If you never had the chance to try it, Pado was a popular Japanese restaurant that operated for nearly two years at 199 Second Avenue. When the restaurant sadly closed last October, residents wondered what would end up replacing it and now it appears the answer has arrived.
Café 199 is a brand new restaurant concept from owner Jay Lee. Envisioned as an authentic Korean restaurant, Café 199 will be open daily from Noon to 11:00PM and 12:00AM on weekends. Seating up to 24 patrons at one time, Café 199 will remain indoor-only and does not have any plans to establish a backyard or sidewalk café.
For their menu, the café will offer a hearty selection of luxurious Korean dishes. Striving for authenticity above all else, the restaurant offers indulgent meat dishes like Oxtail with glass noodles and root vegetables, Long Island Duckling with kimchi fried rice, asparagus, and eggplant, and Short Rib Bone Marrow with maitake and crispy rice crackers. They will also offer seafood options like Baby Octopus, , Tiger Shrimp, Chili Lobster, Scallops with Snow Crab, and Uni Bibimbap – sea urchin with sweet shrimp and seaweed rice – alongside vegetarian dishes like the Mushroom Salad.
The spot at 199 Second Ave was previously home to Pado, which operated for nearly two years at the location. Serving up innovative sushi rolls and tapas-style small plate Japanese cuisine, residents were enamored with its affordable omakase experience and were saddened to see it go when a disagreement with the landlord made further operation untenable. While Pado initially announced its intention to reopen at a new location, their Instagram has since shut down – leaving fans in the dark about the future of the restaurant. Thankfully, the building is spacious enough to be a fitting home for Jay Lee’s enticing new venture.
