Executive chef-owner Brian Kim is the visionary behind the modern Korean restaurant Oiji Mi and its tasting menu counter Bom. The 12-course fine dining menu at Bom highlights traditional Korean cuisine with luxurious ingredients like king crab, Hokkaido uni, bluefin tuna, A5 wagyu, caviar, and dry-aged rib-eye. Chef Kim and his team taste each dish every night before service to ensure they're delivering on exceptional flavor and presentation.
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00:00BOM offers a very unique fine dining experience that combines a classic chef's tasting menu
00:10and Korean barbecue.
00:12We have two different restaurants under the one roof, Oiji-mi and BOM.
00:17Both Oiji-mi and BOM are Michelin stars.
00:20I believe we are the only restaurant that has two different Michelin stars under one
00:25roof.
00:26Fine dining restaurant, but Oiji-mi has a little more casual vibe, and at BOM, this
00:32is the format of fine dining.
00:35Fine dining requires tremendous attention to detail.
00:39We serve 12 different courses at BOM.
00:42Our food stays true to the Korean traditions with a subtle approach from other cuisines
00:47and techniques.
00:53What's up, Andrew?
00:5610 a.m. delivery.
00:57We got our king crab coming in fresh from Norway.
00:59It's a 9.3-pounder.
01:01This crab itself costed us roughly, I'd say, $500.
01:05The king crab, we put on top of the gyeran-jjim, of course, so the steamed egg.
01:14We're going to take half the legs and the head, and we're going to just plop them into
01:18the water.
01:19This is going to cook for another five minutes.
01:22One of the most meaningful dishes at BOM is king crab gyeran-jjim.
01:26This dish is an elevated version of my comfort food that my mother used to cook for me during
01:33my childhood.
01:36We also have something else that's going as well at the same time.
01:39This is going to be takanoko, the bamboo.
01:43This goes inside of the gyeran-jjim, of course, with the crab, so there's going to be mushrooms
01:47and bamboo shoot with the steamed egg and the anchovy broth.
01:51Believe it or not, bamboo shoot is not often known to be extremely toxic.
01:57If you eat it raw, it will cause a crazy rash.
02:00It feels like needles poking into your throat.
02:03I had tried it when I was a little bit younger, and then for hours, I just felt like I was
02:08having a crazy allergic reaction inside my throat, but I still had to work service all
02:13day.
02:14Now the crab is done.
02:18So, Lois right here is now breaking down the crab that we just cooked off earlier.
02:22She's snipping out every single joint on the crab leg, and from there, we can separate
02:28each segment of the leg.
02:29Starting at the lump meat, it's going to be used for primarily the sauce, and then afterwards,
02:35we'll use these thigh portions for segments to display on top of the dish.
02:40It's really easy to mess this up because the scissors can just cut inside the meat, so
02:45you have to be careful when you're doing it.
02:51At the bottom, there is a Japanese-style steamed egg.
02:54At the center, there is a Korean-style anchovy broth, seasoned with doubanjiang, which is
02:59a Chinese spicy chili bean sauce, and also thickened with potato starch, which is also
03:05a Chinese cooking technique.
03:07At the top, there is a French-style egg white meringue that transforms into fluffy, soft
03:13foam.
03:14When it's cooked with the heat from the broth, it looks very simple, but it has a lot of
03:19complexity in terms of flavor and texture, from the soft and silky gyeran-jjim, the crunch
03:26bamboo shoot, and umami from a rich anchovy broth, and like sweet crab, and then smooth
03:34cups, you know, like egg white foam.
03:45So now the tuna and uni just came in.
03:47Nobu from Yama is dropping it off.
03:50We ordered about eight pounds of tuna.
03:53I think it was like 15.
03:5515 pounds.
03:56And then also, we ordered 20 trays of uni.
04:00The uni is between both oijimi and bowl, and we use it in separate, different applications.
04:06We're going to have around like 20 trays of sea urchin, and then we're going to taste
04:12every single tray.
04:13This amount of uni right here is about $3,200.
04:16And your testing cost is very expensive, too.
04:19The taste test alone must cost $75 to $100, just to quality control it.
04:25We are probably the restaurant that uses the most uni in New York City, according to Purveyor.
04:31They are mostly using oijimi.
04:34We have a very famous menu that we utilize sea urchin.
04:38At Boom, we utilize sea urchin as a garnish for the tenderloin dish.
04:43My responsibility at this restaurant is ensuring the quality control.
