Prix Fixe

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Atoboy – New York City – Friday 17 October 2025 – Dinner

Mastery ingredient combinations are evident at this incredibly impressive Korean restaurant. Take a description of a squash dish with gochujang (fermented chilli paste), sage, and fontina cheese. Sounds like something you’d try? 

I wouldn’t normally have squash, but tonight I have the privilege of dining with friends who are locals and first toured me around New York in 2004. Wyatt has been to Atoboy a couple of times already, and knows to trust the flavour combinations. Together with his long time partner Caroline, we order each dish off the prix fixe, as there’s three options for each course. 

We sit back, relax and get ready to enjoy a show of diverse tastes and flavour combinations, that often have us in awe. The “naegroni” aperitif illustrates the impact of the kitchen’s experimentation is not lost in the drinks side of things.

The incredibly impressive squash comes draped in a blanket of fontina cheese. There is no telling what an incredible flavour profile will greet your taste buds as you take your first bite. It has very good company though. Alongside, bite sized squid snacks are bursting with flavour too. Insanely, the delicious prawns with kimchi, seem to have less impact, yet are superb in themselves.

Earlier we’ve begun with sea urchin atop black quinoa, which feels like a special treat given how normalised starting with other luxuries like oysters has become. Bluefin tuna is served generously in cubes with carrot, smoked trout roe and nuruk (traditional Korean fermentation starter). That first few polite chopsticks to taste has us all going back for more, no less politely, but with a certain extra vigour.

The fluke with chojang (sweet and spicy dipping sauce), cucumber, and perilla, demonstrates both the subtlety of the highlighted protein, and its wonderful accentuation in combination. Jimmy Nardello peppers, a sweet Italian variety, which are not hot, served with smoked soy, horseradish, and radicchio, looked to be the weaker dish, but like the squash, this was not the case.

In the mains (US – “entrees”) there was a clear winner for me with the oxtail, which had enough difference to be interesting, but the familiar gaminess that I personally love. Thinly sliced pork with a sea of yellow sauce, potatoes, sunchoke, and plenty of herbs easily eclipses the Spanish mackerel dish which was perfectly cooked, but the weakest dish I tried.

The controversial aspect of the evening was the fried chicken. The story goes that many come for the prix fixe to simply add the chicken (though I’d imagine they come away as gushing about the whole meal as I did!) Wyatt initially looked to our waitperson on whether to order two and was suggested to start with one. The upsell is not a thing here it appears. Immediately upon touching down on the table, we requested the second, knowing that this perfectly treated piece of fried chicken must be tried several times to confirm it is in fact perfect! And yes it was.

Caroline and I had enjoyed a glass of the Ernest Vineyards Chardonnay from Sonoma, and it was time to have a light red with some of the mains, which was a wine made by Arianna Occhipinti from Sicily using a grape variety I cannot remember trying called Frappato. It was a nice light versatile match to the mains, including the mackerel. Earlier, Wyatt had ordered a traditional Korean rice wine called White Lotus Makegeolli, made by Shinpyeong Brewery, and he loved it.

For dessert we stayed true to the course we had set, and ordered both available. The SuJeongGwa (traditional Korean punch) granita was by a small margin my favourite, with the curious combination of burrata cheese, lychee yoghurt and walnuts working together to provide that sweet and savoury balance to Asian dessert. The goguma (sweet potato) ice cream with chestnut, black tea, and date, was really not far behind, and had a sweeter profile but still with restraint. I really liked the biscuit to add texture, and the walnuts for the same reason in the former dessert. Across all of these dishes for the evening it left a sense of awe as to how they were created in the first place.

As we caught up it was easy to miss some of the intricate details, and service was one where I didn’t feel there was any obvious improvements that might be made (even the upselling!) 

Here at this minimalist styled restaurant the interest points and colour to the meal is all on the table, and in my case, with the company surrounding those dishes. Atoboy is a brilliant restaurant in a sea of them here in New York City. 

