Michelin Starred Chef Douglas Kim took us on his ideal night off

Our 11th wedding anniversary is this month so we’re throwing it back to when we first met; on a plane going from Manchester to Malta! It feels like a lifetime ago…

Whilst there I wanted to travel so I booked a solo trip to Malta & Si was about to drop out from studying, so he bought a plane ticket to see his grandma.

Fast forward to 6AM on a freezing cold morning at Manchester Airport (the cheapest ticket); they’ve finished boarding the plane and are about to close the doors but I just make it on and sit right next to Si. This is back when cheap flights had no seat allocations!

We immediately hit it off & talked for 2 hours straight… until the hangover kicked in and I fell asleep on Si’s shoulder, waking up as we touched down on the Mediterranean island.

We planned to exchange details, but I got stopped at security as my paperwork wasn’t correct. It seemed to take FOREVER… but Si was waiting on the other side and we planned to meet up somewhere in Malta while we were both there.

The End of Chef Daniel Lee’s Okonomi Kappo Counter

Chef Daniel told Lauren and I a while back that he was thinking of closing his 6 seat omakase counter, but we didn’t think it would happen so soon. Especially as the restaurant made it into the Michelin Guide last year.

However, February 26th was his last day of service before moving on to other things and we were honoured to be some of the last handful of guests after snagging a prime Saturday night reservation.

We’re big fans of his cooking and sourcing as well as the knowledge he shared over the counter. He partnered with Okonomi to open the omakase meaning he had direct access to some of the best seafood and fish suppliers you could find - so guests were always in for a treat, just like at our final dinner there. Toro, scallop, mazemen and lobster courses made for an excellent send off for one of our favorite seafood chefs!

Sad to see another excellent place close, there were discussions about expanding it to 12 seats but the financial investment didn’t seem worth while. A shame as it was somewhere that was truly different in an era where everything seems to be becoming eerily similar in order to please the masses and make a profit.

He has some private work lined up but we’re hopeful he’ll be doing some pop ups in the future under his Gangjin brand. 

Michelin Starred Chef Douglas Kim took us on his ideal night off and we had two of our top scallops dishes ever.

We started at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, now located in Hudson Yards, headed to to see Chef Cosme at his excellent West Village seafood spot Quique Crudo and ended with Wagyu burgers at Hall. OH WHAT A NIGHT!

Chef Douglas Kim runs Jeju Noodle Bar, the first and only noodle restaurant in the US to earn a Michelin Star. He’s previously worked at other fantastic restaurants like Per Se, the original Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare location, Zuma and Morimoto.

Check out the full video

• Eats in Queens Restaurant Month — ALL MONTH Donate $25 to Queens Together food relief programming to be entered into a raffle to win a prize of restaurant gift certificates, Queens Together Pilsner and more.

•  Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras — March 4th @ File Gumbo Bar. New Orleans Jazz Band will be entertaining you while you indulge in Cajun and Creole Dishes!

• NPIWFF — March 12th-16th @ Atlantis. A food festival in Nassau, Bahamas with top chefs like Bobby Flay, Jose Andres and JJ Johnson as well as local chefs showcasing their dishes.

• Midnight Honey — March 19th @ Greenpoint Fish. New York's underground version of Top Chef. Vote for your favorite team!

• Fishwife Books & Bites — March 29th @ James Beard Platform. Fishwife, the wildly popular female-founded tinned fish company is celebrating the launch of The Fishwife cookbook.

• Japan Fes — March 29th @ Astor Place. A street celebration of Japanese cuisine.

• Smoked Spice Pop Up — March 15th @ Finback Brewery. Texas Inspired Craft BBQ with Caribbean flavors. If they have it, don’t skip the oxtail!

St Anselm Brooklyn steakhouse has REOPENED after they suffered a fire back in September 2024.

Rude Mouth is now open next store to St Anselm for bottles & bites with no reservations is Williamsburg.

Baz Luhrmann’s has turned his cinema mindset into a bar, Monsieur, and we can’t wait to embrace the medieval vibes. We tried to go last Sunday but they were totally full!

 We love Chef Erik Ramirez’s Llama Inn, so sign us up for more Peruvian delights at Papa San which focuses on Nikkei cuisine!

Well known India-based Chef Regi Mathew is bringing Kerala style Indian cuisine to NYC at Chatti.

We’ve been eyeing Funny Bar, a piano bar and restaurant on the Lower East Side.

Hannibal Buress Is opening a New Venue in Williamsburg in the former home of The Knitting Factory. There’s not much info out there yet but we know they’ll be having weekly comedy nights!

We’ll be bringing you…

A curated selection of the best NYC food & drink happenings including our favorite street parties and bar takeovers from across the globe.

Insider access to our very own Collective Events & Dinner Parties.

Off Menu Intel — The sauce on the street.

Tips & Interviews from the Experts.

Destination Guides when we Travel For Food.

We didn’t end up making it to Miami for SOBEWFF in the end but are excited to be heading to NPIWFF… Bahamas here we come!