I recently visited Soogil which is a Korean fusion restaurant that's gained a lot of attention on social media and even earned a Michelin star back in 2020. My friends chose this spot to celebrate their birthdays, mainly because they wanted to try the beef wellington dish. The restaurant offers two dining options which are a chefs tasting menu and a prix fixed meal. It's definitely on the expensive side, and honestly, that alone makes it unlikely that I would come back. The portion sizes were also quite small. I'm glad I ate a decent sized lunch beforehand. Otherwise, I probably would've left still hungry. That said, there were some great dishes that I would recommend such as the Jenga tower, the yellowtail amberjack with caviar, the duck and the branzino. Those stood out to me. Service was excellent, which made a big impression on me. Overall, while the food had good points and the service was great the high price and small portions make it more of a one and done type of place for me. read more

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Okay so this was an anniversary dinner with the wife and she really wanted the beef Wellington so we came to dine at Soogil. Let's start with the positives! The beef wellington (extra $29) was the star of the dinner. Definitely worth coming here for that dish! It was well seasoned, delicious pastry and executed well. The chocolate lava cake dessert was delicious too. Calm cozy atmosphere with intimate small tables. Unfortunately that's really it for the highlights of this restaurant. Overall, we were.. not impressed with everything else. Mainly the price point as the dinner came out to a total of over $420 with tax and tip. We got the 6 course chef's choice for 2 people ($135 each), 1 beef wellington ($29) and 1 bottle of Sake. I asked for the bottle of Korean makgeolli but the waiter said it was sold out and recommended the more expensive bottle. My question is how can it be sold out when the restaurant opens at 5:30PM and our reservation was at 5:30PM? We were one of the first guests there. That was odd to me. The service was also incredibly slow and spent a long time waiting while hungry. Then the bathroom was out of order and folks had to go outside to the next door restaurant to use their restroom. Unacceptable if you ask me. The food itself was.. just alright. It wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing. Certainly not $420 good. For example, the duck should have been crispy! It was chewy like chewing on fat and I felt so disappointed how they did that to an amazing dry-aged duck breast. The squash inside the squash soup was hard and not cooked all the way through! I'm not sure if that was intended but it was almost raw and hard to break with my spoon. My recommendation is skip the 6 course meal as I don't think it is good value for the price. The 3 course restaurant week deal seems to be better value at $60 and get the beef wellington ($29 add-on). Very expensive for what we got but that's my review! Thank you for reading read more

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Decent, but lackluster compared to its modern Korean fusion "fine dining" counterparts. Fave were the beef tartare and molten chocolate cake (prob the best molten chocolate cake I've had). Duck was also decent (great tender texture but a bit lacking in flavors, the dish was made decent by the side chicken sausage + rice with the most amazing kick ), otherwise Duck is on the lighter side in terms of flavors and just ok. Beef Wellington has a great presentation, but the flavor was rather bland, and this seems to be the recurring theme of this place (maybe it's the French influence, but most of the items are a bit bland for my liking ) . Ambiance is cute and cozy! read more

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Mediocre dinner. Good Foie Gras though. Everything about this restaurant was rather mediocre. I had rather high expectations which were not met in the slightest. To start the meal I ordered the passion fruit fizz which as evidenced by the photo looks disappointing- the black plastic straw and the generic ice... maybe I am being too picky but the whole meal followed suite as well. Not to mention, the different flavors in the drink were all overpowered by the passionfruit. It just tasted like passionfruit juice. The potato balls were nice and crisp. A very cute bite. Appetizers were solid. I liked the scallops and the yellowtail. The foie gras was very well done though! The sear is so unique- it came out warm and I loved the contrast with the tart cherries on top! This was the only dish I would come here for. Mains were fine. I wish they cut the beef wellington in front of you after showing you the intact individual beef wellington... The biggest nono though was the reusing of components. THe green puree was used in both the duck dish and the beef wellington. Not acceptable. Duck was okay, though if you're looking for a korean-fusion restaurant with duck I would recommend Attoboy. Dessert was also fine. Nothing standout. Overall, a rather disappointing meal. I would recommend the foie gras but that's about it. I will likely not return. read more

