Corridor 109
Seafood restaurant · Larchmont ·
Refined seafood tasting menu with Japanese & Korean influences
Refined seafood tasting menu with Japanese & Korean influences
"Hidden behind the more front-facing Bar 109, this counter-only tasting menu from chef Brian Baik—trained at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare and Sushi Noz—channels a years-long pop-up (born at his parents’ Koreatown spot Kobawoo House and later in Chinatown) into a dramatically lit back counter that feels exclusive and fun, a modern art piece for seafood nerds. The menu is the same for every person at $325 before tax, service charge, and drinks, and reservations need to be secured weeks in advance; those who aren’t into fish need not apply. A salmon roe tartlet opens the meal, followed by sashimi-style shima aji (striped jack) laid over top-notch Hokkaido uni packed in seawater with a tangy gelée for contrast. Milk bread toast arrives topped with Japanese sardine (iwashi) or aji (horse mackerel), an oily but still sweet filet over plush toasted shokupan. A hulking single slice of skipjack tuna (katsuo) sits atop al dente pesto spaghetti, its luxurious freshness on full display, and the lone beef course—Australian wagyu—is smoked slowly over coals and presented medium-rare over thickened oxtail jus tinted with fragrant shiso. Master sommelier Michael Englemann’s pairing is vibrant, featuring Alsatian Schneid Riesling from La Rogerie and a crisp, zingy Hélène Champagne from old, low-yield vines, and dessert ends simply with a single ice cream." - Matthew Kang
"After years of sold-out pop-ups, chef Brian Baik’s acclaimed restaurant opened in its permanent Melrose Hill home on October 30, serving an 11-course seafood-centric tasting menu at an intimate counter with only 10 seats tucked behind the more casual Bar 109. The oft-evolving lineup has included aji toast with horse mackerel on homemade milk bread and an ikura tartlet filled with translucent orange roe orbs, with a wine program consulted on by Master Sommelier Michael Engelmann that emphasizes bottles from small, family-owned estates." - Rebecca Roland
"An intimate, 10-seat, seafood-driven tasting counter in Melrose Hill, this permanent home for chef Brian Baik’s pop-up delivers an 11-course menu that channels his Japanese and French training alongside his Korean American roots. Expect seasonal compositions like aji toast with horse mackerel on homemade milk bread, an ikura tartlet, skipjack tuna with pesto spaghetti, and channel rockfish in a fish bone broth. A single 7 p.m. seating allows Baik and his team to greet each guest and cook every course right at the counter—there’s no separate kitchen—beneath an overhead light that spotlights the plating. The $325 experience (offered at $295 through November 15 for the opening) can be paired with Master Sommelier Michael Engelmann’s wine program focused on small, family-owned estates, with sake also available, and entry flows through Bar 109 before you’re whisked through a tall door to the counter." - Rebecca Roland
"We were big fans of Corridor 109 when it was a pop-up in 2023, and now we're even more excited for this high-end seafood spot's permanent space in East Hollywood. The chef comes from Koreatown royalty (his parents run the legendary bossam restaurantKobawoo), and after cutting his teeth at NYC fine dining establishments like Elven Madison Park, he's already opened the casualBar 109right next door to his upcoming restaurant. Once Corridor 109 opens, expect a tasting menu featuring pristine seafood with Japanese and Korean touches." - Cathy Park
"A long-awaited permanent home for Brian Baik’s seafood-driven project, this Melrose Hill standalone pairs a neighborhood-friendly bar and lounge up front with an intimate tasting counter in back; the bar opened in late July with a top-tier cocktail program from Kayla Garcia (Kumiko) and small bites like a fried fish sandwich and a wagyu hot dog, while the tasting menu will showcase Baik’s prowess with high-quality seafood, folding in flavors from his upbringing without being overtly Korean." - Rebecca Roland
