I am so excited to have Momofuku on the west coast!!!! Too bad it is impossible to get reservations but if you time it right you can get a seat at the bar. The egg and smoked roe bing was delicious and a fun take on the Ko egg. Too bad peas will likely not be on the menu by the time I make it back.
Bing – eggs & smoked roe
raw sugar snaps, horseradish, lemon, shallot
Santa Barbara rock crab – spicy cured, chilled & crab fat rice
We had planned to just hang out in the lobby of the Chambers long enough to have a drink while waiting for Ma Peche to open. But our server was fabulous and our seats quite comfortable so we decided to stay for a few snacks. One of the few bright spots in midtown and I am guilty of always forgetting about it.
midtown collins – gin, calamansi, elderflower
smoked trout dip, seven spice, chicharron
bbq brisket buns, coleslaw, smoked mayonnaise, pickled jalapeños
broccoli salad, sunflower seeds, miso, lime
While I agree with many points in the recent Nishi reviews, despite the flaws I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner there and will be back as soon as I land another reservation (although in spring having to wait is much more tolerable). I am still thinking about the Chitarra pasta and that rarely happens to me. I’m looking forward to seeing how this place grows in the next six months as already off to a very good start.
Alsatian – amer, vermouth, cider
Beef Crudo – watermelon radish, dashi ponzu
Romaine & Walnut Bagna Cauda
Chitarra – squid, xo, fresh & fermented chili
pistachio bunt cake
In the past few months Ko has quickly become on of my absolute favorites in NYC. Often I stop by just for a drink as I feel a bit guilty indulging in tasting menus too often when I’m not traveling. I love when any restaurant can take a food that I typically am not crazy about and make me love it. On this menu for instance, I generally dislike razor clams, uni and monkfish. But these particular preparations are outstanding. As I’m writing this post 6 weeks later the menu has already undergone several changes which means that its fortunately time for another visit. #firstworldproblems
potato waffle. pommes soufflees. lobster paloise. millefeuille.
madai – consomme, shiso, fingerlime
scallop – tonburi, citron
uni – chickpea, hozon
razor clam – apple, basil
beef – rutabaga, green peppercorn
caviar – potato, fermented radish
monkfish – liver, poblano
pyramidi – broccoli, aged cheddar
venison – kale, olive berry
foie gras – lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly
carrot cardamom – meringue 
chocolate – mint, fernet branca
Macaroon 
While I probably will not make a list of my favorite dining experiences of 2015, if I were to do so this dinner would easily be in my top 5. This was my first time sitting at one of the two tables instead of the counter and certainly some of the presentations are just far more impressive for a larger group. There was not one course which I did not absolutely love which is consistent with previous visits. Our essentially second course could have been a meal in itself and if it had ended at that point I would have gone home very happy. If there were not any witnesses I probably would have eaten the guinea hen to the point of making myself sick. Food aside I just love the entire environment of Ko 2.0. I am often down on friendliness of service in New York restaurants but Ko embodies the concept of hospitality. Now that I am somewhat thinking about my favorite experiences of this past year, the stand outs are the ones that not only have amazing food and impeccable service but also have figured out, for lack of a better description, the ‘it’ factor in hospitality. I am definitely looking forward to many more visits in 2016.
a blank canvas
vegetable roll. pommel soufflés. lobster paloise. millefeuille.
black bass, madai, uni, mackerel, chickpea, finger lime, bonji, shiso, sudachi
razor clam – apple, basil
siberian sturgeon caviar – radish, potato
sourdough bread & radish butter
halibut – cauliflower, hungarian pepper
guinea hen – matsutake, black vinegar
celery root – white truffle, tandoori
beef – daikon, scallion
foie gras – lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly
carrot cardamom – meringue
pistachio – apricot
chocolate – fernet branca
I seem to suffer the same problem with every restaurant that requires you to physically wait in line. By the time you stand on the sidewalk for what seems like hours, too frequently in blazing heat (because who would do this in summer?), you are hungry, thirsty, inevitably need to use the restroom, and at this point will eat almost anything. It’s adding insult to injury when the restroom is out of order by the time you finally make it inside. The sandwich was certainly enormous with great crunch. But my chicken seemed to be tough and I had a very difficult time taking a bite without pulling the whole sandwich apart (I will note my companions did not have the same problem). As other reviewers have said the fries were abysmal which I just don’t understand. They don’t need to be the best, but there is no excuse for fries this bad. While others have surprisingly loved the salad, all I can say was that it was better than the fries. I will give it another shot on a weekday when hopefully the line will be shorter.
I will quickly sum this up – I loved my second trip to the new Ko just as much as the first. I still feel like it’s an entirely different restaurant from the original, at a minimum Ko 2.0, and am still impressed by how much service has improved. The menu was largely the same as 2 months earlier (which I have posted about previously) so I will spare the descriptions but do have to mention that the epoisses potatoes with the venison were to die for. If you haven’t been…go!
It had quite some time, actually way too long, since I visited the old Ko. So the memory may have faded slightly but it still feels like the new Ko is an entirely new restaurant – the more grown up and refined version of the original. The new space is industrial yet quite homey and I can’t wait to visit in summer when I hope the garage doors will be open. Service is much more friendly than I remember and the chefs a bit more chatty. Of course everything that we ate was fantastic and its difficult to pick favorites, but I am a sucker for soft scrambled eggs. Keep an eye on the reservations as we got lucky fairly last minute. And it didn’t photograph well, but I cannot fail to mention the very unique take-home menu presentation.
Aperitif – verjus, cappelletti, soda
Apple soda
Lobster paloise. Tartlet
Vegetable roll
Millefeuille
Madal – green chile, shiso, consommé
Razor clam – pineapple, basil
Beet – brown butter, anchovy, furikake
Venison – fermented black bean, Brussels sprouts
Mackerel sabazushi – ginger, dashi ponzu
Mushroom – scallop, asian pear
Soft scramble – potato, osetra, herbs. Bread and butter
Celery root – black truffle, tandoori
Branzino – artichoke, sumac, yogurt
Lobster – sweet potato, tonsure, sauce
Foie gras – lychee, pine nut, riesling jelly
Duck – lime pickle, watercress
Clementine – campari
Coconut – banana, rum
Mignardises
iwillmakeualist 