Agree that it’s a great meal and I really enjoyed it! My highlights were shirako, mackerel/kimchi/perilla, the grilled lettuce ice cream/cheonju/caviar, mulhwe (flounder/squid/amarillo), lobster, lamb, and porcini ice cream(?) sandwich. Great flavors and combinations. Came in with an open mind and appreciated how many Korean elements were present.
Also think it was a light meal and could have a little bit more to fill it out. I was surprised how much more I could eat at Torigoya afterwards lol.
On beverages, I will note that they appear to offer a pairing that I think prices at $190. Mostly wine I assume (I think I saw a Kid Muryozan because I was curious if it included sake). Looks like they have quite a list including whiskey and sake. The sake selection I saw was quite premium but there was a lot more variation I’d assume outside sake.
I really, really enjoyed my meal at Ki earlier this week - Welcoming space, delicious courses, fun beverage pairing, interesting (?) AI-curated East Coast rap soundtrack, and friendly service. Hope to post more soon…
i’m a bit worried about the music–I have a reservation coming up, looking forward to it, but I DETEST rap and hip-hop. Like nails on a blackboard to me. Is the volume kept low, at least? My husband doesn’t want me to ask for a change of soundtrack, thinks it would be rude…
Personally the music enhanced the experience–I don’t often get to enjoy the music of 50 Cent in a fine dining setting. It added some nice energy to the room without being overly loud.
New to ftc, wild thread to open on given how little is about the food. Excited to try this place, but is everyone just going to continue to ignore how Ki’s signature dish is fully taken from the only place he actually worked at for more than a few months?
To get this out of the way (and apologies for creating such a diversion from topic): The music was tolerable. Not too loud. A different style of rap than I usually encounter (and avoid) in other spaces. Still not my thing, but I kind of get why Chef Ki chose it. So I guess my horizons have been broadened a bit…
The food was outstanding. Sorry no photos, but I had pretty much what PorkyBelly posted, except the beef was served as tartare (yukhoe, supposedly, but only very lightly seasoned and wisely so), plated with the prettiest assortment of salad greens and veggies, and the lamb was served with a crusty little bread bun. I loved everything, but some of my favorites were the shark skin flounder with big fin reef squid–such an amazing assortment of flavors and textures, and the Riesling Kabinett served with it was an especially spot-on pairing–the aforementioned beef, lean, tender and flavorful (I very rarely eat meat, so when I do, I want it to be this good)–and the meltingly tender sea perch with scarlet prawn. The first desert, with porcini ice cream, gave my tastebuds a very fun WTF moment. Truly, every dish was thoughtfully conceived and executed, with well-sourced ingredients (I adore good vegetables, so appreciated the farmers’ market sourcing); it was all vibrant, exciting, and fun. The service was friendly and attentive, and the chefs were so well-coordinated in plating the food, it was a pleasure to watch. This restaurant and chef are definitely headed for a Michelin star; go, if you can!
I don’t remember what all the porcini desert had; I had no trouble sleeping and I’m very sensitive to caffeine at night. Too bad about the sleepless night!
If you’re talking about the octopus, people have been aware of the Jungsik origin since it first hit the menu at Kinn. Anyways, the current version with octopus head (?) sauce and estragon sound like enough of a departure to be considered original - as original as say atoboy’s braised crispy octopus with chunjang. Dishes and preparations propagate with alumni. Unless the creators have a bone to pick or it’s being done in bad faith, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Also, Ki’s Threads (you can translate from Korean) might shed more light on his journey and character, if you were concerned about transparency.
Jungsik’s has octopus head and tarragon as well, so I’m not sure what the departure is, but pioneering restaurants do sometimes give their alumni permission to recreate a famous dish. French restaurants, sushi, etc.
I do think that the cod milt, bugak, red pepper opening bite looks like a tasteful homage to / evolution of Jungsik’s opening snack of uni on gamtae seaweed gimbap version of gunkanmaki.
Jungsik has a lot of alumni who went on to open their own place and I kind of get the sense that the teams were supportive.
