This absolutely spectacular Friday feels like a great day to give you news of a new NoMad establishment that looks—by the townhouse-like layout, the artisanal ceramic work and the precious morsels—like it’s aiming to collect a hell of a lot of stars.Â
The place is Atomix, and it’s a striking bilevel tasting menu restaurant and cocktail lounge from the wife-and-husband team that brought you Atoboy. Their aim is to expand your Korean-food-in-NYC horizons, and it’ll open starting Wednesday with 6 and 9pm seatings.Â
You enter at what’s technically the second floor. There you’ll be tempted to have a cocktail. Succumb to that temptation, because they’re done by two folks who, respectively, cut their teeth at The Dead Rabbit and its younger sibling, Blacktail. Expect complexity and a slight bent toward whisk(e)ys and soju. Â
Head downstairs to the lounge where the snacks and lounging commence. Discuss current events. Come to the inevitable conclusion that you’d both actually rather not talk about current events, actually, just for tonight, please.Â
Eventually you’ll be lead to the dining area, which, if you have any sense of wonder in you, will make you and your date/partner in opulent dining feel like members of an elite, 16-person secret society (check out the slideshow). You’ll snap back into reality when chef takes his place in the middle to prepare your eight savory and two dessert courses. Among those will be twigim (langoustine, nasturtium, chopi and anise hyssop), a golden eye snapper dish and a sea bream course with uni. You’re coming here to trust their judgement and skill, so don’t worry too much if your an anise hyssop experience is limited.Â
There’s a drink pairing option, so obviously say yes to that. And if you are, for some reason, going elsewhere for dinner, you can also just pop in upstairs here before or after for an a la carte snack (they’ve got the Atoboy chicken) and a drink or two.
Fair warning though:Â that might not make you feel awesome about the other place.Â