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Beef Wellington was great. The rest of the food was also tasty! Service was ok but not overly friendly. They kept taking away dishes and cutlery while some people on the table were still eating. The restaurant is fairly small but very nice, and had good music playing. read more

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Came here for my birthday dinner, and honestly regret it. I was excited to try a spot from Chef Soogil Lim since he trained with the incredible Chef Daniel Boulud (love all his restaurants) and was excited for this French Korean fusion! First, the restaurant was really empty which maybe should've been a tell. Service was fine, but fell short of what I'd expect from a nicer spot. Started with some drinks and then did the tasting menu with added Foie Gras. I came with 2 other people so we basically got one of everything. Standouts include the scallop tomato appetizer (when do I not loveee a raw scallop?), and the Foie Gras Crispy Rice add on. Wellington was fine but they basically bring out the same Wellington to show you, and then just give you a slice from the back. Would've been nice if they sliced it tableside. Desserts were good, and they put a candle in mine which was nice. Our bill came out to around $500 for 3 people- which IMO was not worth my money. With so many other fantastic French/Korean spots in the city, I don't think I'll ever be back. read more

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Last restaurant week spot for this season and It ended with a bang! This spot got on my radar because they served BEEF WELLINGTON and I never had it before. And it exceed my expectations. My friends and I left with no comments besides "Wow". We were impressed by all the food (everything was so fresh, delicious and well crafted & we basically ordered the whole menu) and the service was really good! We ordered: Appetizers: Beef Tartare (and I usually can't do beef tartare, it's usually too raw for me. But idk what about this one made me really like it. You will just have to try it for yourself ) Yellowtail Amberjack + Caviar +12 Tomato + Scallop (I would have never dreamed about this combo. So ofc, I had to try it when presented! Idk whether I enjoy this combo but I like tomatoes and scallops, so I'm happy even though I ate it separately) Entree: Branzino +5 Duck (No words besides it was delicious) Beef Wellington +28 ( I finally understand why people like it. It's puff pastry wrapped around a juicy beef tenderloin. WHAT IS THERE NOTHING TO LIKE! And when the chef cooks it this well. I'm just speechless. The puff pastry was perfect level of crispiness and the beef was perfectly medium rare! It is sweet they presented us the Beef Wellington before they cut it for us) Dessert: Molten Chocolate Cake & vanilla ice cream I definitely want to go back! It is pricey and you won't be full ( we legit had to grab food at another spot afterwards) but it's worth it! read more

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The service was pleasant and the environment sleek and intimate. The dinner started with a complimentary sweet potato ball, which was a fun touch. Among the three appetizers we tried, the yellowtail crudo and scallop with tomato stood out for their clean, fresh flavors and elegant presentation. The beef tartare was well-seasoned and visually appealing. For mains, we had the Wellington beef (tender, nicely seasoned), duck breast (solid, not mind-blowing), and the seared fish -- which ended up being my favorite for its balanced flavor and crispy skin. However, the portions were shockingly small. We ended up adding the foie gras rice, which arrived in a single sushi-sized bite. Delicious, but definitely not enough. Desserts were average and forgettable. In total, we paid over $100 per person and still left feeling hungry. This spot might be great for dates or light eaters who prioritize plating over fullness, but if you're looking for a satisfying meal -- this may not be it. Pros: * Beautiful plating * Calm atmosphere * Creative flavor pairings Cons: * Very small portions * Price-to-portion mismatch * Dessert lacked a wow factor Would I return? Maybe, but only with different expectations. read more