04:48The best way to ensure quality control is tasting.
04:51Yeah, everything tasted great, so now we're going to put it on some ice and put it in
04:55our wok.
04:59So this is our gamtae seaweed.
05:01It comes from the cleanest waters of Korea.
05:04This is in preparation for the first course of our menu.
05:07They're harvested during the coldest winter months, from December to March.
05:12And they're harvested by hand and threaded into long spools to make these delicate sheets.
05:18He punches out perfect circles with a ring mold to make our shells for our tuna dish.
05:24And we use a little mixture of potato starch, a little water, brush them on very lightly,
05:29and then use a ring mold and dip it into a fryer to get them nice and crispy.
05:33It's our version of a nice surf and turf.
05:38These are the popular and trendy crustade shells.
05:41They're very light and delicate.
05:43And these crustades are a great vessel for the Korean pear baesuk.
05:48So we have one version that's the original version, and then the second one, we put a
05:53little squid ink in there.
05:55We prime these iron tin balls in the fryer oil to get them nice and hot.
05:59And then a quick dip into the crustade batter.
06:03So we arrange them upside down to let the excess oil drip down.
06:09And then we, again, we put them in the dehydrator and they'll hold very crispy until service time.
06:18So this is the bluefin tuna that we received this morning from Yama.
06:22And we're going to clean this up and get it ready for the kamtae shells that we were making this morning.
06:27For our application over here, for the kamtae taco, we actually use the same ingredients
06:32but for the kamtae taco, we actually prefer to use the leaner part of the tuna.
06:37It has a more desirable texture that we're looking for.
06:40We'll cut the tuna, we portion them out into saku blocks, and then we will dice the blocks
06:46per day that we need for service.
06:52And we're going to marinate it in our soy sauce and it'll give a good flavor to the tuna
07:00and also enhance the texture of it as well.
07:04Kimchi is a big thing in our restaurant.
07:06Jane's going to make an aromatic sachet for the white kimchi broth.
07:10There's a ginger, like garlic, onion, Asian pear.
07:13When people think about the Korean food, I think the kimchi is the first thing that comes to mind.
07:18And then also fermentation is one of the crucial cooking techniques in Korean cuisine.
07:24We serve around 10 different kimchi at home.
07:28Kimchi is more than just food in Korea because it has a very labor-intensive work.
07:33Since our whole family comes together, it's like a cultural tradition.
07:38So we are squeezing this to the water to extract the subtle flavor.
07:44There are different types of white kimchi, but we want to make it really exceptionally clean.
07:49So we've got to be really careful about squeezing this.
07:53If you squeeze it strong, it's going to be overpowering and the broth can be cloudy.
07:59To become a master of kimchi, there's no perfect recipe.
08:03We just have to make it again and again to build our expertise.
08:07Chefs should know how to make kimchi.
08:11We cannot just buy it from others.
08:14It's kind of a pride as a chef.
08:18We just added the mustard leaf in between the layers to give a little more crisp flavor.
08:24And then we're putting it in the container, but it should be upside down.
08:29Because otherwise, all the leaves are not going to hold the sauce.
08:35It is a traditional way, but again, there are so many different varieties.
08:40It's like every home has a different style of making kimchi.
08:45This is a North Korean napa cabbage kimchi.
08:48It involves less chili powder, but it incorporates a lot of seafood.
08:53So instead of using fermented shrimp paste, we use fermented bellfish sauce.
08:58So it has a deep umami.
09:00As you mix all the seasoning with all the condiments like the pears and radish,
09:05the color looks more beautiful and reddish.
09:08Since we use a lot of aromatics, garlic, onion, ginger, and the other fermented sauce,
09:15like bellfish sauce, the beginning smells really strong and sharp.
09:19But as the process goes down and slowly fermentation is developed and deepened over time,
09:27the smell is going to be still funky but taste very smooth, but still have a lot of umami in there.
09:33We can serve as it is.
09:35We can utilize it for making sauce.
09:37It could be sliced and chopped and used for soft condiment or ingredient for the main item.
09:43I feel like I have a secret weapon for cooking.
09:47So we are applying the kimchi seasoning of each layer of cabbage
09:52so that kimchi seasoning is absorbed to each layer and has a rich flavor.
09:57But we don't want to go crazy applying the amount of kimchi seasoning.
10:02That is going to be very overpowering.
10:04This is going to be aged for two months, at least two months to six months.
