Behind the Scenes at Kochi and Mari

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Photo Essays

Behind the Scenes at Kochi and Mari

In the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, and in just two years, Kochi and Mari chef and owner Sungchul Shim has built out a small enclave for modern Korean cooking. With both restaurants, he’s at the forefront of a larger evolution of Korean American cuisine in New York — working with skewers and handrolls to reinterpret classic Korean dishes and ingredients in novel, innovative ways, and making them all his own.

Here’s a look behind the scenes of both restaurants on a recent busy Wednesday night.

All photography by OK McCausland for Resy

Both kitchens at Kochi and Mari (pictured here) are open, so diners can see Shim and his chefs preparing every course of their tasting menus.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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Shim trained at a number of fine-dining establishments like Le Bernardin, and prior to opening Kochi in 2019, he was best known as the chef at critically acclaimed sushi omakase spot, Neta.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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Shim puts the final touches on the Wagyu beef tartare, which is served as part of the first course, Hansang, at Mari.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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The dish includes cured egg yolk and Korean pear in a crisp tuile that's dusted with a seaweed powder, called gobchang gim, that comes from the Wando region of South Korea.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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The Hansang course at Mari includes a garbanzo-dubu mousse, oyster, gochu jeon, beef tartare, and crispy egg rice.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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It's early into dinner service at Mari, and the team is focused on putting together the first plates of the night.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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Shim puts the final touches on a luxurious caviar salmon handroll at Mari.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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A spread of dishes from Mari (clockwise from back left): Hansang; a Makgolito cocktail; a salmon caviar handroll; a tuna and sea urchin handroll; a scallop handroll; a spicy tuna handroll; and a shrimp handroll.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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Workers in the middle of service at the open kitchen of Kochi

Over at Kochi, dinner service is in full swing and the team is busy with orders.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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Kochi earned a Michelin star within its first year of opening.

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At Kochi, a chef glazes a skewer of fried monkfish with a sweet gochujang glaze.

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At Kochi, chefs are busy preparing the appetizer courses like the soup, scallops, and bibimbap. Inside the box are bread crumb-crusted asparagus, featured in the green pea course.

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A spread of dishes from Kochi (clockwise from front left): green pea; monkfish twigim; trout bibimbap; scallop; and turbot.

Photos by OK McCausland for Resy

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For the opening green pea course, a broth of English peas is poured into the dish tableside.

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Kochi's bartender Briana Bartunek

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A busy dining room at Kochi.

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Photo Essays

Behind the Scenes at Kochi and Mari

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