Tygershark

Would go there every day! Love this place.

I’ve been here twice now, eaten about a dozen items, and they’ve all been excellent. The food is asian-​ish, but also innovative and delicious… and I love the surf shops coffee bar aspect. Perhaps the best restaurant in the neighborhood. Go here now before it becomes a Chuko like destination.

Excellent brunch experience. We ordered the congee (dried chili chicken, peanuts, sesame seeds) and a burrito (chorizo scramble, spam, avocado, hot sauce). Delicious food — really hits the spot! Friendly service, and the latte was also excellent. Aesthetically pleasing ambience. Bright sunny space with outdoor seating where you can grab a drink or coffee. I’ll definitely be back!

Really love this spot. They play hip hop and the food is on point. Seafood Korean dishes done with a twist. Every dish has an explosion of flavors. Try the jjambbong, chicken mole and papaya salad.

Short of it: go here and eat everything. Sit outside, sit at the bar, drink some Orions, fill your belly and have the most fun.
The long of it: the service is amazing, the servers are kind, fun, and knowledgable. It’s wonderful to see staff who care so much about where they work. The flavors in the food are explosive. There is such amazing depth in each dish, the layers of flavor seem to continue unfold with each bite. It is hands down my favorite place to eat after work. Keep killin it tygershark.

Great addition to the neighborhood. We’ve been a few times since it opened (I’m looking forward to trying brunch as well). Food is very well-​executed and multidimensional. Drinks are strong and fun. Music is great and well matched for the crowd. Some dishes better than others; for example, the rice cakes we ordered were limp and oversalted but the buns and lobster salad were outstanding. A good rule of thumb here is to order the things that tend toward fresh herbs and citrus as that seems to be where they excel.
All in all, the joint is miles better than disappointing flop White Tiger down the street. One star off because I just wish the tables weren’t as close together!

Interesting cuisine! Not filling if you are looking for a place to satisfy your hunger… More like Asian tapas… Best thing we had was the dumplings… The fried Rice cake was the least appetizing item we had… Shrimp bao was good!

Popped in with the lady on a Friday night around 9pm and we couldn’t have been more happy with our decision. About a 30 minute wait — but to be expected for a newer joint.
Sat at the bar and were endlessly entertained by our main man Carlos. He tends and is simply a hero. Nicest guy ever and good with the pour. We only ended up getting the crab fried rice and then dumplings — both on point. I had a delicious vodka martini and my companion was privy to Carlos’s negroni-​esque concoction which was also quite delicious. We hung out for a couple of hours and had a grand time. Some B-​list celebs showed up to cap off the evening.
See Carlos — drink, smile, eat and repeat

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve stopped writing negative reviews of places, although I do rely on others to do so when I’m researching. Going to give this place 5 stars for several reasons. First they have interesting dishes. Second, they have very high quality. Thirdly, it has a pretty cool vibe. All 3 dishes we ordered were good to great. The Lobster rainbow salad was great. If there is one suggestion on this dish is more papaya less dried cuttlefish. More of texture thing because it was delicious. Second dish was the dumplings. Very good. Thirdly, was the Bone broth soup. This was a very interesting and tasty dish. The salmon roe in the soup was an extremely nice touch.
Having said all of this, I worry about the longevity of this place. And this is more a comment on business strategy than on food. So I hope I’m proven wrong. But there is a place 2 blocks from here called White Tiger. Not dissimilar in that it’s trying to blend Asian flavors into a more modern creative twist. But it’s not nearly as good. Not even half as good as Tygershark. But it’s generally packed, as it was last night when we walked by. The subtle and sophisticated flavors of Tygershark are so much better.
But I fear that the consumer expects a slightly lower price point than what Tygershark offers. So they would gladly get their Asian hipster Fusion diet from the far less tasty White Tiger, where they can spend a few dollars less. If I have any advice for Tygershark it would be to lower prices just a hair so that someone doesn’t leave there with a materially different view on prices than the neighboring restaurant with a similar theme (but not as good). For example, the Dumplings could be $ 11 for the order and make them smaller so you get 6 instead of 4. The bone broth soup was one of the better dishes I’ve had in a long time. But instead of 19, charge 15. And put it in a slightly bigger bowl with more broth. It will appear bigger.
These are just suggestions, because I really hope this place survives as it’s trying to do something other places are not or cannot.

