Inside Food Gallery 32: the Hidden Multi-Level Korean Food Haven in Midtown
By Sophia Al-Mansoor
No visit to Food Gallery 32 is complete without stopping at the dessert counter stationed near the entrance. The primary draw is taiyaki ice cream, an adaptation of the traditional Japanese and Korean fish-shaped pastry known as bungeo-ppang.
Instead of serving the waffle closed with sweet red bean paste inside, the vendor bakes a hollow, open-mouthed waffle cone fresh on cast-iron presses. The tail of the warm pastry is stuffed with your choice of red bean, custard, or Nutella. The open mouth is then filled with rich soft serve, traditionally matcha, black sesame, ube, or sweet vanilla, before being drizzled with condensed milk and garnished with chocolate sticks or toasted mochi.
The contrast between the hot, doughy waffle base and the frigid, creamy soft serve provides a classic sweet counterpoint to the garlic- and chili-heavy entrees found upstairs. It remains one of Midtown’s most recognizable street treats, consistently drawing crowds straight from the 34th Street, Herald Square transit station.
Sophia analyzes international trade, startup ecosystems, retail transformation, and supply chain logistics for modern digital publications.
