trip. The wait staff was also super nice and efficient, and it has a lovely ambiance- definitely give it a try if you're in the area!!
Read morePros: Big menu, delicious food, friendly staff
Guest
pulpovegano
Points +133
One of the best vegan restaurants i have visited - Edit
Food it's amazing, plenty of options, beautiful dishes. A little pricey but very good value for money, One of the best restaurants i have visited!
Read morePros: Large menu, Excellent food, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Pricey
Guest
morocco
Points +36
AWESOME - Edit
Vegan scallops and kimchi dumplings, all for about $12 in the city, no complaints. Beautiful atmosphere, absolutely delicious food, gorgeous plating and courteous staff. Would go back any chance I get!
Read moreGuest
VeggieTeen
Points +49
Delicious! - Edit
Very good food! Ordered the Avocado Bibimbap & having never had the dish before (or even knowing exactly what it was), I was wonderfully surprised. There were a lot of options & I admire the creativity that went into thinking them up. The set-up of the place is eccentric, but works nicely nonetheless.
Read moreGuest
Hw123
Points +23
My favorite vegan restaurant! - Edit
Of all of the amazing vegan restaurants in NYC, this is my FAVORITE! My husband and I come here once a month.
Read moreSome of my favorites:
From the tapas menu: lobster balls, caviar rolls, crab cakes
Mains: avacado bimbimbop, and ramen
Rolls: spicy tuna and spicy chicken
Desserts: blueberry cake with almond ice cream
Yum!!!
Pros: Delicious food, Reasonable prices, Nice ambience
Cons: Not enough locations, open more please
Guest
Oscar M
Points +199
Highly recommended - Edit
Spicy kimchi dumplings and a delicious sizzling avocado stone bowl were the perfect match for a lunch break after visiting midtown. Relaxing atmosphere and great korean food in this vegan cafe. We loved it.
Read morePros: Great food, Relaxing atmosphere
Guest
Dantich79
Points +24
Amazing!! - Edit
The food was amazing, it was so hard to narrow down the selection. The dumplings and buns are incredible! All of the bibimbap was incredible! We ate here twice in a 4 day trip it was so good!!
Read moreGuest
Saramste
Points +327
Good Food - Edit
We really enjoyed this location! I would only note that "Cafe" gives me the impression that it is a bit more casual environment than it actually was. We went there one evening with our baby to enjoy dinner - the lights were dim, and a lot of folks were having "romantic" dinners together. Not a complaint, but again, I didn't know what to expect when we arrived. The food was great. We tried a rice dish and a noodle dish. Overall, it was a good experience.
Read morePros: Good Food, Nice Atmosphere
Cons: A bit pricey
Guest
slo0go
Points +2069
Korean Food! - Edit
This place has lots of choices, which I love. They have Korean teas, bibimbaps and stone bowls, and lovely cocktails. I am a huge fan of the tofu avocado stone bowl, which is a hot bibimbap that makes the rice hot and crispy. The avocado makes the dish creamy. The date paste tea is lovely. If you're up for it, try the prefixes. A little pricey, but worth it.
Read moreTheir sister restaurant, Hangawi, is not far away.
Guest
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