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Was very interested and excited to try this Korean x French fusion restaurant. Had reservations for a tuesday night and were seated immediately. It is a beautiful space and the staff is absolutely wonderful and thus we were prepared for a wonderful meal. We came here during restaurant week but opted for the delicious looking 6 course meal instead and we were not disappointed. The courses were spread out wonderfully so that we were not just sitting there waiting for each course. Amuse bouche trio - What a great progression of food starting with the peach and korean melon tart with perfect sweetness, to the fois gras mousse and then the potato beignet with a more savory bite. Great way to start the meal. Yellowtail and caviar - I think this was my favorite bite, loved the fish pairing with the saltiness of the caviar and the sweetness of the sauce it sat on was absolutely amazing. The Tomato and scallop and the Branzino were absolutely amazing. For the main course - my wife got the duck and it was perfectly cooked. What I really loved was that I got the Beef wellington they present it to you nicely before they cut and serve it. Finally the dessert was great as well. My two negatives, and the reason I knocked it 1 star. Even though it was great that they present this nice wellington to you, Don't expect the whole thing. For the price you have just paid, would have a appreciated the whole wellington as opposed to half of one. The other negative, was that we really wish there was more bold korean flavors, because it felt like that was missing. If this was a French restaurant, I probably would have been happier with all the flavors, because it was delicious, but I really was craving more bold Korean flavors. Overall was good, however a hefty price point. read more

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Seemingly underrated spot for Korean x French fusion. I came for my dad's birthday and the place was quite empty on a Thursday evening, so I was a bit worried it wouldn't be good but every single dish was amazing. The chefs really just know how to cook well, transcending cuisine. From beef wellington to scallop sashimi with tomato, every bite was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection - not over or undercooked, so everything was juicy and flavorful! Ambiance was also serene and perfect for the celebration! Just wish they did more to acknowledge the birthday, such as wishing him happy birthday when he entered / giving a complimentary dessert. read more

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it was good but not amazing we did chefs tasting 6 course with beef wellington and added uni bowl. beef wellington was kinda salty but the uni bowl was yum. it was a lot of food for it being a tasting menu tbh. i would get the 4 course instead of 6 if i were to do it again. our fav dish was the branzino the drinks were super good tho read more

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Amazing restaurant we tried during restaurant week. The food was delicate and well presented. The flavors were amazing and the meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked. Great upscale restaurant with fusion food (French/Korean) Service is good, ambiance is very intimate Perfect place for a date read more

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The food here is awesome. You can easily tell all of the fusion flavors. Came here on a Wednesday and it was kind of empty. The place is small and decor wise nothing special. I must say with the place being empty the service was extremely slow. Something must have happened since our server apologized a few times for the wait. Would easily come back here again. read more

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Tldr - good date spot. The tables are close by and the Ambiance is quite intimate. - Bathroom was very clean and the food tasted great. If you're hungry you may want the 6 course option as we had the 4 course. - the chocoate lava cake dessert was amazing - generally the staff was polite and explained the food well, but they could have been more attentive with getting the bill and refilling waters. No complaints though! read more

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I was visiting my son from sunny California, and before this I couldn't understand why people like NYC so much. From the crowds to the cold, NYC was never appealing and I always preferred living in the West; I never could've imagined living here. However, after visiting this place, my whole perspective has been changed. I realized firsthand that people here have the extremely fortunate opportunity to have this amazing food and at very reasonable prices, and this is the first time I have ever thought of coming to live here--just for this restaurant. Every single dish was precisely prepared and perfectly combined. It surprised and satisfied my taste buds, and I can imagine it did not just for Asians but for people of other cultures too. If you would like to have special dinner without paying extra for the name brand, I strongly recommend coming here. read more

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Soogil is a beautiful spot in the east village that combines French and Korean cuisine to produce a wonderful meal. Stopped in on a Thursday night as a group of three and ordered the four course tasting. Adding the Uni Bowl brought the meal to ~110 pre tax/tip, which might admittedly be a little high for what you're getting. I think the ambiance itself of the place is wonderful - the soft lighting and music make for a very elegant mood. The star of the night, which I didn't order, was the nurungji foie gras - definitely worth the addition. read more

