Oiji Mi’s five-course Korean tasting menu made dinner worth keeping, even after a day of eating and drinking at two rooftop parties. During my visit to the restaurant in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, the menu was $150 per person before optional supplements. The beef tartare and scallop were highlights, but the Oiji Bowl was my favorite; and the dish I would order again. This Oiji Mi review covers what we ate, the atmosphere, and whether the experience was worth it. Menus and prices may have changed since my visit.
I had been eating and drinking throughout the day. Canceling dinner briefly crossed my mind, but I had been looking forward to this reservation and did not want to miss it. My dining partner and I sat down wondering how we would possibly finish a five-course tasting menu.
Somehow, we ate everything.
That may be the strongest endorsement I can give Oiji Mi. We arrived without much appetite, yet the kitchen kept placing food in front of us that we genuinely wanted to finish.
Oiji Mi at a Glance
- Location: 17 West 19th Street, Manhattan’s Flatiron District.
- What I came for: A five-course contemporary Korean dinner. The Oiji Bowl was my favorite, with the beef tartare and scallop close behind.
- My visit price: $150 per person before supplements, drinks, tax and gratuity. My Oiji Bowl supplement was $35.
- Current menu check: The official menu lists $155 per person and a $35 Oiji Bowl supplement as of October 27, 2026. Check your selected date before booking.
- Where to sit: The main dining room serves the prix-fixe menu. À la carte is offered in the bar and lounge.
- Reservations: Released 30 days ahead according to the restaurant. Bar walk-ins are first come, first served.
- My verdict: I would return, and I would order the Oiji Bowl again without hesitation.
Planning details checked against the official menu and restaurant FAQ. The meal and photographs below describe my visit, not a promise of today’s dishes.
Oiji Mi Tasting Menu: Prices and the Flatiron Setting
Located at 17 West 19th Street in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, Oiji Mi describes itself as a contemporary Korean restaurant created specifically for New York City.
Owner and Executive Chef Brian Kim takes recognizable Korean ingredients and preparations and presents them through the structure and precision of a modern tasting menu. The cooking is polished and ambitious, but its Korean identity remains clear.
For a different Korean dining experience in Manhattan, read my COQODAQ brunch review.
The restaurant itself feels refined without becoming cold. Warm wood, softly illuminated lanterns, pink banquettes and carefully selected tableware give the dining room a sense of occasion. It is sophisticated enough for a celebration but comfortable enough to let the evening unfold naturally.
A Meal That Began with Caviar
We added the caviar donuts before the tasting officially began.
These were small fried pastries topped with crème fraîche, caviar and chives. The contrast worked immediately: a warm, crisp exterior, a soft center, cool cream and the clean salinity of the roe.
They were playful, luxurious and easy to eat. More importantly, they established the tone for the rest of the evening. Oiji Mi uses premium ingredients, but the kitchen does not treat them as museum pieces. The food is meant to be enjoyed.
Oiji Mi Review: Three Introductions to the Kitchen
The first course arrived as a trio: spotted prawn, beef tartare and gyeran jjim.
Spotted Prawn
The spotted prawn was served in a shell with a gochujang panna cotta, pearl rice and a bright accompanying sauce. The presentation was delicate, but the flavors had enough acidity and spice to keep the dish from becoming overly sweet.
It was a light beginning and a smart way to wake up an appetite I was not sure I still had.
Beef Tartare
The beef tartare was one of my favorite dishes of the entire dinner.
The beef delivered the expected richness, but pickled radish and caviar gave the dish contrast. The acidity of the radish cut through the meat, while the caviar brought salinity without dominating the plate.
This was technically polished food that still tasted satisfying. It did not disappear under unnecessary decoration or technique. The kitchen understood that excellent beef should remain the focus.
Gyeran Jjim
Gyeran jjim is traditionally a comforting Korean steamed-egg dish. Oiji Mi’s version elevated that familiarity with king crab, anchovy and roe.
It was soft, warm and deeply savory, with the seafood adding layers of sweetness and salinity. Of the three opening preparations, this was the most comforting; a refined interpretation of something that still felt rooted in home cooking.
Together, the three dishes introduced Oiji Mi’s point of view: recognizable Korean flavors presented with fine-dining precision.
Scallop and Spicy BBQ Squid
For the second course, we chose two different preparations so we could try both sides of the kitchen’s approach.
Scallop
The scallop was another highlight of the night.
It arrived beautifully seared, with a deeply caramelized exterior protecting a tender center. The scallop’s natural sweetness remained intact, while the sauce and accompanying vegetables added richness and an earthy edge.
A restaurant can surround a scallop with expensive ingredients and complicated technique, but none of that matters if the scallop itself is overcooked. This one was handled properly.
Along with the beef tartare, it was one of the best dishes before the meal reached its undeniable high point.
Spicy BBQ Squid
The spicy barbecue squid offered a more assertive counterpoint. It arrived beneath a generous layer of greens, with heat and sweetness working underneath.
The dish showed another side of the kitchen. Where the scallop was controlled and delicate, the squid leaned into char, spice and stronger seasoning. Ordering both allowed us to see how comfortably Oiji Mi moves between restraint and intensity.
