Restaurant Ki

Tucked away behind a cocktail bar in a Little Tokyo office building, Restaurant Ki requires a bit of detective work to find. You’ll navigate through a maze of doors, including one marked “employees only,” before arriving at this hidden twelve-seat chef’s counter. The treasure-hunt entrance sets the tone for what awaits: inventive Korean cuisine that’s as thrilling to watch being assembled as it is to taste.

The $300-per-person tasting menu delivers twelve courses of modernist Korean cooking that never misses a beat. The kitchen brilliantly reimagines traditional flavors through a fine dining lens—think luxurious seafood and caviar thoughtfully paired with familiar Korean staples like doenjang and perilla. Standout moments include the duck liver mousse draped in white peach jelly, a dish so irresistible you’ll find yourself scraping the bowl clean. The charred octopus arrives with an audible crunch, while mid-meal noodles bathed in pine mushroom broth offer the kind of carb-laden comfort that feels like a warm hug.

While the windowless dining room itself is understated, Ki compensates with food that constantly surprises. Each course feels like a love letter to Korean culinary traditions, reimagined with technical precision and unexpected ingredients. The generous wine and sake pairings keep the mood festive, and watching the choreographed dance of cooks assembling each plate adds to the theater.

This is the spot for celebrating life’s big moments or impressing someone who thinks they’ve seen it all. Restaurant Ki proves that Korean cuisine belongs at the highest echelons of fine dining, delivering an experience that’s equal parts nostalgic and boundary-pushing.