1: Raw Fluke, turnip, tomato, sea squirt
2: Deodeok (kind of like celery root I guess?), white asparagus, dried squid
3: Cherry blossom trout, mustard, rhubarb root
4: Cheongju mieum (rice porridge), firefly squid, sea urchin, almond
5: Nettle egg jjim, snap pea, freshwater eel
6: Shrimp gulim mandu, littleneck clam, basil sheet
7: Ganjang gejang (raw blue crab marinated in soy sauce), rice, flying fish roe
8: Rosy sea bass, abalone, beef tendon, wood ear mushroom
9: Lamb Seattle, gosari, rice, razor clam
10: Tangerine and marshmallow ice cream
11: Black chestnut, doraji chocolate
So, where do I begin with this? I was extremely excited about this reservation for obvious reasons and managed to snag it 1 millisecond after 3pm the month prior. Maybe it was my heightened expectations, maybe my personal taste in food but this felt like… a bit of a letdown.
First of all, if I’m eating at a multi star, very expensive restaurant, I don’t want to be kept waiting outside in a dingy vestibule before being let inside. Just not a great first impression. Once we got in, the restaurant was objectively beautiful, perfectly designed, etc. We got the presentation of seasonal ingredients and a dashi tasting at the beginning.
Regarding the food, all of it was technically flawless. Flavors were subtle but perfectly balanced, and interesting. I am pretty versed in food but many of the ingredients and preparations I had never encountered before, which was a wonderful new discovery. That said, while it was all great, nothing felt truly transcendent and nothing made me want more of it. If anything the cooking felt sterile and reserved rather than ebullient.
The service was again technically flawless but my fiancée again managed to distill the service down to its essence: “there is a 2:1 ratio of servers to guests and yet not one of them smiled all night.” I couldn’t agree more. It was so stoic and serious that I felt like I couldn’t relax and truly have fun (which, imo, having fun is why we go out to eat to begin with). I wanted to say “guys, you’re considered the best in the world. Enjoy it and have fun.”
We got the wine pairings as I didn’t know the menu ahead of time. It read like the usual sommelier doing what is cool now: Mosel Riesling, Sav blanc from Austria, Madeira, etc. The ‘13 DP in the middle of the meal was nice though. Otherwise I wasn’t that impressed. Last year’s pairing at CTBF (before the implosion) was similarly priced but I thought showcased much better wines.
Overall, I don’t know. Maybe I am just too much of a slut for continental European bacchanalia over restrained East Asian minimalism but i felt like I was eating the precocious kid’s science fair project when really I just want to be lathered up in foie and have champagne poured down my gullet. I felt guilty leaving 50 best #8 and craving a giant, messy cheeseburger, but I did…
But that’s just like my opinion, man…
by millie678
3 Comments
Enjoyment of the food > technical skill (the best restaurants, of course, combine both).
Sorry to hear both the food and the service was slightly disappointing for you. Interesting how some of the hype on this subreddit seems to have died down a bit for Atomix in recent months.
“A precious kid’s science fair project”… priceless and oh so perfectly matched to the photos. Thank You!!
Well I mean if you want to be lathered in foie and have champagne poured down your throat then you’re obviously at the wrong restaurant…… you knew that going in.