GUI

GUI is Sungchul Shim's Korean American steakhouse near Times Square, presenting the American steakhouse through a Korean lens built on fire and fermentation. Shim is a Michelin-starred chef through Kochi and Mari. The burger, though, sits firmly on the steakhouse side of that identity rather than the Korean one. It is a restrained dry-aged beef construction, not a fermented or sauce-driven interpretation.

Both of us ate it in May 2026, alongside Boujee Bites Only. The construction is simple: dry-aged prime beef, Gruyère, caramelized onion jam, brioche. That simplicity works because the beef can carry it.

The patty was the clear standout, with the quality and depth you want from a serious steakhouse beef program, and the burger lets that quality stay visible instead of covering it with a topping stack. The onion jam brought a faint sweetness and real flavor without turning the whole thing into a sweet onion build. The Gruyère and the jam both stayed secondary to the meat, which is the correct hierarchy here.

The filling was strong enough to support a considerably higher result. What held it back was structural rather than conceptual, and everything inside the bun suggested a higher ceiling.

One note for anyone ordering: this is the lunch menu burger. The downstairs Bar92 serves a different cheeseburger with tomato and lettuce, so the two should not be confused.

GUI separates itself through the quality of its dry-aged prime beef and the restraint of its supporting ingredients. The onion jam adds a controlled sweet element while allowing the patty to remain central.

The burger's ceiling is high, but the brioche bun prevents the complete construction from reaching the level established by the beef.