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One of the best meals I've ever had. We came here to celebrate our anniversary and it was amazing. The food, service, ambience. Wow. We opted for the wine pairing with our meal and everything was absolutely great. Each dish was prepared amazingly. My favorite was the foie gras dish. It came on a sizzling plate and was cooked absolutely perfectly. I am literally still dreaming of it today. Please go here and try this amazing food!!!! read more

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First thing first, the food are amazing. We came here for wedding anniversary and tried their tasting menu for $130 per person, it isn't cheap. And a lot of items are add-ons. We added the foie gras that's $42 extra. But the food are worth the splurge. The wagyu is so tender melt in your mouth. Every bite is a flavor explosion in the mouth. We came on a Wednesday night and there were only two tables the whole night, so we got really exceptional service. As I mentioned that we came here to celebrate wedding anniversary, but they didn't make us feel any special, only gave us a candle to blow when they are serving the dessert. We didn't even know what to do with the candle, not even birthday. If you are planing to spend your special night. Maybe I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

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Amazing dinner location in LES. Came for wedding anniversary and surprisingly there weren't many people for a Wednesday night, which frankly didn't bother us. The $130 tasting menu was worth every penny - I don't think a single dish failed to meet expectations - many others exceeded them. My favorites were the tuna tartare and sweet potato. The steak melts in your mouth. Ambiance was pleasant with a chic modern feel but also muted. A good cozy place for couples or friends who aren't looking for somewhere loud. Overall I really enjoyed this place and would highly recommend. read more

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4.6 rounded to 5 Can't believe I waited this long to try Soogil. Such a little gem! Flavors and presentation beat a lot of Michelin starred restaurants. Scallop, beef tartare and duck hit the home run for me lol. Love the French Korean twist! Kitchen service was a little slow. Dining room service needs a little improvement in my opinion, so is the ventilation of the restaurant. read more

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We came for Thanksgiving at 8 PM. The restaurant is small, but the ambiance is excellent for a date or dinner with friends and family. The pre-fix 5-course meal was ($150). Each course was spaced out perfectly. Not only was the food beautiful, but the taste matched. Each course flowed into each other very well. They do the beef Wellington perfectly, and I recommend that choice when dining here. The service was impeccable, and each course was thoughtfully explained to us. read more

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Tiny spot on the LES. Service (provided by just 1 waiter) was still great. Super nice candle-lit ambiance. Did the 4 course tasting menu: -the amuse bouche had a steak tartare tartlette and the tiniest speck of foie gras mousse wrapped in a puff pastry I've ever seen. Both were pretty good, but it was over in a bite so I don't think they'd be memorable down the line/worthy enough for me to tell someone about. Note: you can get the foie gras swapped out for a mini frog leg if you're not into the rich, livery taste of foie gras. -2nd course: amberjack (fish) with caviar in a sweet white sauce with pomegranates. This is 10 dollars extra but worth it due to the fresh, meaty fish and the sauce. Plus points for presentation. -3rd course: beef Wellington ($28 supplement) and black cod (my friend and I ordered one of each and split for this one). This was my first time trying beef Wellington and it exceeded my expectations. Some of the meat was a bit hard to cut but overall it paired with the bordelaise sauce and the flaky pastry around it was delicious and not soggy. The cod was the best dish of the night, however, the crust was one of the most flavorful things I've ever eaten and fish was cooked perfectly. Was on a bed of leeks and mushrooms, I believe. -Dessert: chocolate molten lava cake. It's a huge pet peeve of mine when lava cakes don't actually erupt when cut into, as they're supposed to, because they've been cooked too long. This delivered and had the chocolate lava flow out. It was a lovely mini Bundt cake but the ice cream tasted like a standard vanilla, didn't have the richness of a house-made vanilla ice cream. Overall, great night. Fabulous first time beef Wellington experience. read more