First time I popped my head in here, I was confused.
«What is this place? A surf/​skate shop? A café? A restaurant?» I asked.
«Whatever you want it to be. It’s a Chill Zone. Just come on in and chill with us,» the dude replied, completing the surf shop vibe.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and laugh. And you know what? Turns out he was right. It really is a Chill Zone. It’s also a restaurant and coffee shop.
Dinner and drinks here are rather pricey but really delicious. Sophisticated Asian fusion, with umami galore.
The chicken congee stood out for its unexpectedly smokey/​toasted flavor. Definitely give that a try.
I wish they’d turn the music down, though. It’s good music, but I hate having to raise my voice to talk to my dining companions. Gets in the way of the Chill Zone vibe, for sure.
During the day, the front of this restaurant turns into a small coffee shop. Get a coffee and a pastry, admire their collection of beautiful plants, and feel the Chill washing over you.

Way too noisy for me. I ask management to lower the volume of the very loud music two times but they refused, maybe they couldn’t hear me.

This is certainly one of the best if not the best restaurant in the neighborhood. The menu is small but I think they switch it up a bit. Every dish I’ve had here has been flavorful and cooked to perfection. The prawns are amazing and the dumplings are freshly made. I don’t even like congee, but theirs was way better than any of stuff I grew up on. The crab fried rice was also on point. I was afraid of the kimchi, which I don’t like, but you couldn’t really taste it. It’s a little pricey for the portion size, but if you appreciate good food, this will be worth it. Service was attentive, drinks were proper, and the bartender gave us some great recommendations.

Crab fried rice forever. Great staff and service.

Great place! Love the vibe and people servers were super nice. The front is a café and they sell surfboards.
Its cash only — downside.
We had the corn fritters, shrimp bao, and the spicy pork veggie dish (cant remember the name). everything was super flavorful (sort of salty at times but meant to eat with rice).

These guys are killing it! The food is some of the most inventive, delicious and fun that I’ve eaten in a long time. Plus, they have amazing music and a very warm environment. In a neighborhood that is quickly getting saturated with sub-​par restaurants, this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. I’m pretty stoked and hope these guys keep it up.

Came here on a Saturday night, simple menu with combination of Chinese and Korean dishes. We had the sizchuan rice cake and crabmeat fried rice, tasted average. Unique interior decoration and pleasant service.

A friend of mine just moved to Prospect Heights. He invited me over for a drink at Covenhoven, where he was talking about some of the recent additions to the neighborhood. He soon mentioned two tiger-​related places, White Tiger and Tygershark, that had opened within a few weeks just a block apart.
«Both are good,» he said. «But Tygershark is better.» So when reservations fell through later that evening for an Italian place, I went with a friend over to the better of the two tigers. Tygershark has a very loose «surf shack» theme, which probably must have seemed very important to the owner and designer but in reality is just some fancy dressing around the front window. (I am sure there are better places to get wax in this city than the front of a restaurant.)
My friend recommended several dishes to try, but when arrived at 9 p.m. on a Saturday, the menu was full of crudely hand-​drawn Xs. Five dishes on the not very long menu were no longer available. What at first seemed to be slightly aggravating was the sign of rapidly changing dishes and a commitment to serving fresh food to dinners.
Turns out it didn’t matter, because what came out of the kitchen was some of the best food I’ve had in Brooklyn in months. The massive tiger prawns sat in a Thai sauce, pungent and spicy with each bite. The flavors on the menu incorporate the tastes of Asia (mostly Thailand and Korea) without being dogmatic about a particular arrangement or style. The cooking is very bold and very flavorful.
A bun we had earlier in the meal, a large soup my friend had, it was all fantastic. And while we ended the evening with some soju and another cocktail at White Tiger, I’m glad we wound up having our actual meal at Tygershark.

Guys. Just woke up and having flashbacks to dinner last night. It was so good it was UPSETTING — you know when every bite makes you shake your head in disbelief and you’re having a hard time following the conversation of your dinner companion? I’m talking serious bone broth bliss and fireworks in the mouth area. And the chef, staff, atmosphere are just as warming as the spicy cocktails. Skip the line at pok pok and go here immediately.

