COTE

COTE is the world's first and (up until the time of my visit) only Michelin-starred Korean barbecue restaurant. What makes it original is the way it blends the Korean barbecue and American steakhouse concepts. The menu has been designed with real care. There are also original wines you can find here, produced exclusively for them under arrangements with the winemakers. I loved their set menu called the Butcher's Feast. Four different profiles of meat and Korean mezes really do fill you up. The meats are served in this order:

• USDA Prime Hanger Steak
• USDA Prime Dry-Aged Ribeye
• American Wagyu "COTE" Steak
• USDA Prime Marinated Galbi

My favourites were the ribeye, where you pick up dense umami aromas (USDA Prime Dry-Aged Ribeye), and the marinated short rib with its sweet-salty note (USDA Prime Marinated Galbi). Among the mezes my favourites were the egg soufflé and the vegetables in the stew pot. You can close things perfectly with the vanilla ice cream they serve with a soy sauce caramel. I would not want to move on without mentioning the service. For the best experience the service team cooks your meat for you, and even though they were busy, the way they kept cooking it exactly as you wanted while still giving flawless service was admirable.

What to Order

• Poggio Al Sole - Chianti Classico

Butcher's Feast

• USDA Prime Dry-Aged Ribeye
• USDA Prime Marinated Galbi
• Egg Souffle
• Doenjang Stew
• Vanilla Soft Serve