Is Cote (One Michelin Star Korean BBQ Restaurant) worth it? $58 / person for Butcher's Feast.

We’re in NYC celebrating my Husband’s 30th birthday. This is our 2 day weekend celebration, and this is day 1!
We took a red eye from Seattle to NYC, and went straight to Time Square! Actually we tried to go to Bibble & Sip first, but unfortunately, their opening time was at 9am not 7am Friday morning, so we decided to walk around until it was time to eat. Not gonna lie… the McDonald’s big screen in Time Square almost got us, but we didn’t give in! We waited for our first bite in NYC to be at Bibble & Sip!
OK, so Bibble & Sip has to be hands down my new favorite pastry shop ever. Not only is everything ridiculously cute but it also tastes as good as it looks! - maybe even better! I’m a huge fan of delicate sweetness, so if you prefer super sweet desserts- maybe this won’t make it on your list, but I would say, it’s worth a visit regardless.
I loved the Totoro macaron! The cookie was soft (not candied which is one of my pet peeves when it comes to macarons) yet firm to hold its shape! The flavors of black sesame and cookies and cream went really well together. Super creative, and it works!
The matcha cream puff was also ridiculously good. And even though the cream was overflowing, bc it wasn’t overly sweet, it was the perfect amount. I probably could have eaten it straight with a spoon. But glad I got to eat it with the lightly bitter matcha dusted pastry puff.
Btw- this entire time we probably felt like zombies. Our hotel check-in time wasn’t until 3pm, so we were wandering around directly off a flight (6am) literally until we got to Arlo.
Lunch was at Noona Noodles. You’d like it here if you like Korean fusion food. For me, I typically like traditional Korean food, but luckily I was super in the mood for something spicy, and the jjamppong really hit that craving.
Afterwards, we just wandered around and somehow found Little Italy! Super cute in there. And lots of specialty shops. We bought some gifts here to thank my brother for driving us to the airport and our dear friend for watching our dog, Saja! Next time we’re back, we will have to check out the handmade pasta for a meal.
Oh yeah- did I mention we walked around Koreatown? And found Madison Park? Yep!
PS, I usually eat Tour Les Jours bread for breakfast every morning if I’m on a short vacation.
Then we finally got tired, so decided to go back to Arlo Nomad Hotel where we were staying. Decided to go up to the rooftop for the views until our room was ready.
Btw- my review of the hotel. Kind of a so-so experience, but maybe my hopes were set pretty high. We got a “premium sky” room for my Husband’s bday, but the room was really cramped and had floor to ceiling windows staring at a brick wall and construction. Which was super loud. The bathroom only has a sliding door, and you can’t lock it which is awkward. And there was no free coffee… Idk. Was expecting a little bit more- but that’s ok. At the very least, it got the job done, great location, and the rooftop was amazing. The front desk people were really nice!
Finally!!! We got to get ready and go to Cote!!! Cote is a one Michelin star Korean steakhouse, and we were super duper intrigued!!! At $58 /person for the set meal known as the Butcher’s Feast, we were super excited to try it! NYC food is notoriously expensive, especially for Michelin star quality (top notch service and culinary experience) so we thought $58 sounded reasonable!
The vibes was very NYC. Ambient lighting, loud music, and a server who walked you through your whole meal. Meat quality was great, and actually the Korean accompaniments like kimchi jjigae fit my Korean palette! It was super well done, and fairly authentic. +1 for including perilla leaves!
My only preference was that I wish the rice, stews, and egg soufflé came out earlier in the course meal. Maybe it’s bc I’m Korean and I’m used to going back and forth between meat and rice and stews etc. It was just weird having all of the accompaniments come out at the end when we were already went through most of the meat. Again- my preference! Some might prefer the other way.
But overall, I thought it was well worth a visit as a birthday celebration and now you know what to expect. Decide for yourself, if it’s a must add to your NYC itinerary. :)
Did I mention vanilla soft serve with dulce de leche comes at the end of the Butcher’s Feast? Yep, it’s included!
First day was hectic. Spent the morning feeling like a zombie coming off of our red-eye, but accomplished a lot despite. I would say it was a successful first day in NYC. :)
With love,
TOKKI
Music Credit
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Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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