900 replies to this topic

[KD1191]

EMP may just be break-even.

Can I ask what you're basing this on, other than pure uninformed speculation?

This recent piece on Danny Meyer is full of interesting tidbits.

Eleven Madison owned Shake Shack from 2004 to 2009, when it became its own company — but the mobbed burger stand provided the capital required to hire the Swiss chef Daniel Humm away from a restaurant in San Francisco, reduce the seats in his new dining room, double his staff and establish a venue so elevated in its pursuits that it’s less a restaurant than a graduate program in taste.

I wouldn't call it iron-clad evidence of the unprofitability of EMP, but it certainly doesn't sound like it is/was self-sustaining.

[FDE]

EMP may just be break-even.

Can I ask what you're basing this on, other than pure uninformed speculation?

Well, I am not sure what Oakapple's thought was, but if customers felt they didn’t get what they paid for, it makes sense for them to believe the company (e.g. restaurant in this case) is making good profit right? Or when they felt the price is about right or even slightly better value, then the company is slight profitable or just break-even. Wouldn’t you feel the same?

Of course, this assumes restaurants have similar expense ratio and not ineffectively using customer’s money, e.g. Hiring 3 people to do the job of one. If this is the case, then I understand how a restaurant can fail to deliver what customers paid for and being unprofitable at the same time. With Chang's success and the number of restaurants he has, I am sure he's running them cost effectively and that's why few of us here believe Ko is quite profitable relative to other restaurants in discussion.

Edited by FDE, 12 August 2011 - 03:18 AM.

[oakapple]

Well, I am not sure what Oakapple's thought was, but if customers felt they didn’t get what they paid for, it makes sense for them to believe the company (e.g. restaurant in this case) is making good profit right? Or when they felt the price is about right or even slightly better value, then the company is slight profitable or just break-even. Wouldn’t you feel the same?

No. It's sloppy, uninformed thinking. Today, you may read a review praising Ko to the skies; tomorrow, you may read a very negative review. Yet, both diners paid the same price. Ko doesn't adjust its tariff depending upon how much the customer liked it. You may think that, because the restaurant "felt like" a bad deal to you, it must be making a huge profit. But one has nothing necessarily to do with the other.

Most of a restaurant's expenses go to things that you cannot observe: rent, salaries, legal, HR, insurance, marketing, etc. Even for the food, it is the rare diner who has enough experience and knowledge to know what the ingredients cost, and what it took to prepare them. In any event, good ingredients prepared badly cost the same as good ingredients prepared well, even though the customer experience could be radically different.

Edited by oakapple, 12 August 2011 - 06:48 AM.

[FDE]

EMP may just be break-even.

Can I ask what you're basing this on, other than pure uninformed speculation?

As I said again, regardless of profitable or not, my point was I felt that I didn't get what I paid for relative to those few other restaurants in discussion. That’s all.

Say if you were extremely disappointed about a product after you paid a high price for it, you will make a statement like “it’s probably overpriced or the company probably makes a higher profit” rather than thinking “well, maybe I couldn't see most of the expenses being use, e.g. rent, salaries, legal, HR, insurance, marketing, etc. so I understand why it is such a high price.” Keep in mind that say you then got a much satisfying product across the street and at a significantly lower price.

So Oakapple, back BKYLN's question to why you think EMP is just about break-even? It sounds like you have more info to justify your statement.

[oakapple]

Say if you were extremely disappointed about a product after you paid a high price for it, you will make a statement like “it’s probably overpriced or the company probably makes a higher profit” rather than thinking “well, maybe I couldn't see most of the expenses being use, e.g. rent, salaries, legal, HR, insurance, marketing, etc. so I understand why it is such a high price.” Keep in mind that say you then got a much satisfying product across the street and at a significantly lower price.

I perfectly understand that this is one's likely emotional reaction. But analytically it makes no sense. Ko probably serves around 9,000 dinners a year. One diner's disappointment doesn't inform the question of how much profit Ko is making.

