Kochi

Kochi Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Chef Sungchul Shim, who cooked at restaurants like Per Se and Neta, serves a nine-course menu at Kochi, his Hell’s Kitchen establishment inspired by the Korean royal cuisine of the Joseon dynasty. Kochi is Korean for “skewer,” and most of the dishes are served on a stick. The 35-seat space, with a bar facing the open kitchen, is intimate, simple and pretty.

Likes: Grilled mackerel, pork belly; pleasant and modern space.
Dislikes: None.

Food & Drinks: The $75 tasting menu feels like a bargain, although caviar, truffle and uni supplements cost extra. They’re a fine splurge, but definitely not essential. A pine nut and potato-milk soup is silky smooth and garnished with tiny flowers. Chicken terrine, which arrives with translucent slices of raw cremini mushroom, tastes deeply earthy and satisfying. A skewer with pork belly and pickled daikon makes you want more skewers with pork belly and pickled daikon. There’s also rich saengseon-gui, or meaty grilled mackerel, and tteok-galbi, a charcoal-grilled rib-eye patty that comes with sweet and savory pear and chestnut chutney. For dessert, black sesame ice cream is also served on a stick. Jooyoung Yang, previously of Jungsik, is behind the beverage menu. Opt for a pairing or drinks à la carte, like a “silk martini” of konbu-infused vodka, soy sauce wakame and black pepper.