Hate to say it, but a view does the trick. Joo Ok, a Seoul transplant under the umbrella of Hand Hospitality, takes advantage of the hack. The 16th-floor Koreatown restaurant is set up like a traditional Korean home, with a beige cityscape visible through deep-set windows carved into the whitest walls you've ever seen.
The main draw is still the 11-course, Korean-inspired tasting, which showcases pedigreed ingredients in forceful, bite-size ways... A tiny bowl of poached lobster is a highlight—but not because of the lobster.
Naturally, caviar is invited to the party, and Mishima wagyu also makes an appearance toward the end. The beef is intensely marbled, although it's a shame that the apex of the meal is just another luxury good, overshadowed by some pine nuts.
Joo Ok gives you everything you want from pricey, special tasting. The food is on par with spots like Aska and Meju, although it doesn't quite reach the traumatic excellence of Atomix or Le Bernardin.
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