So Oakapple, back BKYLN's question to why you think EMP is just about break-even? It sounds like you have more info to justify your statement.

KD1191 answered it well upthread. I don't have any better information than that, but I have heard similar statements before. I said that I "suspect . . . EMP may just be break-even." The article KD1191 quoted is certainly enough to justify my suspicion.

[FDE]

Right, and to be fair, Ko is a very small restaurant serving only 10-12 diners. It doesn't have the "economies of scale" as other big restaurants do. But still, since none of us has any better info, Ko could have a higher profit margin than EMP and SHO, yes, purely based on whatever I can observe during my meals at those places.

[A_Hunger_Artist]

So I (finally) scored a dinner reservation for next weekend at Ko, and I was wondering about the situation with the wine pairings. I've heard that there are 3 price points, but I've also heard that they only do one for dinner at $95. Which is true? And, if its just the one, is it justified for $95 bucks?

[ellenost]

Ko currently does only one wine pairing for $95. A few years ago they did have 3 different price points. I did the middle price point for my very first dinner at Ko, and while the pairings were excellent, I found the pours too generous.

[A_Hunger_Artist]

Follow up to that, Whats the wine list like for bottles? My date and I have to drive home and everything I've heard about the pairing is that you get pretty tanked so that's a bit of a concern. I'm still not against doing the pairing, but I think splitting a bottle may be the way to go.

[Broken English]

I guess pairings effect depend on your tolerance to alcohol, I haven't been to Ko, but in every other wine pairing I've done, I have been far from tanked, although I certainly wouldn't have driven home after.

[LPShanet]

Ko has definitely pared back (no pun intended) since a few years ago on the size of the pours in the pairing. Some people prefer it and some are annoyed. You could even split a pairing with your date if you're worried about having too much to drink but still want to try multiple wines. The bottle list isn't huge, but it's thoughtful and there are always a few interesting (non-obvious) things on it. It is also well matched to the food.

[weinoo]

If you're driving, why take any chances at all? Have a beer, or a glass of wine, and be done with it. Focus on the food.

[The Food Doc]

In between Christmas shopping and partying, I had lunch at Momofuku Ko yesterday. Lovely meal, as always, and for a change, I decided to forego the usual wine pairing, and instead opted for a bottle of white wine from the Roussillon region of France (lovely acidity, with some interesting notes and heft). So, here goes the meal:

1) The meal started with a Kusshi oyster served with a jalapeno vinaigrette. Briny yet with some kick. Nice way to warm up the stomach and the taste buds for the meal to come.

2) Amuses bouche:
Pommes soufflé filled with sour cream and hackleback caviar
Aged beef tartare with radish and spicy vinaigrette
Fish chowder with white chives

3) Quartet of crudo:
Madai with XVOO and topped with crispy fish scales and chives
Long Island fluke topped with pickled red peppers and fermented bean paste
Raw scallop topped with poppy seeds and sriracha sauce dressing
Spanish mackerel topped with pickled onions and Japanese cereal

4) Vegetable trio:
Roasted sunchoke with pinenut pesto
Fried cauliflower floret with fish sauce vinaigrette (a bit similar to the one Tien Ho made for Momofuku Ma Peche)
Braised turnip dusted with espresso

5) Wild mushroom salad served with pickled red onions, micro-cilantro and a charred pickled jalapeno puree. Mushrooms included chanterelles, hen of the woods, lobster and royal trumpet.