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Intimate and charming ambience with a lot of rustic detail and nice touches. Came for a catch up with friends and never felt rushed. We ordered the 4 course and got two side orders of the uni bowl and the foie gras. We were so stuffed but the food was amazing. Especially loved the foie gras, Uni bowl, the scallop and truffle soup (im not even a fan of scallops) and first course of little bites. Overall, the presentation of each plate was beautiful and delicate. However, imo the beef Wellington, which was beautifully presented before it was sliced, which I thought would be the star of the show, was probably my least favorite dish taste wise... but still good. Our waitress was so lovely as was all the wait staff. We ended up having a few bottles of wine and stayed for about 3 hours.. again never feeling rushed at all. Highly recommend this place. read more

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We enjoyed the tasting menu on a fancy night out! Each portion was delicious. It was a unique fusion of French and Korean style plates. The beef Wellington came out on the rock plate for photos then they took it to the back for cutting and plating. Beautiful food! I would return for a special occasion. read more

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The food was good, and service or ambiance was not as stuffy as fine dining establishments, which is great for us because we had a kid in the party. They were nice enough to accommodate special requests for the kid, and provided a bowl of rice as well. read more

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Made a reservation on Christmas Day around 11 AM for 9 PM. They had a prix fixe menu for the holiday (5 courses). The only thing you have to choose is your dessert. Well, and a drink, if you choose to have one. I chose the chocolate molten lava cake and some Riesling. Each course was so good. I was a little nervous cos the last time I had beef Wellington, I didn't like it at all. BUT soogil's is light years better. Still not a medium rare girly though I was fortunate enough to be able to try both the molten lava cake and the mango sorbet. They were both so delicious and I'm so grateful they brought out the mango sorbet as well. Wait staff were so friendly and patient. They definitely made the dining experience better. Chef even came out to say hi and check on me, which was a great touch. Ambiance was nice and intimate. Perfect for a date night or if you're like me, something to enjoy for yourself lol. Anyway, 10/10 would recommend! read more

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Very unhappy with the snooty haughty males server. Who cares about the food when the service puts a bad taste in your mouth and there's no opportunity to actually enjoy anything? Very disappointing! read more

Our first drink had a dead fly in it. The second drink also had a fly in it. That is too many dead flies! The server said they would remove that charge but then said he couldn't when the bill came in the end. Definitely didn't need to be a review and all the dead flies here could be a secret, but they wanted to bill us for the flies. read more

Tried this place for the first time a couple weeks ago and it was absolutely amazing. I always worry about going to places that have the smaller portions but by the time we left, I was pretty full. We did the chef's prefix menu. Everything that came out was so fresh. The food combinations were an explosion of flavor, each with their own uniqueness. Even my picky eating friend was willing enough to try everything and for the most part liked it all (I would find it impressive if a picky eater liked foie gras). We had a group of 5 of us so we were able to try a little bit of everything. The halibut just melted when you took a bite was a pleasant surprise consider it tends to be a tougher fish. They bring out the whole beef Wellington before they cut it so you could see the golden goodness and then they cut it into portions to serve with a side of veggies. It was cooked to perfection. The duck was also good, I'm running out of words to emphasize how delightful everything was. The drinks were also very good. The sorbet for dessert was light and a perfect post dinner treat. The chocolate cake was the perfect balance of sweetness. Lastly, get the uni app. You will not be disappointed. I cannot rave about this place enough. read more

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Good food and good service. But ambiance was lacking. It's the finer touches that could make this place great -- and more popular. It was quite empty. First of all, they had Sinatra on the playlist which does not scream "hip." Flower arrangements are small, which is fine, but they were not modern at all. For Lower East Side, they need more of a cool vibe to lure folks. Hoping for more for this place in the future, there's so much potential. read more

The first Korean/French food I ever had. Over three years, I had visited there more than three times. Their new courses often catch me off guard. I appreciate their cuisine esthetic and mentality. read more

