Restaurants & Bars
Hell's Kitchen Spot Named NYC's Best Restaurant Of 2021
A Hell's Kitchen eatery was just named New York's single best restaurant of 2021 by TimeOut. Here's which one.
HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — Hell's Kitcheners already knew their neighborhood was awash in dining options. A new accolade only adds to that reputation: a neighborhood restaurant was just named the best in New York City for 2021.
That restaurant is Kochi, the Korean spot on 10th Avenue and West 46th Street helmed by chef Sungchul Shim. The pick was made by TimeOut magazine, which unveiled its 2021 "Best of the City Awards" on Tuesday.
The honorees didn't necessarily need to open in 2021 to earn a spot; indeed, TimeOut acknowledges that Kochi's late launch date in November 2019 likely kept it off that year's "best of" lists.
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It is overlooked no longer. Kochi began serving its tasting menu to outdoor diners during the pandemic, winning it a Michelin star — one of just seven New York City restaurants to earn the prestigious honor for the first time last year.
Named for the Korean word for "skewer," Kochi's specials indeed revolve around meat and vegetables pierced on stakes. Menu highlights include bibimbap, braised short rib and charcoal-grilled Spanish mackerel, according to TimeOut, which can be enjoyed either outdoors or in Kochi's "small but lively open kitchen-facing dining room."
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Other "Best of the City" categories being awarded by TimeOut this week included Best Bar (Dutch Kills in Long Island City), Best New Restaurant (Dhamaka on the Lower East Side), and Best Coffee Shop (The Boogie Down Grind in the Bronx).
When it gave Kochi a star earlier this year, Michelin described the restaurant's vibe as "boisterous," with happy crowds and friendly, efficient service. The guide recommended Kochi's pine-nut-and-potato-milk soup, sweet-potato-and-sunchoke gratin, toasted nori with brown soy-butter rice, and dessert of black sesame ice cream.
Shim, the chef, is a veteran of fine-dining institutions like Per Se, Le Bernardin and Neta. His Korean dishes were designed using French and Japanese techniques that he picked up during his career.
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