6) Puffed chicken’s egg topped with chives and kombu, served in a bacon dashi broth

7) Matsutake mushroom ravioli topped with puffed buckwheat, in a butter sauce. This is served with a side of matsutake mushroom broth topped with spruce oil, and a maple brown butter French toast

8) Bento box:
Fish consomme topped with garlic oil and raw bean sprouts
Pork rib cooked sous vide, then slathered with house made barbecue sauce before going under broiler. This is served with grilled shishito pepper.
Grilled rice roll
Grilled and julienned brussel sprout salad

9) Pan roasted monkfish served with vegetables in a rich lobster broth

10) Shaved torchon of foie gras with Riesling gelee, lychees and pinenut brittle

11) House made charcuterie, served with black onion puree and cranberries:
Chicken liver pate
Smoked duck breast
Pig's head cheese

12) Lamb rack from Elysian Fields served with salsify and burnt onion puree, with a side of cassoulet served in a miniature Le Creuset dutch oven

13) Goat cheese and honey sorbet, served with a four-layer gelee of milk, tea, pomegranate and honey

14) Dessert: Sugar cone filled with sticky rice and house made ice cream (cannot remember the actual flavor)

There were new faces behind the oven: Sous chef Sean, and line cooks Heather and Josh. Nice people, and quite talented. All in all, the perfect way to enjoy a December afternoon.

[ellenost]

14) Dessert: Sugar cone filled with sticky rice and house made ice cream (cannot remember the actual flavor)

When I had lunch at Ko in September, I had (I believe) white miso ice cream in the cone. They may have changed it since. Great report (as always).

[The Food Doc]

As the New York Giants were marching towards a nail-biting victory over the New England Patriots last night in Super Bowl XLVI (GO GIANTS!), I celebrated Super Bowl Sunday the same way I have the past few years: having dinner at Momofuku Ko. As sous chef Sean Gray was quick to announce, this was officially my 50th meal at Ko (although if you add F&F and all the walk-ins, it may be closer to 60), so it was a milestone of sorts. Here is a compilation of the menu last night:

1) Amuse bouches:
Chicharonnes seasoned with todarashi and salt
Boneless chicken wing
Chawanmushi topped with broccoli puree and uni
Fried wonton filled with eggplant and almond pistou

2) Slices of Long Island fluke topped with poppyseeds and chives, and served in a Sriracha and buttermilk sauce

3) Spanish mackerel tataki topped with pickled shallots, rice pearls and yuzu

4) House-made brioche topped with roasted bone marrow, pickled pearl onions, lemon confit and micro-sorrel, served in a Comte broth

5) Smoked soft-cooked hen's egg from Knollcrest Farms, served with soubise onions, fingerling potato chips, hackleback caviar and sweet potato vinegar

6) House-made ricotta cheese cavatelli with beef tongue, watercress and fried sauerkraut

7) Oven poached trout topped with bread crumbs, rutabaga and shallots

8) Shaved torchon of Hudson Valley foie gras with lychees, pine nut brittle and riesling gelee

9) Roasted breast of Muscovy duck glazed with pomegranate molasses, served with sauteed mustard greens, turnip green puree, and pumpernickel-dusted turnip braised in honey and ginger

10) Pre-dessert: Granny Smith apple sorbet with apple bread, topped with apple chips and saffron sauce

11) Dessert: Coconut custard served with passionfruit meringue, peanut butter and chocolate cookie crumbs, banana slices, and Thai basil

Dinner began with a huckleberry negroni aperitif; I also noticed that some wine pours were shared by two courses, instead of one wine pour per course. Service remains efficient yet warm, and the chefs were friendly and accomodating (congratulations on your engagement, Mr. Gray!). There were dishes that were also served last year during Super Bowl XLV; only the fish dish, some of the amuses bouch, and the desserts were new to me. I have always loved the egg and foie gras dishes, and the duck dish is quite delectable. The trout was last night's revelation: tender and flaky, flavorful but never heavy.

