Chef Ki Kim of the lauded kinn restaurant in Los Angeles was the Turntable San Francisco guest chef in August, and he brought a reimagined Korean fine dining menu with many dishes from kinn. Korean-born Ki has experience working in notable upscale Korean restaurants such as Jungsik and Atomix in NYC, and Benu in SF. I thought his Turntable menu was a enjoyable combination of Korean flavors with an unexpectedly new presentation.
Some standout dishes included a visually stunning kurodai mulhwe (chilled sashimi soup), oyster noodles with an addictively thick oyster cream sauce, and roasted lamb saddle with chili crisp. The signature kinn dish of crispy octopus was my favorite of the night. A perfectly crispy, deep-fried exterior yielded a tender center, and was presented with gochujang aioli and edible flowers.
The two desserts were also memorable – a foamy, fluffy omija berry and milk ice cream and a lighter style bourbon tres leches cake. As with each tasting menu, complimentary petit fours from Turntable pastry chef Harper Zapf concluded the meal. Special shoutout this month for his stellar creations – blackberry macaron, strawberry cream cheese crepe cake, and coconut lime gel filled dark chocolate.
