Somssi, From the Team Behind Atoboy and Atomix, Reinvents the Classic Bistro

1. First time owner, many-time collaborator.

Even though Somssi is her debut restaurant as an owner, Kim is no stranger to the world of hospitality. After years working in various roles back home in the Midwest and in New York, including stints at The Ritz-Carlton and Épicerie Boulud, she joined the Atoboy team three months after they opened in 2016.

“It was almost like an ‘a-ha’ moment,” she recalls. “It was my history in hospitality combined with my [Korean] heritage, and I’d never experienced anything like that.” Kim became the general manager of Atoboy, and was then appointed as the director of operations for Atoboy, Atomix, and Naro and, eventually, she started to ask herself what was next.

“I was very scared earlier on, and I loved being the backbone for Ellia and J.P, but slowly I was starting to look for answers about where I could leave my own legacy,” she says.

Then, the space which formerly housed Acru became available. Things moved relatively quickly from there, at least as quickly as something can move after being in the works for “almost 10 years,” Kim laughs.

2. Somssi is more than just a name to this team.

The name Somssi comes from the Korean word that refers to a skill honed through time, instinct, and experience. Here, it’s more than just a name — it’s been a guiding principle for the team throughout the opening process.

“The meaning is very in line with our work in restaurants or in hospitality. It’s most commonly used when saying something like ‘I visited XYZ today and her mom’s cooking somssi is so amazing,’” Kim says. “You wouldn’t necessarily say someone has coding somssi,” she adds, laughing.

That sensibility comes into play for decisions, like choosing to have embroidery versus print, or plating something in a less posh way.

“It centers us when we make creative decisions or operational decisions,” Kim says.

3. Inside, it’s your “quirky aunt’s” house.

The design of the space was a personal affair for Kim. Her childhood best friend, Margaret Muza, who specializes in vintage sourcing and curation in her designs handled the project.

Muza found lots of unique pieces for Somssi, from cordial glasses to bundt cake pans that they’re using as wall sconces. Muza’s mother made the curtains by hand out of vintage fabrics she’d collected over the years. There’s exposed brick and plenty of natural wooden elements in the tables and chairs, plus a long, green leather banquette for seating along one wall.

In total, the space seats 50, including five bar seats.

“Everything together has harmony. I didn’t want to make something that didn’t belong on the block [in Greenwich Village], so it’s very warm and cozy. It’s lived in; it should feel like your unique, quirky aunt’s home,” Kim says.

4. Cocktails, wine, and sake are all on offer.

Kim has an equally all-star team behind the bar, with head sommelier Jenny Eagleton, formerly of Oakland’s Daytrip, and head bartender Christian Gray, previously of Naro, Kabawa, and Chicago’s Duck Duck Goat and The Girl & The Goat.

The wine menu leans heavily natural with plenty of sake pours. Notes like “magical,” “unlikely & wild & resinous”, and “Bordeaux is cool again, have you heard?” adorn the page.

“We wanted to highlight a well-traveled list, with different regions that you might not have heard of. We wanted to celebrate the producers and varietals that don’t get recognition elsewhere,” Kim says.

For cocktails, one of the signatures includes the Lace on the Door, named for, well, the lace curtains on the door. It’s their take on a martini with gin, a vermouth blend, orange bitters, and anise. They’re also offering “little beverages,” smaller-sized versions of cocktails that range in price from $9 to $11 and include choices like the Campus Queen with grapefruit, wormwood, and Pilsner.

5. Immigrant nostalgia meets bistro fare on Somssi’s menu.

Given the spot’s history and the team behind it — JP Park is in the kitchen as culinary director, working with assistant culinary director Yoonsoo Park and executive sous chef Daniel Gronert — it should come as no surprise that Korean sensibilities finds their way into the menu. Even so, Kim says she didn’t want to be boxed into that one cuisine, finding inspiration from many different cultures for the food.

“I was hesitant to define the menu too specifically. I wanted our kitchen team to have freedom in their expression, and I think creativity should have unlimited boundaries,” Kim says. “[I’d put it like] bistro-inspired fare rooted in Korean immigrant nostalgia.”

In practice, this looks like linguine with a mustard kimchi ragù, grilled branzino with nước mắm and ginger, and a New York strip steak served with pepper japchae. There’s also bread and butter, a mutton chop with a Chinese-inspired cumin crust, and a daily assortment of pickles. Fries come dusted with your choice of gamtae furikake or kimchi cheese seasoning, and fennel salad with kumquats comes topped with a mountain of cheese and a buttermilk dressing.

One dish, in particular, that’s been getting a lot of early buzz is the visually captivating Potato, Potato, Potato, and Caviar which is made with a creamy pomme puree that’s dusted with potato starch and wrapped in delicate potato strings and caviar.

For dessert, expect ice cream inspired by White Rabbit candy topped with five-spice candied peanuts, and a nutmeg egg custard tart served with orange chantilly.

In describing the menu, Kim also describes Somssi’s philosophy: “From the first look, the food might [seem] like a familiar classic, but then the seasoning and sauces of the pantry staples that made the dish are quite multicultural.”

Somssi is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 9:30 p.m.

Ellie Plass is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram and X. Follow Resy, too.