[ellenost]

As the New York Giants were marching towards a nail-biting victory over the New England Patriots last night in Super Bowl XLVI (GO GIANTS!), I celebrated Super Bowl Sunday the same way I have the past few years: having dinner at Momofuku Ko. As sous chef Sean Gray was quick to announce, this was officially my 50th meal at Ko (although if you add F&F and all the walk-ins, it may be closer to 60), so it was a milestone of sorts. Here is a compilation of the menu last night:

1) Amuse bouches:
Chicharonnes seasoned with todarashi and salt
Boneless chicken wing
Chawanmushi topped with broccoli puree and uni
Fried wonton filled with eggplant and almond pistou

2) Slices of Long Island fluke topped with poppyseeds and chives, and served in a Sriracha and buttermilk sauce

3) Spanish mackerel tataki topped with pickled shallots, rice pearls and yuzu

4) House-made brioche topped with roasted bone marrow, pickled pearl onions, lemon confit and micro-sorrel, served in a Comte broth

5) Smoked soft-cooked hen's egg from Knollcrest Farms, served with soubise onions, fingerling potato chips, hackleback caviar and sweet potato vinegar

6) House-made ricotta cheese cavatelli with beef tongue, watercress and fried sauerkraut

7) Oven poached trout topped with bread crumbs, rutabaga and shallots

8) Shaved torchon of Hudson Valley foie gras with lychees, pine nut brittle and riesling gelee

9) Roasted breast of Muscovy duck glazed with pomegranate molasses, served with sauteed mustard greens, turnip green puree, and pumpernickel-dusted turnip braised in honey and ginger

10) Pre-dessert: Granny Smith apple sorbet with apple bread, topped with apple chips and saffron sauce

11) Dessert: Coconut custard served with passionfruit meringue, peanut butter and chocolate cookie crumbs, banana slices, and Thai basil

Dinner began with a huckleberry negroni aperitif; I also noticed that some wine pours were shared by two courses, instead of one wine pour per course. Service remains efficient yet warm, and the chefs were friendly and accomodating (congratulations on your engagement, Mr. Gray!). There were dishes that were also served last year during Super Bowl XLV; only the fish dish, some of the amuses bouch, and the desserts were new to me. I have always loved the egg and foie gras dishes, and the duck dish is quite delectable. The trout was last night's revelation: tender and flaky, flavorful but never heavy.

Congratulations on your 50th/60th visit to Ko! I believe I have only 39 visits--quite a way to go to reach your milestone! I had dinner last night at Ko. All of the same dishes except the amuses. The amuses you had sound better than mine: chicharron (same as always); fennel bread pudding; fried shrimp head; salsify cube with (I believe) chanterelle sauce.

Agree about the trout--it was delicious (and I usually don't like trout). Chef Mitch said they're bringing back the skate dish. Glad I was able to have the trout. I loved the 2 desserts, especially the coconut custard!

Chef Mitch said he'll be leaving in April/May to join Chef Sam open up Momofuku Toronto. I'll need to schedule a trip to Toronto to visit them. Thanks for the wonderful news about Chef Sean; I'll congratulate him next time.

[Broken English]

I was randomly looking at the Ko reservations site, and I managed to score a seat for tonight. Lucky I'm in NYC at the moment haha.

Can't wait, I'll definately report back.

[Bobster]

And???

I haven't been since the first few months, I'm wondering if you had a great time.

[The Food Doc]

It has been a few months since I had dinner at Ko, and when a reservation became available last week, I decided to snap it up. A few new dishes were available this time around, and I was glad I went!

1) Amuse bouches:
Chicharonnes seasoned with todarashi and salt
Lobster on mashed potatoes smoked in beef fat, served with pickled fennel
Shigoku oyster dipped in cornmeal-wheat flour mixture, deep fried and served with dashi aioli

2) Diver scallops with avocado and jalapeno puree, cucumber ice and radish

3) Spanish mackerel tataki with apple-beet puree, topped with puffed black rice, braised red cabbage and mustard greens

4) Louisiana crawfish with brioche topped with herb butter, marjoram, romaine lettuce and orange gelee, served in a pepper and chile vegetable broth

5) Smoked soft-cooked hen's egg from Knollcrest Farms, served with soubise onions, fingerling potato chips, hackleback caviar and sweet potato vinegar