10:08Although this is a completely sealed container,
10:11we want to wrap it again to make sure there's no air contact again
10:14because the air is the enemy of kimchi.
10:27We have a very unique dry-age program.
10:30We utilize a noodle-grain koji to control and expedite the aging process.
10:34Both ingredients are fermentation starters in Korea and Japan, respectively.
10:39Both are symbiotic cultures of bacteria,
10:42traditionally using alcoholic fermentation like cheongju or sake.
10:47We really wanted to find a way how to dry-age tenderloin,
10:52also even the ribeye, with a good flavor but without losing the moisture.
10:56So in traditional dry-aging method,
10:59it takes a long time for bacteria and mold to grow depending on the surrounding environment.
11:04So we try to brainstorm if there's any way to shorten the dry-aging process.
11:12The koji has a little bit of a, creates a sweeter flavor notes
11:16while the noodle is more funkier side.
11:18So we had to test like hundreds of times to find the perfect ratio between two.
11:24With this method, we can achieve good aged flavor
11:27within just five to eight days for the tenderloin.
11:30So it's fast and it still has a lot of moisture.
11:37So this is the newer batch.
11:39We just applied the noodle-grain koji.
11:41This is like eight days old.
11:42So eight days is perfect for it to have a good flavor for the tenderloin.
11:47So if you see this, the wet-aged one has a more pinkish, wet blush due to all the blood.
11:54This is a ring from the dry-aging process.
11:57So it keeps rotating.
11:59We put the newer batch on the bottom shelf.
12:01As time goes by, it goes up.
12:03So we rotate it and make a new batch and put it back.
12:06So it's always full like this.
12:09Korean barbecue is one of the most iconic type of cuisine in Korea.
12:15Also, there are so many different types of Korean barbecue.
12:18Like pork, focus on like beef or sometimes like intestine of the beef.
12:24Korean people love meat.
12:25So that's why we serve three meat courses.
12:30So this is going to be our A5 Wagyu short rib coming from Saitama.
12:35This is going to be the second steak course.
12:37So third to last savory course.
12:40Basically, we're going to do a little cross-section cut right here.
12:43I have a ruler here just to kind of help me gauge how big I'm going to be cutting this steak.
12:47Kind of keeps things consistent.
12:49It's something I practice, but also I try to teach my cooks to kind of utilize.
12:53And then with these steaks, we're also going to do little bias incisions.
12:57This kind of helps the marinade penetrate the steak so that every single steak is the same.
13:01And once I'm done portioning them into little lateral cuts,
13:05we're going to pour a marinade right on top of it
13:08and let it sit inside that marinade for several hours before we serve it to our guests tonight.
13:15So Lois is making a soy marinade for saeujang,
13:19which is sashimi-grade spotted prawn marinated with soy sauce.
13:23It's a part of the last savory course, Hansang Charim.
13:26So we're putting a house-made citrus soy sauce, mirin,
13:29and regular soy sauce and radix, like a scallion, ginger, garlic,
13:34and dried shiitake mushroom to give a little umami.
13:37We're going to bring it to boil and cool it down.
13:40And then we're going to marinate this with the shrimp.
13:44So while you're using the new techniques, incorporating other cuisines,
13:50we honor the humble tradition of Korean cuisine.
13:53And then Hansang Charim, the format of rice, daily soup, and side dishes,
13:58that's basic format of Korean cuisine.
14:01All the native Korean people eat this format daily,
14:05either at home and either at restaurant.
14:07In the meanwhile, we're going to peel the shrimp.
14:14So the soy marinade is cooled down, so we're pouring over the shrimp.
14:19And then we're going to marinate for one day.
14:22So we have seven different things in Hansang Charim.
14:25We serve sashimi, spotted prawn, marinated in house-made soy sauce.
14:30One is black truffle mushroom rice.
14:32We're going to make black truffle rice in a very traditional way,
14:36in a cast iron pot.
14:38We serve different rice daily.
14:40At this time, we serve black truffle mushroom.
14:43So after we bring it to boil, we put black truffle mushroom in it.
14:49The electric rice cooker is good, but we still love it
14:53because we can control it.
14:56And I personally think the texture is far better.
14:59So Hansang Charim is a table of well-prepared food.
15:04Actually, it includes rice, soup, and several side dishes.
15:09And this is what most Koreans eat daily at home.
15:15So it's 3 o'clock now. Things are ramping up.
