Kochi in New York, New York

For a dining experience that is out of the ordinary, Kochi is the perfect stop. Located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, you can choose from either the “Tasting Menu” (7 courses for $85) or “Signature Menu” (10 courses for $125). I have visited twice and experienced each menu. They are both great and allow accommodation for food preferences. For example, I do not usually eat red meat, and they changed the menu to accommodate that very nicely. 

The only time you really have a choice of what you want to eat is if you do the smaller menu, where you will choose your main course. Since the choice was between beef or pork, I asked for fish.

 

 

 

I recommend doing the larger menu. First off, the main difference between the two menus is the fact that the smaller menu requires you to add on different premium supplements, like sea urchin and caviar. When you add the different supplements you are only $15 away from the 10-course menu price and you may as well do that menu.

The starting course for both menus is a seasonal soup, either with or without caviar, topping a rich, nutty sphere. I personally love the addition of the caviar, and they give a pretty large helping as well. 

For the next three or two courses, they will be different based on the menu chosen. The smaller menu has two courses, including a crispy shrimp, and a piece of crispy fish. They are both battered and come as different courses, on skewers. The skewers are actually what this restaurant originally made headlines for. For the larger menu, the next three courses are fish courses and they are not fried. It will depend on the season, but each dish had some type of Korean flavor and a grilled component.

My absolute favorite course was Kochi’s take on a Bibimbap. Bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice dish, either with meat or tofu, along with pickled vegetables and a fried egg on top. Kochi takes this and puts a modern spin on it. There are two options for the Bibimbap, either with steelhead trout and sea urchin, or marinated beef tartare. They top it with crispy forbidden rice, and condensed egg yolk. It is pretty incredible when you mix it all together. 

The longer menu has an added course, but the final course for both menus is a black sesame and matcha green tea ice cream sandwich. If you have never had black sesame, it is like a smoother and less intense version of peanut butter. I have never met someone who does not like this flavor!

All in all, Kochi is an amazing dining experience, at a pretty great price point for what you are getting. If you love Korean flavors or want to take a dip into the world of Korean cuisine, Kochis is the place to visit.

Explore Kochi’s restaurant menu in NYC here.