6) House-made ricotta cheese cavatelli with braised beef tongue, mustard and fried sauerkraut

7) Pan seared halibut served with kohlrabi, radish, lemon, seared fiddleheads, pepperoncini and sauteed onions

8) Shaved torchon of Hudson Valley foie gras with lychees, pine nut brittle and riesling gelee

9) Roasted breast of Muscovy duck glazed with pomegranate molasses, served with sauteed mustard greens, ramp puree, and pumpernickel-dusted turnip braised in honey and ginger

10) Pre-dessert: Goat cheese ice cream with rhubarb, pistachio and goat cheese cookie

11) Dessert: Honey sorbet with lemon-thyme foam, bee pollen and milk crisps

I loved all the dishes; I also noticed a certain subtlety to the flavors that allowed the individual items in each dish to sing without overwhelming the other dish components. Four years in, and almost sixty meals later, I can say that Momofuku Ko continues its trend of serving excellent food in a casual setting. My thanks to the kitchen staff at Ko!

[Broken English]

Very similar to the menu I had about a month ago. It was good, but to be honest I preferred Ssam bar. I'd head back again though, it was a great night.

[Broken English]

And???

I haven't been since the first few months, I'm wondering if you had a great time.

I forgot to report back, haha. As I said, it was good, not mind blowing, but there were some dishes like the beef tongue, the mackerel and the foie (though that dish longed for more foie for a bit more balance) that were transcendent. Definately worth a repeat visit.

Edited by Broken English, 28 May 2012 - 12:36 AM.

[ellenost]

It has been a few months since I had dinner at Ko, and when a reservation became available last week, I decided to snap it up. A few new dishes were available this time around, and I was glad I went!

1) Amuse bouches:
Chicharonnes seasoned with todarashi and salt
Lobster on mashed potatoes smoked in beef fat, served with pickled fennel
Shigoku oyster dipped in cornmeal-wheat flour mixture, deep fried and served with dashi aioli

2) Diver scallops with avocado and jalapeno puree, cucumber ice and radish

3) Spanish mackerel tataki with apple-beet puree, topped with puffed black rice, braised red cabbage and mustard greens

4) Louisiana crawfish with brioche topped with herb butter, marjoram, romaine lettuce and orange gelee, served in a pepper and chile vegetable broth

5) Smoked soft-cooked hen's egg from Knollcrest Farms, served with soubise onions, fingerling potato chips, hackleback caviar and sweet potato vinegar

6) House-made ricotta cheese cavatelli with braised beef tongue, mustard and fried sauerkraut

7) Pan seared halibut served with kohlrabi, radish, lemon, seared fiddleheads, pepperoncini and sauteed onions

8) Shaved torchon of Hudson Valley foie gras with lychees, pine nut brittle and riesling gelee

9) Roasted breast of Muscovy duck glazed with pomegranate molasses, served with sauteed mustard greens, ramp puree, and pumpernickel-dusted turnip braised in honey and ginger

10) Pre-dessert: Goat cheese ice cream with rhubarb, pistachio and goat cheese cookie

11) Dessert: Honey sorbet with lemon-thyme foam, bee pollen and milk crisps

I loved all the dishes; I also noticed a certain subtlety to the flavors that allowed the individual items in each dish to sing without overwhelming the other dish components. Four years in, and almost sixty meals later, I can say that Momofuku Ko continues its trend of serving excellent food in a casual setting. My thanks to the kitchen staff at Ko!

Thanks for your report about the menu. Unfortunately, other than the amuses and the crawfish, the menu is very similar to my dinner of two months ago. I was toying with trying to get a reservation in the next week or two, but I think I'll wait a while longer to hopefully see more changes to the menu.

[ellenost]

Decided to make another reservation for dinner. I know it will be as wonderful as always!

[ellenost]

Decided to make another reservation for dinner. I know it will be as wonderful as always!

