When River Barrel opened in Greenpoint in January 2009, it served that familiar brand of New American/gastropub/global comfort food: burgers, duck spring rolls, truffle mac-and-cheese, etc. It was a safe bet, unlikely to piss off or excite anyone at all. But when the original chef quit, owner Lisa Kim started adding her own Korean home cooking to the menu. She eventually hired chef Jonathan Meyer, and he suggested jettisoning the New American stuff altogether and turning River Barrel into a Korean restaurant. So this spring, River Barrel became Mrs. Kim's, with a menu that offers both traditional and nontraditional Korean fare. (Meyer has since left, replaced... More >>>