THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED MoKo

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED MoKo Restaurant Review:

Culver City's MoKo blends the synergy of Chris Heyman (Table 8, 8 oz.), chef Gary Robins (NYC's Russian Tea Room) and restaurateur Will Shin. Their vision of modern Korean social dining includes handcrafted cocktails, soju and saké with "cocktail-friendly" small plates. The former Gyenari is now sleeker and industrial, but you can still do tabletop barbecue---with giant blue prawns, pork belly or marinated kalbi. But why not let Robins take the thinking out of it for you and put the imagination in? His take on contemporary Korean preserves just enough of the traditional, authentic cuisine while ramping up seasonal flavors and textures. Banchan (little dishes) beg to be shared, like watermelon namul with shiso and ginger, or sweet lotus braised in honey and sesame. Asian pear and kohlrabi salad is a sure winner. The sensuous and savory are found in a crispy pork belly and scallop skewer, or duck and foie gras dumpling. Jeon---pancakes---are hearty, while ssam (wraps) like pork torchon and sesame duck confit are a nice match with saké or the aromatic market cocktails created by Heyman. A lychee parfait ends the meal with a light sweetness.