Had to cancel my reservation (darn!). Look forward to returning to Ko for dinner later in the summer.

[The Food Doc]

<sub>I had lunch at Ko this Sunday; another wonderful meal prepared by Sean Gray and company. Following a ginger-chamomile cocktail, lunch started as followed:

1) Shigoku oyster with kombu and apple vinegar

2) Amuses bouche:
Pommes soufflé filled with burnt onion and hackleback caviar
Poppyseed biscuit with smoked pork butter
Red curry chawan mushi topped with peach bits
Fried shrimp cake with basil and fish sauce

3) Quartet of crudo:
Long Island fluke topped with grated redball radish, citrus fennel and soy glaze
Diver scallop wrapped in celery, served with roasted tomato, tomato water and fresh chickpeas
Spanish mackerel topped with pickled onions and Japanese cereal
Grilled octopus inoculated with a pistachio-miso solution, with turnips and potatoes dressed with turnip mayonnaise, pistachio, miso and lemon gelee

4) Dry aged beef carpaccio with pickled strawberries, feta, redball radish and black olive powder

5) Santa Barbara uni served in a honeydew-cucumber soup, topped with nasturtium, fried morels and chili oil

6) Puffed hen egg topped with chives and braised kombu, served in a bacon dashi

7) Bento box:
Pork belly ssam with bean sprouts and pineapple kimchi
Charred mustard greens topped with crispy shallots
Grilled rice roll

8) Housemade cavatelli with charred fava beans, mortadella, clams and lardo, and topped with fried ginger

9) Roasted lobster tail served with apple, porcini and bamboo, topped with lobster jus

10) Shaved torchon of foie gras with Riesling gelee, lychees and pinenut brittle

11) Sausage-stuffed chicken breast, served with grilled asparagus spears and hummus, topped with chicken jus

12) Frozen goat's cheese with milk crisps, nasturtium flowers and pomegranate tea gelee

13) English pea ice cream with pound cake and shiso foam

14) Dessert: Sugar cone filled with sticky rice and sweet miso ice cream, topped with puffed black rice


It may have been hot and steamy outside that Sunday afternoon, but it was warm and comfortable inside Ko. Every meal I have there is like a home-cooked meal enjoyed with family.</sub>

Edited by The Food Doc, 02 July 2012 - 06:14 PM.

[ellenost]

Last night's dinner was exquisite! I haven't posted a review of Ko in a while, so it's about time for an update. Creative and delicious--always a winning combination. Service was top notch. Chefs were very friendly to all of the guests. Most of the dishes have been changed since my last visit. Here's what was on last night's menu:

1) amuses: oyster with apple seaweed vinegar; chicharron with togarashi salt; chicken soup with dumpling.

2) scallops with spicy whipped buttermilk and poppyseeds.

3) Beef carpaccio with arugula, black puffed rice, strawberries, feta cheese and olive powder.

4) smoked red pepper soup with langoustine, orange gels, toastedbrioche.

5) smoked egg with hackleback caviar, onion soubise and fingerling potato chips. Side car of potato bread muffin. Brilliant dish made even better!

6) walnut agnolotti with fried sweetbreads, lobster mushroom, picked cherries, basil. I don't even like sweetbreads, and this was delicious!

7) halibut with corn tempura and corn puree.

8) shaved frozen foie gras with lychee, Riesling gelee and pinenut brittle.

9) deep fried short rib with peaches and onions. This was even a better version that in the past.

10) buttermilk ice cream with carrot cake and rye crumble.

11) honey sorbet with lemon thyme foam, bee pollen and milk crumble.

Special thanks and farewell to Richard and Jonathan; best wishes to you both!

Definitely need to return to Ko more often! After four years, Ko is still at the top of its game!

P.S. Every meal I've had at Ko has always been superb, but last night was especially superb! BTW, for the person who has posted that all of my reviews of Ko sound like "revelations", you're absolutely right. I am always amazed at how fantastic the food is at Ko, and I shake my head in amazement and sadness for those who don't/can't/won't appreciate it.

