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Healthy Cafe With a Korean Twist Expands to Two New Sites

 The grab-and-go health food eatery Yorganic is expanding.
Yorganic Adding New Locations
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FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Downtown grab-and-go eatery Yorganic, known for its healthy food with a Korean twist, is expanding with two new locations.

The mini-chain — with a name derived from "Your Organic" — is coming to 88 Greenwich St. in May and 40th Street and Broadway in June, said Bo Kim, 36, who co-owns Yorganic with his brother and a longtime family friend.

“We all live in the Financial District, so bringing healthy, quick food options Downtown was our first priority,” Kim said. “But our heritage is Korean, and we love those flavors, so that’s part of what we want represented here.”

Kim and his partners opened their first Yorganic at 3 Hanover Square in 2009, then added a TriBeCa location soon after, at 275 Greenwich St.

“We’ve developed a pretty strong following over the years,” Kim said. “I think our customers know they can expect the best ingredients and flavorful food made with care.”

Their signature dish is the "Bliss Bowl," which lets customers pick from a host of fresh, organic and local ingredients, with either a rice or greens base, and build a bowl of food for about $7, depending on the toppings. Korean ingredients like kimchee and bulgogi — a marinated beef — are available, as well as onions, daikon and cucumbers.

Customers can also choose some pre-designed options, including an $8.85 "beef bowl" with white or brown rice, marinated beef, asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, egg, bean sprouts, spinach and house-made go-chu-jang sauce.

The shop also offers ready-made sandwiches and salads, made-to-order smoothies and fresh fruit and vegetable juices. There are house-made health bars as well, containing nuts, fruits and grains.

The frozen yogurt, which uses organic ingredients, includes a soy option and a sugar-free option, made using an all-natural sweetener called Erythritol, Kim said.

Kim, who grew up in Queens, said he's excited to expand, thanks in part to a deal brokered by real estate company Thor Equities for the 88 Greenwich Street location.

“Our parents ran a health-food store in Chelsea for many years, but that shut down after a bigger market opened," Kim said. "I think we're striving to do something a little different, and as long as we keep our quality high, our customers will keep coming back."