This restaurant is amazing! Would definitely go again. We did the tasting menu ($85 per person, extra $28 for the uni bowl) Sunchoke veloute - the crisp brioche toast compliments the rich and creamy soup so well. The flavors blend so well. By far one of my favorites for the night, I had my doubts on such a simple dish but it blew us away Scallop - the salad has a refreshing contrast to the scallop, and the scallops themselves are tender and great flavor Foie gras - I've only had foie gras once before and had mixed feelings, but this was pretty good! Soft and went down smoothly Short ribs - medium rare and savory, what else could you ask for Uni bowl - definitely worth trying, and a good amount of uni. Very soft and tasted fresh Mango panna cotta - soo refreshing and fresh. Zi liked this more than the churro tower but my dinner partner liked the churros more. To each their own read more

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Tasting menu only (Nov. 2021) 5 courses $115 Pretty good in general. However it also is hard to mess it up by using premium ingredients in my opinion? Caviar, trout, uni, scallop, wagyu, foie gras! Who wouldn't love it! read more

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Delicious tasting menu! The meal was almost $200 with tip so I would consider it fine dining but the service was amazing. Our waiter was super attentive and didn't rush us to finish our food. We were there for about 2 hours. The meal comes with six courses but we added the uni bowl to share. I was stuffed afterwards. Each dish was delicately plated. The mesh of ingredients also felt special. My favorites were the caviar tuna and the nurungi foie gras. It was so creamy and worked well with the crispy rice. I loved the scallop with the honey nut squash soup as well. Ambience is perfect for a fancy date night or a get together with your girls if you wanna treat yourselves! read more

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We visited Soogil for their Valentine's special tasting menu, 5 courses for $135 each person. The ambiance was romantic and the experience was decent but not perfect. The French & Korean fusion food was overall delicious with reasonable portion, especially the 3rd course Chilean Sea Bass. The crust on the top of sea bass was crispy, flavorful and greatly matched with the softness of fish. We could tell from each dish how the chef Soogil cares about what they serve. We were surprised and impressed by the heart shape made from puff pastry on the top of Beef Wellington. However, we were disappointed with their indoor environment. We did the indoor dining reservation due to the low temperature but it was extremely cold and we even needed to have our coat & scarf on while dining. read more

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One of the best Beef Wellington that I ever tried for the longest time. The presentations are uniques from appetizers to dessert. I shouldn't be drinking too much because it will numb my palate. Well, food without drinking is boring plus my good friend will kill me if we don't kill at least 2 bottles! read more

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This is one of the restaurant I would recommend. Fusion of French and Korean cuisine. What surprise me is the duck breast. Skin is crispy and meat is so tender but not too raw and chewy. Perfect The beef tartar blend in so well with fried seaweed and crispy rice. Scallops with Korean melon purée is so delicious. The Wellington beef is also well prepared. read more

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We had an amazing time at Soogil. Everything is so good. Great service and food. It's a great gem in the neighborhood! The twist of modern Asian and French cuisine is so creative. Love this place. read more

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Made reservations for a friend's birthday and we were not disappointed at all! They offer a $130 tasting menu with the option to add on an uni rice bowl and swap the wagyu for their beef Wellington (extremely worth!!!). This meal was not only a feast for the tongue but a feast for all of our senses. They really take care of ensuring each dish not only taste amazing but also look, smell, and even sound appetizing. From the sizzle of the hot plate on their Foie gras course to the textures and flavors of each dish, we were taken on a journey from start to finish. The service was impeccable and you could tell each member of the staff understood the process and flavors of each dish as well as their chef. It came down to around $220 a person after tax and tip, but was well worth the experience! Definitely splurge on the uni bowl and beef Wellington! The addition of caviar and truffles is also quite worth the price! Check out my foodsta @chiuventure for a closer look and more details of my dining experience here as well as other establishments in NYC and around the world! read more

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LOVE! Cute date night vibes, everything is very delicate and flavorful. Chef definitely put a lot of thought and precision into each dish. The staff were also super great and took time to explain each dish and best way to eat it. A little on the pricier side, but def worth a try! read more

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