Edited by ellenost, 10 August 2012 - 07:20 AM.

[tony h]

Friday 9th August - 1 space available for lunch today

[The Food Doc]

I went for dinner last night at Momofuku Ko. Compared to ellenost's dinner a month ago, most of the dishes remained the same, except for a few new additions. Here is a rundown of my menu, with my comments:

1) Amuses bouche:
Chicharrones dusted with togarashi salt
Heirloom tomatoes served with mascarpone cheese and topped with a basil gelee (looked like stained glass window; the basil gelee was an innovative and delicious way to introduce basil in this dish)
Chilled corn soup topped with lime zest and piment d' espelette (the corn flavor was muted, and it needed a little more heat)

2) Diver scallops from New Jersey served on a bed of sticky rice and tomatillo slices, topped with a nori-chipotle powder (nice balance of heat, acid and sweetness; the scallops remained front and center)

3) Dry aged sirloin beef carpaccio with rose-compressed strawberries, black olive powder, grated horseradish, puffed black rice, and feta cheese (the mild flavors of the carpaccio did not hold up well against the other components)

4) Langoustines cooked on the plancha, served with toasted brioche topped with herb butter (marjoram), orange gelee and steamed romaine lettuce, in a smoked pepper, squid and chile vegetable broth (robust and spicy; the sweetness of the orange rounds out the other flavors beautifully)

5) Smoked hen egg served with hackleback caviar, onion soubise, fingerling potato, sweet potato vinegar and herb salad. This was served with a house made potato bread and smoked butter (the quintessential egg dish from Ko. The potato bread was soft and had a wonderful crust, and was not overly sweet; it was handy to sop up the rich yolk of the hen egg)

6) Toasted walnut agnolotti with crispy veal sweetbreads, pickled cherries and chanterelle mushrooms, ricotta sauce and orange zest (just divine; rich and hearty, with a hint of sweetness and acid. A pasta appropriate for autumn)

7) Almond crusted skate wing served with almond milk foam, roasted cauliflower, olives and water chestnuts (the welcome return of an old Ko favorite; tender and subtly sweet skate meat paired with the nuttiness of the almond, cauliflower and water chestnuts, with the olives adding a punch of salinity)

8) Shaved Hudson Valley foie gras torchon with lychees, pinenut brittle, and Riesling gelee (60+ meals in, and I still do not tire of this dish's perfect combination of sweet, fatty and nutty)

9) 48-hour braised beef short rib, deep-fried and served with peach puree, pickled peaches, basil pea greens and rye dust (tender rib meat with a crunchy crust; the sweetness and tartness of the peaches subtly cut through the fattiness without overwhelming the rest of the dish)

10) Spicy carrot cake drenched in carrot essence, topped with slices of pickled carrots, carrot blossoms, and carrot pastry cream, and served with buttermilk ice cream and rye crumble (another seasonal dessert: light yet earthy, with just the right amount of sweetness)

11) Concorde grape sorbet served with macadamia truffles and miniature rice krispies (interesting juxtaposition of creamy and crunchy)

Wine pairing was mostly on point; the pairing of the desserts with beers was an inspired choice. The kitchen staff was particularly engaging and friendly; hats off to Josh, Troy and new chef Kerry. Momofuku Ko continues to maintain the high standards it set in March 2010, and I look forward to my next meal there.

[sygyzy]

That sounds delicious, Food Doc. Can't wait to dine here. Has the service improved or is it still pretty hostile? Should I avoid conversing with the staff?

[ellenost]

That sounds delicious, Food Doc. Can't wait to dine here. Has the service improved or is it still pretty hostile? Should I avoid conversing with the staff?

I've never found the service at Ko to be anything less than friendly and polite. Last month when I had my dinner at Ko I found the chefs very chatty with all of the guests (even the first timers).