Oiji Mi! OMG!
Oiji Mi, a fabulous new Korean restaurant in New York’s Flatiron District, took me and Vincent on an extraordinary culinary journey! This incredible fine dining destination features modern interpretations of traditional Korean flavors served in a space that manages to be sleek and contemporary, yet warm and welcoming. Owner and Executive Chef Brian Kim has created a menu that reimagines and elevates well known Korean dishes, presented so beautifully, you’d think they couldn’t possibly taste as good as they look…but they absolutely DO! Every dish we sampled positively blew us away!
When we arrived, there was already a good crowd and the staff was just finishing up resetting our table. We ordered a couple of cocktails at the bar while we waited. Vincent chose the Hot Girl Summer, a tall, cool mix of tequila, watermelon, chungju (a clear rice wine) and italicus (a citrusy liqueur). Refreshing and not overly sweet, the drink was garnished with cubes of watermelon gelatin, making it as visually stunning as it was tasty! I went with the Lilies of the Field, made with pisco, lychee, St Germaine liqueur and Creme de Violette. While it was much more tart than I had expected, it had lovely floral and herbal undertones, and came with a cute side of longan berries as a tiny sweet treat!
Later in the course of the meal, I actually ordered another cocktail: the Spicy Baby; a concoction of mezcal, Aperol, gochujang, raspberry, lemon and egg white. Beautifully presented and with a lovely orangey-red color, it was subtly spicy with a fruity flavor profile and floral notes. Another good choice!
The menu at Oiji Mi is prix-fixe, so there are several courses, each with three selections from which to choose. The first course actually consists of three small bites, all of which every diner receives. There is the Beef Tartare - a perfect bite of high quality raw beef, sitting on a tiny round of toasted brioche, and topped with a slice of cucumber and a dollop of golden Kaluga caviar. While tiny, it packed a punch of flavor, with a deep beefiness, a hint of onion, and a subtly oceanic essence from the caviar! Next there was the Spotted Prawn, with a mildly spicy gochugaru vinaigrette, green apple pearls, which added sweetness to balance out the heat, and a touch of yuja for acidity. And finally, the Watermelon with puffed rice and chojang - a sweet/spicy Korean sauce. This little tidbit seemed to me like a yummy palate cleanser - almost a dessert to the first course. Fresh and cold, with a bit of crunch from the rice and sesame seeds, it was just amazing!
Second Course: Vincent chose the Striped Jack Hwe, served with spaghetti squash and seaweed scallion vinaigrette. Light and refreshing, it also had an addictively briny flavor from the vinaigrette, but the fish, while delicate, was most assuredly flavor forward! I selected the Scallop Naengchae. Fresh and subtly sweet, the flavor of the scallop was elevated by the addition of a bit of snow crab, a layer of jellyfish (I happen to love jellyfish), and an incredible cucumber jus that was poured tableside. I also thought I detected a touch of heat underneath, which gave it an added layer of flavor. Fabulous!
Third Course: For Vincent; the Octopus. Thinly sliced, poached and served in a deeply flavorful Wagyu Galbi broth, the added hearts of palm and someyon (thin wheat flour noodles), made the dish seem like a sublime, fine dining version of a pho! I had the Chili Lobster Ramyun. Imagine the best cold sesame noodles you’ve ever had, but made all the better with the addition of lobster! Seasoned with craveable scallion garlic for heat and topped with tiny slices of cucumber, which balanced that heat, this was quite possibly my favorite dish of the evening…at least, so far! I could’ve eaten a big bowl of these, they were THAT good!
Fourth Course: Vincent selected the Wagyu. Presented on a tidy wooden tray, it was prepared with sunchoke, heirloom tomato and mul naengmyun (Korean cold noodles in a chilled broth). There was a pleasantly subtle smokiness to the beef, from the coals over which it had been cooked. The noodles had a wonderful sweetness and a texture that complemented the dish.There was also a small side salad included, dressed in a spectacular wasabi based dressing. The spiciness of that dressing was a bit strong for Vincent, but absolutely perfect for me. If they bottled it and sold it there, I’d buy it and put it on just about anything! Myself, I went with the Dry-Aged Duck. Cooked to a perfect pinkness, the duck had an assertive flavor that was highlighted by the perfectly seasoned bed of ssamjang kale on which it sat. And the date-red wine reduction surrounding it, added a delightful sweetness that countered the remarkably ducky flavor of the tender slices of breast.
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