15:18We're about to get ready for service within two hours.
15:21Doors open for Oi Jumi at 5 o'clock and 5.30 for Bom.
15:25Pretty soon, in about an hour and a half, we're going to get all the tastings out too.
15:28And we're going to see all the food coming out.
15:30At 4.15, we have official tasting time
15:33that brings all the completed food from Oi Jumi and Bom.
15:38And we all taste together and make sure everything is perfectly prepared.
15:43Or if there's any mistakes, we have to fix it.
15:47So now this is kind of like the critical moment for Oi Jumi and Bom.
15:51We're an hour out for service.
15:53Everything you will see here will be for both Bom and Oi Jumi.
15:57We do tastings every day, so I'm sure guests thoroughly enjoy all of our food.
16:03And everybody works really hard making the food.
16:05But tasting the food and being critical of the food makes you so cynical.
16:09I see at the restaurant a lot of tastings with all the ingredients,
16:14but not the completed dishes.
16:16The reason why we bring out all the completed dishes,
16:18we are not only checking the flavor or seasoning.
16:22We also want to see all our line crews and chefs are doing the proper way
16:28in our presentation too.
16:30It costs a lot of money to bring all the completed dish,
16:34but for the quality control, I think this is a must.
16:37And we have to invest the money for this.
16:40How's the bass today?
16:42The seasoning's good.
16:43It's okay?
16:45It's a little bland.
16:46A little bland.
16:47Do you want chardonnay vinegar?
16:49Do you want a little bit more salt inside the broth?
16:53I think we need a little more chojang too.
16:55Chojang?
16:56Yeah.
16:57Got it, chef.
16:58It looks like everything's pretty good.
17:00There's just a couple tweaks that we need to make for this tasting so far.
17:04But overall, pretty solid.
17:06All right, we're just about done.
17:08Now we're going to clean this up and get ready for service.
17:12Good evening, everyone.
17:13Good evening.
17:14We are fully booked tonight.
17:16For the first seating, we have 15 guests.
17:18Last week, we had a pretty excellent string of services.
17:21I know everybody's been a little bit tired.
17:23We are expecting to be kind of pushing through the rest of this week.
17:27This is not a sprint.
17:28This is a marathon.
17:29So pace yourselves carefully.
17:31Make sure you're communicating effectively.
17:33All right, let's have a good service.
17:35Service!
17:38Hello, welcome into Bohme.
17:39How are we doing tonight?
17:40Good.
17:41Wonderful.
17:42We're going to start off with just a little bit of a sneak peek for our menu tonight.
17:45To start things off, we'll have some fresh Hokkaido uni on the menu tonight.
17:48Crystal and acetra caviar.
17:50Green-lipped abalone.
17:51Nagano wasabi.
17:52Alongside our live Norwegian king crab that we're serving on top of our gyeran-jjim.
17:56Also, in addition to that, we'll have right here two different cuts of steak.
18:00The tenderloin as well as ribeye coming from South Queensland over in Australia.
18:04They're both cross-hybrid wagyu that's been dry-aged with koji as well as noodle.
18:08But everything you see in front of you will be served to you tonight and will begin shortly.
18:12Our first course is amuse trio.
18:14Three different types of small bites.
18:16First one is bluefin tuna with foie gras in a compote seaweed shell.
18:22The second amuse is croustade with whipped tofu and baesuk, which is Korean pear served with acetra caviar.
18:31And third one is another croustade with egg salad with smoked trout roe.
18:36First course is really important.
18:38It's the first impression of the restaurant.
18:41And also important course to open the palate for the customers.
18:44We wanted to offer the food in a unique way.
18:48So I discussed with our ceramic designer how we can make something very different and unique.
18:55And then we came up with the idea with the Russian doll.
18:58So everything is stacked and then when we serve the guests, it will take apart.
19:04It's kind of a surprise to the guests.
19:11Is it good to go?
19:12Yes, chef.
19:13Next two, we're walking.
19:14Table two.
19:18Fire one black, eight red.
19:20One black, eight red.
19:22Andy, next hand.
19:23Hands, please.
19:28Next two, we're walking.
19:29Table six.
19:32Push out two, guys.
19:33Come on.
19:35After guests experience our restaurant,
19:38we want them to more understand and familiar with the Korean tradition.
19:48Food-wise, I really want them to know more about the Korean food
19:54and appreciate the Korean cuisine.
20:04Korea Grandma Park Makrye