Came in on a Tuesday night with a big’ish party and we snagged the big table in the back — which is perfect for big parties. They have a great list of beers and small list of cocktails — some better than others (the yuzu one was a bit too sweet for me), that I hope they expand when it gets warmer, so we can enjoy them on the back patio! The food definitely errs on the side of korean fusion and the plating is inventive.
Now, the food:
Shrimp bao — the little fluffy bao buns perfectly encased sweet little shrimps with a creamy, but slightly spicy sauce. These were a hit. (Editor’s Note: Whomever they snagged as their saucier is ON. POINT. Srsly.)
Pan-​fried dumplings — Perfect blend of beef and shrimp (and maybe a bit of pork?). The dumpling sauce was spicier, with more depth than your typical dumpling dish.
Grilled octopus with bacon — cooked perfectly — crispy on the outside and tender (but not chewy) and yet another rich sauce that complimented the dish with a sweet, spicy and sour trifecta.
Whole fried porgy — fried to perfection (just like this southern girl likes) with all the ‘fixins to make my own little bao sandwiches.
Doug made us feel right at home in his restaurant and the staff was fun and attentive, without being overbearing. This spot has the right vibe for prospect heights and the people who work here are tops. Will definitely be one of my neighborhood favorites. High fives, you guys.

We’ve been twice and it’s our new fave restaurant. The food is outstanding in an Asian-​Cali-​fresh direction. Best Congee and Sashimi/​Rice Ball on earth. I live for that Rice Ball! Doug and everyone who works there are super nice. Luv Tygershark.

This place is really great. I’ve been here twice so far. The wait staff is nice and the mood is full of positive vibes and upbeat. Hip hop music and surfboards set the tone. The food is Asian fusion, tasty and possibly palate expanding. at least I would say for me. The only thing I would suggest slight tweaking is the discription on the menu. The menu could accurately describe the dishes better, to emphasize the taste and major components of the dishes.

Epic dinner
Delicious brunch
Dumplings to die for
I don’t know how I survived with out you
Every visit impresses me more
I’m a fan of the open kitchen
Surfer swag for sale in the front
Fab staff
All I’ve ever wanted and more
Truth

came here 3 weeks after they opened (we were actually planning to go to White Tiger, but the wait was forever. how strange 2 Tiger-​named, Korean places opened on the same street!), love love love the space inside, and the staff was very nice. i’m always a sucker for an open kitchen, so fun to watch the kitchen cook and prep! i love the white-​washed brick, grey tiles and raw wood look and feel of the space, but i got a tiny splinter from trying to find a hook to hang my bag under the bar, so one word of advice, be careful touching the wood under the bar!
my bf and i shared the uni bao, sashimi bap and spicy tofu soup. all were delicious and good-​sized portions. felt like they put a very fun/​fresh spin on these traditional dishes. the only sad thing is after we got our uni bao, we noticed the ones that came after ours had cilantro and roe, but ours didn’t (we were sitting at the bar, watching the other dishes come out of the kitchen) :(however, the chorizo in the bao was cooked PERFECTLY and ours still tasted great, i was just bummed we didn’t get the whole shebang b/​c those are ingredients i also enjoy.
i wasn’t drinking this evening, but saw a few cool-​looking drinks being served, would love to come back and try more of the menu and some drinks.

Wow! An excellent addition to the neighborhood. This spot has great food, great drinks, great ambiance — basically everything you could be looking for. The place is nice enough for a date or casual enough to go solo and I love the Korean-​reggae-​surf theme and open kitchen. Also, they built a wheelchair ramp to make it accessible which most places on the street aren’t and I just think that’s so considerate.
The Charlie Don’t Surf cocktail was fantastic. It was spicy and savory with just a hint of sesame. They brought out a whole pineapple drink with sparklers for another table that looked like fun too and we watched the bartender make fresh pineapple juice from the cored fruit so I’m sure it was fresh and delicious.
We loved the dumplings, the grilled rice cake and especially the Soondubu. I heard the chef say the phrase «lobster dashi» so I’m really intrigued to taste whatever meal that’s in. Can’t wait to go back!

