Tis Me Michelle

Yes, NY needs its own series. By this point, I’m sure I’ve mentioned my obsession with NYC and Paris. Two places I will continue to visit and love for the rest of my life. It’s truly a foodie and art lovers dream, with endless options and a completely unique experience each time. And knowing you can hit up your favorites if you want to double dip. This goes for both cities honestly, but I’ve definitely frequented NY much more.

There are some people who will claim people are rude, the city smells, it’s overhyped. Honestly, I think those people are rude, smell, and are overhyped – that doesn’t make sense – but boo you people, ya’ll don’t pass the vibe check. Anyways, during one of my visits, I stayed at my friend’s place which was in a great part of town with so many walkable options for food. During a walk around town, I happened upon this spot and thought the decor was super cute so of course I googled it to see what it was. I found out it was a restaurant, on the bougier side. And when in NYC, you just go with it and try it all.

That particular day I had tried too much, so I should have waited for my stomach to be prepared. But when you are on a time crunch you fill up on as much as you can. I was in town for a concert, so I grabbed a res early enough that I had time to make it to the concert. Oiji Mi is an upscale Korean restaurant and has a prix fixe menu or a la carte. I went all out, maybe too all out, sometimes I need to be a better judge of my wallet.

Anyways, I started off with a cocktail, cause when you are already balling out, why not go the extra mile. I don’t know if the menu rotates often, but it was a mezcal-based cocktail. I may not be consistent in my coffee orders, but I do usually stick with tequila and mezcal cocktails. Check out the full menu here, this is what I opted for:

• Course 1: Pumpkin Soup
• Course 2: I recall it being some kind of rice/grain dish – seems the menu has since been updated.
• Course 3: Chili Lobster Ramyun
• Course 4: Wagyu Galbi Ssam – I really didn’t intend to ball out on this one; it was a subconscious ball out – I totally did not notice this was for an upcharge
• Course 5: Chappsal Donuts

Being in NY, I had eaten too much prior to even coming here. Mistakes were made. I was full by the time I took a bite of Course 3. But Course 3 – Course 5 were the best parts of the meal and absolutely worth the $ and stomach cramps. I struggled through and had to take some things home, but my goodness, this was one of my favorite foodie experiences.

I barely remember the soup, but I know I chose it because everything else I ordered sounded like it would be heavy. I recall that’s why I got the grain dish too and recall not being a huge fan of the flavor. The Ramyun on the other hand. I was surprised it was a cold dish, which I haven’t had a cold noodle dish, and was delighted. It was rich, creamy, on the heavy side and so fantastic. I really hadn’t had a dish like that before. About halfway through the ramyun, I was beginning to tap out. And next was the wagyu. I mean, come on, it doesn’t get more upscale than that. Perfectly seasoned and melted in your mouth. I could not finish it so I did have to pack most of it to go, which, I freaking love leftovers. And finally the dessert. I had no more room to go, but the donuts were accompanied by rème fraîche ice cream, and I couldn’t take it with me, and I absolutely could not let that go to waste. So I ate that damn ice cream and packed the donuts. I had the donuts cold on the way back home the next day, and they were out of the world amazing cold. I can only dream about how delightful they were fresh.

I will caveat, this isn’t a regular spot or even a spot you just happen upon (even though that’s what I did). This is somewhere you plan to go, a special night if you will. You will drop a pretty penny and leave with a very full tummy. So be prepared with an empty stomach and a full wallet. It is definitely worth it if you can afford it. I would love to go here again, but I’m also more than happy I got to do it once.

Rating: 9/10