COTE

At Cote, New York City’s first luxury Korean barbeque, elevation is the name of the game. That’s because every single aspect of the dining experience, from the exact moment a guest takes their first step into the door to the second they walk out, is designed and planned with stunning, artful precision.

Take, for example, Cote’s entranceway—your first glimpse into the restaurant as a guest. Its sheer scope is the first thing you’ll notice, made only more prominent by a moody yet sophisticated amalgamation of deep green walls and wooden accents, illuminated by a beckoning neon pink light that cuts through the darkness. And in the space—which is otherwise bare—a single bench spans its length. Lone, but certainly sizeable; an area in which patrons can sit together, relax, and have a drink as they wait for a coveted table.

The effect is mysterious and inviting, no doubt. But past the atmospheric aesthetics, Cote’s design choices reveal its deliberate adherence to traditional Korean customs. Here in the entranceway, specifically, the Korean concept of maru, or deck.

“When you go to a traditional Korean house, a hanok, you’ll see a huge, beautiful deck outside,” says Cote general manager Amy Zhou. “Our entranceway represents that same sense of invitation.” 

Photos by Tiffany Wei.

This thoughtfulness is applied to the dining area, which is divided into two sections. On one end are picnic table-style benches, bathed in sunlight by an expansive floor-to-ceiling window. Moving deeper into the restaurant on the other side, Cote has dimly lit booths for diners looking for a more intimate dining experience. 

Right in the middle of the two seating areas, there stands an impressively large central bar—the centerpiece of what Zhou calls Cote’s “culture of service.” In a way, this bar is where the Cote experience begins. It’s a place to congregate pre-meal, featuring lux mezcal sours and soju-based cocktails crafted by bartenders hired specifically for their ability to connect with a different type of person. 

“The vision for the bar was always like the hearth inside of the house; a fireplace where people can step out of the cold and go to warm themselves,” says Zhou. “We want our guests to almost feel, when it's time to get seated, like ‘I don't even want to leave the bar. I want to stay here a little bit longer.’”

When diners do get to their table, it’s safe to say that the bar will be the last thing on their minds. Dining at Cote is an immersive experience; while perhaps not as hands-on as a traditional Korean barbecue joint, there’s something riveting and so, so indulgent about sitting back and observing as a mix of talented servers come around one-by-one to your table, expertly working the grill as they prepare your choice of meats.

The dry-aged rib-eye, sliced into bite-sized cubes at the table by your waiter before grilling, is fatty and succulent and melt-in-your mouth luxurious. And though aged for 45 days—quite a bit longer than the more conventional 28—right in the cellar of Cote, it’s nutty and unctuous instead of funky. And the galbi, a short rib marinated in soy and mirin, is sweet, sugary, and delightfully crusty.

Cote’s wedge salad, an American offering you’ll never find at a traditional Korean barbecue, is a blossoming flower of iceberg lettuce dotted over with quartered cherry tomatoes, thick chunks of bacon, and micro-minced chives. At Cote, though, the blue cheese is swapped for an umami dressing of sesame oil, a small adjustment that alters the entire flavor profile of the dish with a nod to Asian flavor. And their Peter Luger-style “bacon” appetizer is a house-smoked pork belly garnished with pickled jalapeno: still shatteringly crisp and indulgent, yet meatier than your traditional bacon.

Given all of this, Cote calls itself a Korean steakhouse, rather than a barbeque. Indeed every cut of beef they offer—from filets and rib-eyes to A5 Japanese wagyus and 110-day dry-aged USDA Prime cuts—are thicker and heartier than a barbeque would typically serve. And Cote’s emphasis on pairing their vast collection of red meats with an equally fantastic wine list only highlights their culinary identity venturing into the territory of a steakhouse institution (Victoria James, Cote’s beverage director, is an award-winning sommelier recognized by Forbes and Zagat).

Cote wants to impress you. And they want to make you feel at-home and welcome. Considering their ceaseless attention to detail and propensity for going above and beyond, they’ll undoubtedly succeed. So walk in and grab an old-fashioned with a gochujang shrimp cocktail on the side at the bar, and prepare to indulge yourself in flawless excess à la Korean steakhouse.