Great new neighborhood spot. Have visited twice. Once for dinner and once for brunch. Here’s my rundown.
**DINNER**
SHRIMP BAO — Get this. Flavors are on point and simply delicious rendition.
CRAB FRIED RICE — How can you go wrong with crab and fried rice. Wanted another serving, but knew there was more to come.
DUMPLINGS — These are more elevated dumpling than your chinatown version (tho I LOVE me some chinatown $ 4 dumplings). What really make these dumplings is the great sauce and accompaniments. If you’re looking for an upscale dumpling, this is for you.
FRITTERS — Do Not Miss This! I could eat these for appetizer and dessert. Fritters are delicately soft on the inside and super crunchy on the outside. The crunch even holds up to the delicious sauce that it sits in.
SOONDUBU — I would trade a bowl of ramen for this dish (and that says a lot). Deliciously spicy and just the right amount of added pork and veggies.
JJAMPPONG — Probably my least favorite main. And this is because I am Korean so am highly judgmental. Not to say this isn’t a good dish, just a bit of a departure from the milder Korean version. Tygershark’s version is a bit thicker/​saltier than I am used to.
GRILLED WHOLE LOBSTER — Um yes. More please. Not sure where they are getting this lobster, but it was tender and sweet like all great lobster should be.
**BRUNCH**
PORK & KIMCHI BURRITO — This is probably one of my favorite brunch treats in the city. The kimchi fried rice has the prefect hint of butter and spice. Coupled with grilled pork that was marinated to perfection and then topped off with a fried egg and avocado! it’s basically a Korean girls brunch dream.
Cocktails are also on point. They clearly take their drinks very seriously. I tried «Charlie Don’t Surf» which is so unusual, but really great (there’s actually sesame oil in it).

Food about as interesting and unique as it comes. My wife and I walked in on a Friday night, and were seated immediately. The first thing I noticed on the menu was how oddly priced some of their drinks were. They charge $ 20 for a Laphroaig 10 year and $ 25 for a Yamazaki 12. Way too much. The Vanderbilt across the street charges $ 14 for the former and bar chuko up the block charges $ 15 for the latter. They should fix that.
No other complaints from me. We tried the corn fritters, and I keep thinking about them. Awesomely crispy fritters, topped with crab meat, salmon roe, cotilla cheese, cilantro, cabbage — whoa. Totally mind blowing flavors and textures, and really really good. I want more right now.
We also had the silken tofu soup, which has an extremely intense broth, bursting with mushroom and clam flavor, spicy and rich. It came with strips of bbq pork, tons of great and different mushrooms, a few huge delicious clams. Also really great. Based on the prices of the dishes I assumed they’d be pretty small plates, but everything was huge.
The food here is bold. I am sure it won’t be for everyone’s taste, and I imagine there will be a few strikeouts on some of their dishes, but that’s what happens when you swing for the fences, and they certainly are capable of hitting some out of the park.
Attentive service. A really nice looking crowd. Felt way more Bushwick that Prospect Heights.
I am looking forward to going back and trying some more things.

This place is worth getting excited about.
I had been scoping out Tygershark pretty much since they painted a big blue fish on a piece of plywood covering the front of the store back in the spring. I love seafood and this part of town really doesn’t offer much in the way of fish, so I was really looking forward to their opening. I signed up for their mailing list and waited… And then! I got an invitation to a preview dinner tonight, grabbed a friend, and got exactly what I’d hoped: delicious seafood and a very welcoming new restaurant.
We ordered three of four dishes off their tasting menu (they’ll have more when they open), including the octopus (soooo tender! served in a spicy, almost bbq-​y sauce with chewy rice cake, crab, grilled scallion, and fresh basil, $ 12), the «phở-​zole» (a more subtle flavor with smokey broth, big thick noodles, clams in the shell, seasoned fish… can’t remember what kind maybe monkfish?, fresh mint, fresh scallions, onions, $ 17), and a sort of sashimi bibimbap (rice ball with delicious crispiness on the bottom, with fresh fish, roe, spicy sauce, pea sprouts, onion, and herbs, which I think was also $ 12?).
We also had two drinks, both $ 12; one called «Charlie Don’t Surf» that I would describe as spicy/​savory orange soda with sesame oil over ice (my absolute favorite, and don’t even like orange soda) and another sweet/​earthy drink called «Bitches Brew» with fall flavors, almost like cold mulled cider, with persimmon, served in a gold-​colored metal dish.
This food is forward thinking, in the way I’ve seen my favorite Bay Area restaurants push food in new, interesting directions. Their food is similar to Mission Chinese in that it takes familiar flavors and builds on them in new ways, but different in that it has a decidedly fresh taste, with all the fresh veggies and herbs and deliciously prepared fish.
The owner, Doug Hwang (who I do not know; this is not a review from a friend!), was super nice and welcoming. It was very clear that this is his baby and that he’s put a lot of care into all parts of the restaurant, which has a warm & inviting feel. The ambiance sort of makes me think of a surf town in Japan.
Watch for their full opening!