Brings fine dining and upscale meals with a Korean inspired flare
Last week, we tried out a new Korean inspired restaurant that just opened in lower Manhattan, called Restaurant Pearl. Inside the restaurant is only a handful of tables placed around the dining room. On first impression, this made Restaurant Pearl’s interior feel tiny, but as our meal progressed we realized the goal was to create a very intimate experience for each guest. The décor was very minimalistic with fabric booth seating, accented wood chairs and tables that felt like you were transported you to a fine dining restaurant in Asia. And each server and staff member were extremely friendly and helpful. And with our server’s recommendations, we were able to sample some of the best items on the drink and food menu.
The cocktail menu at Restaurant Pearl is extensive and has something for everybody. However, one of the biggest focuses is highlighting Soju and Soju cocktails. For our first drink we tried the Absinthe. The thing about absinthe is you don’t find a lot of cocktails featuring it and if you do, it is rare to find one that is well balanced. This drink was straightforward with it’s ingredients and has Absinthe, Simple Syrup, Elderflower, and finished with Peychaud’s bitters. When we got the drink, the first thing we did was smell the cocktail. The aroma of fennel was strong but refreshing at the same time. The first sip was very herbal from the absinthe but finished sweet with a touch of floral which helped break up some of the intense flavors from the absinthe. Our next drink was Sojurita which was made with Soju, Lime, Orange Liquor, Simple Syrup, and Szechuan Peppercorns. This drink was fruity on the nose and with the first sip we got vibrant orange notes to the drink followed by hints of lime and acidity to brighten it up. The soju base of the drink made this drink light and refreshing where a typical margarita is a bit heavier and more acidic. This drink is perfect for those that like drinks a bit fruit forward and lighter.
For our appetizer course we opted for their Sourdough Bread with Doenjang butter as well as the Wagyu Hot Stone dish. Someone once told us that if a restaurant makes you pay for bread, then that bread is going to be extremely good. With this bread, you get two large pieces of grilled sourdough bread. The bread itself was crisp on the outside but so fluffy and pillowy on the inside. The pairing with the doenjang butter gave this richness while also added a nice bit of spice and flavor to the bread. Our overall impression was the sourdough was very good and well baked but the star of the show was the butter that makes it worthwhile paying for the bread.
The Wagyu Hot Stone was an experience. For those that have ordered fajitas before at a Mexican restaurant know what it’s like to get a steaming plate put in front of you. But with this dish, it combines the performance of a fajita with the allure of Korean BBQ. On the table is a very hot stone that is used for cooking your meat. On the side of the stone are a few pieces of high quality wagyu beef. You can have your server cook the first batch for you but the real fun is placing the beef on the stone yourself and watching it sizzle and cook. On the side are a few toppings you can add on to your beef like pickled ginger. Once our meat was done cooking, we tried it with a small sprinkle of salt. This meat was juicy and so delicious. You could taste the depth of flavor in the meat and it burst with umami flavor.
For our mains we opted for the K Fried Chicken and the Salmon dish. We tried the K Fried Chicken first which was made with cornichon, tomato, nappa cabbage, gochujang glaze, crème fraiche, and served in between two fluffy brioche buns. Whenever we have the chance to try Korean fried chicken, we take that chance. Korean fried chicken is different than the American version of it in that they spice their batter with some of the traditional Korean spices and aromatics that give the chicken a bit more kick. With the first bite, we immediately notice that the chicken is so crispy on the outside and gives a great crunch while still being juicy and moist on the inside. The gochujang glaze adds a nice heat and spice to the dish while then settling in to a mild sweetness at the end. The crème fraiche plays a role by helping mellow out some of the gochujang spice making for a perfect balance with each bite.
The Salmon dish was paired with Kabocha Squash puree and topped with a lemongrass beurre blanc sauce. The salmon’s skin was so crispy while the meat being moist and cooked a perfect medium temperature. The beurre blanc sauce had a mellow herbaceousness to it which allowed the sweetness of the salmon to shine. The pairing of the squash puree allowed for a variety of textures while adding a different level of sweetness to the dish which we couldn’t get enough of.
Our lasting thoughts of Restaurant Pearl is that it takes an inventive approach to classic Korean dishes. We loved the variety of the cocktail menu and would come back to try more of the soju based drinks. The food menu had a lot of the classics we would expect to see from a Korean inspired restaurant and we were so happy to see that all of the ingredients were done justice and the seasonings and spices used for each item were spot on.
