“K”nocked “O”ut by KO

Some reservations are so hard to get that the harder you try… and subsequently fail, the more obsessed you get with trying even harder. But then, as your obsession grows - so does your expectation. And you find yourself grumbling: “This place better be damn good, or else….”

Ko is one such place to me. I have tried and tried to get a reservation for my friends and I. And every time I explored the reservation system - it appeared that a reservation for 1 was far easier to get than the same for 2 or more people. I was so obsessed by this point that I decided to ditch my friends and go solo. You do what you gotta do, right?

Alas! My trials and tribulations of getting the Ko experience were not over….. The day I had my reservation, which also happened to be the long awaiting first day of spring, turned out to be the day of a freak snow storm. 6-7 inches of snow expected. Everyone is being advised to leave work early and get home safe before the white stuff starts to come down. So, what does this foodie do? You guessed it! She bundles up - put on some practical shoes and headed for the Metro North train station!!!

Did Ko live up to my expectation?
No. It actually exceeded it.

This 15 course symphony was choreographed with well thought-out high and low notes of flavors, ingredient, cold and hot temperatures, creamy to crunchy textures. It is important to appreciate that without the presence of each - there would be a certain monotony in a meal that lasts over 2.5 hours. Just like, if it was a music concert of just high pitched singing - you may feel compelled too get up and leave halfway. The added beauty of this particular menu was that when the flavors were somewhat mellow - the textures reigned supreme, and vise versa. So no matter what stage of the meal you were at - you would be sure to find yourself at the edge of your seat. For instance, I am still amazed at the incredibly tender and almost creamy texture of the lightly seared venison. Such mind-blowing, superior quality ingredients were expertly showcased throughout the entire meal!

There were some anomalies however: like the Kabocha ravioli which, to me, hit the highest notes of flavor as well as texture. The ravioli practically burst all of its creamy goodness in my mouth. I mean, how many ravioli dishes can you say that about? And the sauce was an explosion of savory sensations.

And, the surreal texture and the decadent flavors of the shaved frozen Foie Gras served with lychee and resiling jelly was TDF (To Die For). I am going to name and remember this dish as “Gold Dust” for ever!!! Apparently, this dish is a permanent fixture on the menu. That Reisling jelly did absolutely magical things to the composition - with it gloriously sweet tartness. This is one of those must-have foodie-bites of a lifetime!

I loved how each dish had elements of familiarity paired with small hints of the extraordinary and the unusual. I discovered the wonders of an ingredient from Australia called finger lime! Max, my new friend, and chef working closest to my seat at Ko, brought one out to show me. It is like citrus-caviar. Super cool!

If you have toyed with the idea of visiting Ko, the question on your mind may be: is it worth the whopping cost of $175 per person (not including the wine pairings)? I would, “Yes!”. The layout of this restaurant, with all the seating overlooking the constant buzz in the kitchen, makes for a tantalization experience of all your senses. It is pure joy to watch chefs like Sean Gray, Jay Moore and Josh Pinksy doing what they do best. In contrast the service staff is always on top of clearing your plates - with such fluid ease that you barely notice its happening. Su Wong, the General manager immediately made me feel so welcome and comfortable that I couldn’t resist inviting her to Fairfield county and show her around our vibrant local food scene. Chase Sinzer the sommelier at Ko, took every opportunity to converse with the diners. He possessed the perfect combination of friendliness and professionalism to suit this exceptional place. During the course of the meal, various chefs came up and presented at least one of the courses to each diner - that one-on-one was so apt for the intimate setting of Ko. I particularly enjoyed meeting Max, a friend of a friend, who was a pure joy to watch in-action at his station.