Before visiting Buk Kyung, a new restaurant located at 151 Brighton Ave., I had never eaten Korean food. Since I enjoy other Asian fare, I assumed I’d like this too. Was I equating my love of Thai to a passion for Korean? Perhaps, but here’s another generalization: Korean cuisine is severely unappreciated.

Nestled amidst Brighton Avenue’s dingy facades and decrepit buildings, Buk Kyung is a bright, shining gem among the deteriorating brick. The window-lined walls make eating at this airy restaurant a delightful experience that begins the second you plop down on the black leather couches. The modern ambiance of the sleek booths contradicts the clichés often found in traditional eateries, while the food’s delectable authenticity attracts crowds.

As a foreigner to Korean cuisine, I was initially overwhelmed by the tantalizing menu. For a minute or two (or 15), I stared blankly, while my patient waitress offered basic suggestions. She did her best to guide me through the ordering process, which ended up taking longer than the entire meal. Within minutes of making my selection, an entourage of servers brought small, exotic dishes to my table.

I began with a delightfully sweet assortment of oshinko (pickled vegetables), then tried a zesty and slightly bitter bowl of bok choy. The third, and most pungent, dish was a vegetable, possibly radish, swimming in a tasty chili paste. These portions perfect for tasting, put me in the right mindset to begin my culinary experience and were a pleasant alternative to breadsticks.

The barrage of exotic fare continued as the small dumplings I had ordered, called Mul Man Doo, arrived. The fresh filling was encased in a delightfully light wrapper and accompanied by a generic-tasting soy sauce-like condiment. What I expected to be four small bites were in truth 12 generously filled wontons. I had barely begun to consume the appetizer when the main dish arrived a steaming bowl of Soft Tofu Tchigae, a fish and vegetable soup flavored with still more chili.

I was beginning to notice a pattern. I’m pretty tolerant of spice, but I don’t think anyone in the restaurant needed to use the extra chili powder provided on each table. As my friend noted, ‘They should definitely serve the water in larger glasses here, or at least leave a pitcher on the table!’ The attentive staff refilled my cup with every heat-quenching sip, even as the early-bird dinner crowd filled the restaurant.

Though the food had a distinctive ‘kick’ to it, the spice was never overwhelming and the pepper was used appropriately to accent these flavorful dishes. Instinctively, I poured the silky tofu and intense broth over fluffy rice and concocted a satisfying meal. A skeptic of ordering seafood at restaurants, especially at newly opened eateries, I threw caution to the wind with a bite of a tiny shrimp. The taste was far from the ‘fishy’ shrimp flavor I’ve come to know (and hate), and I was disappointed to find that there were few others left to be consumed. Though they skimp on shrimp, the entree was large enough to share with a friend and we both left with full stomachs and wallets.

Buk Kyung is a rare find: authentic and aesthetic, enticing and economical. Having enjoyed a delicious meal, I now count Korean among my favorite cuisines, as I am sure everyone else will after visiting Buk Kyung.