Gori Delivers Luxurious Omakase Experience at Anto Korean Steakhouse

Ginger Sour and Spicy Margarita

Perched on the 2nd floor of Anto Korean Steakhouse in Midtown East, Gori is a 10 course omakase experience from the imaginative mind of Executive Chef Jeong Muk Kim that changes daily. Before Gori, Chef Jeong-Muk was Executive Chef at MYOMI in Seoul where the restaurant received a Michelin star during his tenure there. Now Chef Jeong-Muk uses his skills providing an unique experience to diners at Gori.

We began our dining experience with cocktails instead of opting for the wine pairing, since the Ginger Sour and Spicy Margarita sounded too good to pass up. Both cocktails had an innovative twist, the Ginger Sour with Hanrabong honey and the Spicy Margarita with gochujang and purple carrot.

While sipping on our cocktails, we were presented with the ingredients for our meal in a Cartier box! Talk about a luxurious dining experience. This presentation really set the tone for the level of quality and service we received over the course of the evening. Our first course was a Truffle Mushroom Pancake, more of a taco than a pancake, the flavors of umami were really prominent due to the mushroom and truffle. Moving then to a more fresh and seafood forward bite, the Dungeness Crab course had uni right on top and the memorable presentation on a crab shell.

One of my favorite dishes, the Lettuce Wrapped Pork Belly, was wrapped up like a present with rich and hearty flavors of pork in a small bite.

Eel preparation

Everything was prepared either at the back table like a surgery, where the staff used tweezers to place the accoutrements in a very precise manner, or right in front of you on the grills or with a torch, like with the Freshwater Eel dish.

The eel was another filling dish thanks to the tri-color rice and perilla seed glaze. Then liquid nitrogen created another table-side show with the Hamachi Mulwhe dish. My favorite dish of the night was the Hudson Valley Aged Duck, presented to the table before being cut up into individual portions. It was served with actual caramel and after having that savory and sweet preparation, I never want to have it another way! The Cornish Hen noodle soup was a perfect palate cleanser and appropriately warm dish for the season. The hen and abalone made it an elevated version of a chicken noodle soup.

The Korean Beef Wagyu was cooked perfectly and did not disappoint. The last savory dish, Uni Bapsang, was presented before being prepared into the highest quality rice dish you’ve ever had with Hokkaido uni, pickled ramp and banchan. By the end of the dinner, you are pretty full but you have to save room for the dessert. The Semifreddo was not only beautiful, but the flavors melded perfectly together.

Gori is perfect for a date, a business dinner, or to impress family members who are in from out of town, but always for an occasion as it’s that special. I cannot sing the praises of this dinner experience enough. For more information or to make a reservation of your own, please visit https://www.anto.com/reservations/.

The Chemistry’s Going On: Sushi Lab Review

Located at The Sanctuary Hotel, Sushi Lab is known for its creative spin on traditional sushi. On a breezy Wednesday evening, my friend and I visited Sushi Lab to taste the signature Omakase from Chef Frankie Chen.

When I arrived at the front door, I was amazed by the majestic look of the  boutique hotel. There were stairs covered by red velvet carpet, ivory marble columns, and a door decorated with delicate metallic cravings. Even the service oozed luxury --  I was greeted by a host, who led me to the lounge and brought out a glass of sparkling water. While relaxing on the sofa and waiting for my friend, I looked through the menu. In addition to the signature Omakase, Sushi Lab also served hand rolls, Sashimi, Maki, and other Japanese delights. The menu was designed in the way of a lab manual, and it was absolutely innovative and fun to read.

After being seated and choosing our drinks, we officially joined the “lab” with six other “observers”. Chef Chen was there, dissecting fish fillets with his partner. The first dish to arrive was Chef Chen’s unique creation Toro Tartare. Laid on top of a rich portion of avocado and accompanied by nori crackers, the toro was amazingly appetizing.

Then our drinks came to the table. My friend had the Suntory Whisky that reminded him of the movie  Lost in Translation, and I had a fruity cocktail that brought me to the island of Hawaii.

The smoked miso soup was served as an unexpected highlight of the dinner. Chef Chen ignited two pieces of charcoals and covered them with beakers. Separated from oxygen, the fire snuffed out, and the beakers were filled with smoke. Then miso soup was poured into the beakers and delivered to us. Materfully infusing the unique aromatic of charcoal and using beakers as the containers, Chef Chen has turned the miso soup into a performative art and an innovative creation.

As I was having the last bite of the hand roll, I realized that we had come to the end of this omakase experiment. It is always a joyful moment to taste omakase. It is delicious, meticulously prepared, creative, and spontaneous. At Sushi Lab, guests won’t know exactly what’s included in Omakase until they experience it. We trust the chef and arrive with expectations. Omakase is an impeccable cuisine and a great performance art, especially here at Sushi Lab.