The Oiji Bowl: My Favorite Dish of the Night
The Oiji Bowl was my favorite course of the evening. It combined uni, spotted prawn, eel, ikura, cucumber, pickled elements, and seasoned rice. The uni was exceptionally sweet and creamy, while the other ingredients brought richness, salinity, and freshness without competing with it.
At a $35 supplement during my visit, it was an extra expense; but also the dish I would order again without hesitation. Even after a full day of eating and drinking, I finished every bite.
Sea Bass and Galbi
The fourth course moved the tasting into heavier territory with sea bass and galbi.
Sea Bass
The sea bass arrived with octopus, crispy rice and a truffle-scented seafood broth.
The fish had a crisp, properly rendered skin and a moist interior. Crispy rice added texture, while the broth gave the dish depth. The octopus made it feel substantial enough to serve as a main course rather than another delicate seafood tasting.
Truffle and seafood can compete if the kitchen is not careful. Here, the broth connected the components and allowed the fish to remain central.
Galbi
The galbi was sliced to reveal a beautifully pink center and served with a smooth pommes purée, dark vegetables and jus.
This was the richer of the two main courses. The beef was cooked with precision, and the sauce provided the savory finish the course needed after several seafood-forward plates.
By this point in the evening, I had no logical reason to still be eating. Neither did my dining partner.
We finished it anyway.
Chamoe Bingsu and Oksusu
Dessert continued the restaurant’s practice of using familiar Korean ingredients in polished, contemporary ways.
Chamoe Bingsu
The chamoe bingsu was built around Korean melon, honey-oat crumble and cashew.
After the richness of the Oiji Bowl and galbi, the cool shaved ice and fresh melon were welcome. The crumble was served separately, allowing us to add texture without losing the lightness that made the dessert work.
It was refreshing without feeling like an obligatory palate cleanser.
Oksusu
The oksusu dessert explored grilled corn with dulce de leche and sesame.
Corn’s natural sweetness made it an easy fit for dessert, while the toasted flavors gave the plate more depth than a conventional sweet ending. The presentation separated the components, encouraging us to combine the creamy, crisp, sweet and savory elements in each bite.
The two desserts approached the finish from opposite directions: one cool and refreshing, the other richer and more roasted.
Cocktails and the Dining Room
Oiji Mi’s beverage program follows the same creative approach as the food. The cocktail list incorporates ingredients such as makgeolli, soju, bokbunja, omija, yuja and shiso alongside spirits and techniques associated with contemporary cocktail bars.
The drinks look playful, but the menu is clearly serious about structure and balance. Oiji Mi also offers wine pairings and nonalcoholic options for the tasting menu.
Visually, the dining room occupies an appealing middle ground between a formal tasting-menu restaurant and an energetic Manhattan night out. The lantern-like lighting and warm color palette make the room feel elegant, while the open layout keeps it from becoming stiff or overly ceremonial.
Service
The service was excellent from beginning to end. The staff was polished, attentive and knowledgeable without making the experience feel stiff. Courses were paced well, each dish was clearly explained, and the team made the tasting menu feel welcoming rather than overly formal.
Oiji Mi Review: The Verdict
We arrived at Oiji Mi after a Formula 1 party, a World Cup party and an entire day of eating and drinking. Neither of us was hungry when the first course reached the table, yet we both finished everything.
That does not happen because a restaurant is fashionable, expensive or beautifully designed. It happens because the kitchen understands pacing and knows how to keep each course distinct enough to renew your interest in the meal.
The beef tartare was rich, balanced and precise. The scallop was beautifully cooked. The sea bass and galbi gave the tasting enough substance to feel complete, while the two desserts ended the evening from entirely different directions.
But the Oiji Bowl was the reason this meal became memorable.
The combination of sea urchin, spotted prawn, eel, ikura and seasoned rice could easily have become excessive. Instead, it was focused, balanced and genuinely delicious. The uni alone ranked among the best I have ever tasted.
Oiji Mi presents Korean food through the language of a modern New York tasting menu, but the cooking does not lose its identity in the process. Technique supports the ingredients rather than replacing them.
Would I order the Oiji Bowl again? Without hesitation.
Would I return to Oiji Mi? The fact that I am still thinking about that uni answers the question.
Planning Your Own Oiji Mi Dinner
My strongest recommendation is to arrive with more appetite than I did. The kitchen held my attention even after two rooftop parties, but I would rather give a dinner like this room in the day than ask it to compete with everything I had already eaten.
Choose the dining format before choosing individual dishes. My review is of the five-course experience, with the pacing, choices and supplements that were available that night. It is not a separate review of an à la carte evening at the bar.
The Oiji Bowl is the dish I keep coming back to in my memory. If it is available when you visit, it is the supplement I would personally prioritize. The beef tartare and scallop also deserve the praise they received here. I would check the current preparations rather than expect every accompaniment in my photographs to be reproduced exactly.
For the latest menu and booking route, visit Oiji Mi’s official website. The restaurant is at 17 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011; its published phone number is 212-256-1259.
More NYC Dining Experiences
For a different side of Korean dining, read my COQODAQ brunch review. You can also compare this dinner with my Blue Box Café experience or explore the wider collection of food and drink stories.
