Cote

Simon Kim’s ingeniously simple idea was to combine the high-roller qualities of a grade-A American steakhouse with the rough-and-tumble comforts of classic Korean barbecue, and it works so well, you wonder why no one ever thought of it before. The key is the execution — from chef David Shim’s classic Korean specialties (the egg soufflé, the cold “Somyun” noodles in summertime, the house-made kimchee and sauces), to the well-mixed soju cocktails and extravagantly well-chosen wine list, to the beef itself, which is smartly advertised on the menu, and aged more or less to perfection in the large meat locker downstairs. The result is a stylish hybrid of both famous, slightly clichéd genres, which feels less like a gimmicky exploitation of one, or the other, than a weirdly satisfying improvement on both.