Mari NYC

Last year, Guinness World Records officially declared Monday as the worst day of the week. Ouch!

I can’t say it’s hard to understand why, but I do think it’s unfair. Every day is what you make of it! That’s why, after a wonderful weekend date in New York City, I decided to make Monday a good day instead of letting it dampen my fun – and the perfect way to do that was to grab dinner at Mari with my best friend, Marissa Beckham.

The Overview

• Mari  marinyc.com
• Hell’s Kitchen; New York, New York
  • Hours: Sunday – Thursday 5:00pm-9:30pm, Friday & Saturday 5:00pm-10:00pm
  • Price: $$$/$$$$$ [Moderately Expensive]
  • Reservation Difficulty: Easy, Breezy!
  • Dress Code: Casual
  • Scene: Low-key Everyman
  • Perfect For: A chill date night, catching up with friends

There is no shortage of great restaurants in New York City but, having collected almost all the Michelin stars in D.C. (Pineapple & Pearls will be my last two to claim!!), I am now setting out to complete my NYC star collection. Mari is one of the few Michelin-awarded restaurants in New York City that is open on Monday, and also one that was missing from both mine and Marissa‘s collection. Game, set!

The restaurant holds court nightly at its sushi counter in a relatively nondescript location on 9th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen. The $135 tasting menu (now $185) allows for an omakase experience at a fairly accessible pricepoint; additionally, the generous seating created by using a square layout for the sushi counter fosters a decidedly democratic feel.

This must have been an intentional decision, considering the fact that Chef Sungchul Shim‘s culinary pedigree is of a more exclusive restaurant set consisting of Le Bernardin, Per Se, and Morimoto. But I found his communal approach at Mari to be so refreshing! While I love the luxe, hyper-personal feel of a small chef’s counter with all the pomp and circumstance that comes with it – at Sushi Nakazawa, for example, the staff hums about in hushed tones and diners mostly keep to themselves- the atmosphere here at Mari was sociable and the service was breezy. Over the 2 hours we sat at the counter for dinner, the staff engaged in playful banter with Marissa and I; by the end of the night, we were even carrying on casual conversation with our neighboring diners.

In keeping with its unfussy approach to omakase, Mari requires few decisions to be made. There are no formalized seating ceremonies, so reservation times were available throughout the night. The restaurant offers a 12 course dinner with only a couple of supplements on offer each night. We opted to add a caviar course and a wagyu truffle finish on the A5 wagyu. The wine pairing, priced at a modest $105, consisted of an incredible array of wines, champagne, and even a Korean soju.

While the service approach is more easy going than most omakase counters, the attention to detail remains. The first course was an eclectic selection of amuse-bouche, presented on a wooden tray. The hostess explained to us that this was an interpretation of the Korean “han sang” dinner tradition – a table full of food. A couple of the items on the table were nods to Chef Sungchul Shim‘s first restaurant, Kochi.

Afterwards, dinner was fully underway. Mari predominantly features Korean hand rolls: layers of fresh seafood and meat, vegetables, and perfectly prepared rice sandwiched within a seaweed wrap. Each course is so beautifully prepared and it was all as delicious as it looked!

Among my favorites were the truffle A5 wagyu roll and the tuna belly. A few jokes were made about the mushroom course – it looked like it had come straight out of HBO’s The Last of Us!

The finishing courses were guksu, a traditional Korean noodle soup, and a palate cleanser dessert consisting of a rice puff and a cold, cinnamon soup. The finale was a super fun ice cream sandwich!

I thoroughly enjoyed collecting this one Michelin star in NYC and I now look forward to visiting Kochi, Chef Sungchul Chim‘s first restaurant, sometime in the future. Mari made for a fantastic meal to start the week!

P.S. – here’s my tip for making any day better: spend it with someone amazing! I’m always available to perk up your Monday – or any day – in New York City or anywhere in the world as your exclusive VIP travel companion. Let’s make a date!