Atoboy
https://www.atoboynyc.com
43 East 28th Street, New York
Dinner 7 nights
+1 646 746 7217
info@atoboynyc.com

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Le Bernardin – New York – Monday 18 June 2018 – Lunch

Lobster – Baked Lobster; Creamy White Corn Polenta; Red Wine-Gumbo Sauce

Wonderful meals are one of a smattering of events that you will never forget. Vivid memories of the best food imaginable, while already in the throes of a relaxing holiday, linger long after the occasionally enormous bill has been paid.

One of the conundrums I have as an eager writer of my restaurant experiences, is when to put the figurative pen to paper. Too many months later and the feelings are still there, but the ability to paint the picture has diminished. Too soon and I might be still basking in the glow of the glorious food (and wine!) I must admit, with my memory, usually without photos or notes I might as well just share someone else’s review.

On this day I can still remember the unrelenting heat. A holiday walker from way back (I did 25km in this incredible city in November in one day) I usually refuse to get transport, but it is very warm, and with a jacket required in the dining room, walking would potentially ruin the day. Even getting out of the Uber and walking to the front door, a curiously unassuming entrance, I was starting to perspire.

I can remember looking around as Catherine, looking amazing as always, and I, walked in to a business-like atmosphere. If it wasn’t for the flashes of ornate furnishings, and comforting banquettes, you could be transported straight from a holiday Monday lunch to a boardroom table sandwich listening to the latest corporate training. The trick, which is not difficult, is to focus on my wife, and not on the boisterous chest-thumping discussions nearby.

Crab – Dungeness “Crab Cake”; Old Bay Crisp; Shellfish-Cardamom Emulsion

I am not making a point here, except that the meal is so vivid. The reason is the whole package is irresistible for anyone who loves the best in food and dining. Gladly lunch involves a prix-fixe arrangement that is not extraordinarily expensive.

Salmon – Barely Cooked Faroe Islands Salmon; Meyer Lemon Confit; Miso-Horseradish Emulsion

Besides the immaculate presentation of close to an entire lobster, the main memory I have of Le Bernardin is the depth of flavour in each dish, and the exquisite sauces that bind the elements together. There was the shellfish-cardamom emulsion that surrounds sublime Dungeness crab cake, topped with a crisp to add both an accent on the presentation, and some texture. There is the colour of barely cooked Faroe Islands salmon, dressed with miso-horseradish emulsion; each taste naturally melting in your mouth.

Lobster – Lacquered Lobster Tail; Tagliatelle; Black Truffle Sauce

Tagliatelle that could not be bettered by an Italian restaurant we have been to, has to share a starring role with lacquered lobster tail, a black truffle sauce gloriously combining the two in an Academy award winning performance. Yes, Catherine was in love with her dishes, but when my own baked lobster arrived there was no envy, just applause. Not only is it the most lobster I’ve enjoyed in this kind of setting, it is the most delicious. The claw looks so good it is difficult to interfere with, but once I have, it is addictive. In between, more than several tastes of the tail, polenta, and red wine gumbo sauce, have me in rapture.

Banana S’more – Warm Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Banana, Smoked Meringue, and Coquito Sauce

As you can sympathise with, dessert could not be better than the savoury courses, but it was not overshadowed by them. Catherine’s banana s’more, and my coffee caramel crémeux, were both insanely good too. Rich, flavour packed, indulgent desserts, are our style, and these ticked all the boxes. The warm chocolate cake, meringue and coquito sauce, are a marriage in heaven; the crémeux, with roasted almond mousse, and bourbon froth spooned at the table, is presented so beautifully that you are initially torn to break in.

COFFEE – Coffee Caramel Crémeux, Roasted Almond Mousse, Bourbon Froth

As you would expect and hope for, service was utterly professional and pleasant throughout. The aspects that you want from a three Michelin Star restaurant are here and are seemingly effortless. As Catherine puts it “you didn’t want for anything” because it was already there. There is a calm, business-like manner in the dining room, and that is not surprising given this is a Monday at lunchtime.

Sometimes when I get to almost a year after an experience I do not feel I can provide an account of that experience authentically. Here the memories live in a special place because the quality of this meal puts it firmly into one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.

Le Bernardin Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato