Atomix has never been cheap. When it opened in 2018, dinner cost $175. But, at a time when the NYC fine dining scene had a strong French accent, their heavily reinterpreted Korean-ish food—doenjang brown butter, wagyu with slivers of sea cucumber—felt unique and exciting.

It still does. But, thanks in large part to the prolific Hand Hospitality—which Atomix split from in 2024—the landscape has changed, and so has the price.

The restaurant continues to serve a 10-course tasting in the bottom of a Nomad townhouse, but now it ranges from $395 to $450, or slightly more than Per Se, Aska, and Eleven Madison Park. In terms of service and over-the-top setting, those three restaurants have a slight leg up, and that’s something to keep in mind if your objective is being pampered. At Atomix, you’re paying for the food.

photo credit: Kate Previte

photo credit: Kate Previte

video credit: Bryan Kim

Every dish you receive at the intimate 14-seat counter is precise and intricately layered, like distant memories abstractly reconstructed. Korean raw marinated crab is remixed as a concentrated pie, and crisp fried whiting is served over lacto-fermented plum gel, alongside implausibly sweet tomatoes. Even the little starter bites, like a crispy seaweed shell bearing sea urchin and a translucent quail egg, have compelling things to say.

The food tastes even better once you hear the backstory. Before each course, you’ll receive a card with a little essay walking you through the dish. Turns out, that subtly sweet zucchini, paired with pungent king crab, is a callback to the chef’s first cooking class during summer break at 13 years old. This time around, it’s sliced into an accordion that soaks in a lotus tea dashi with honey, lemon, and fish sauce. The accompanying note describing its "quiet elegance" and "symphony of textures and flavors" rings true.

photo credit: Kate Previte

photo credit: Kate Previte

This storytelling is unparalleled in NYC fine dining. But if we’re being nitpicky, the cards—not the servers—do most of the talking. It feels a little impersonal. On top of that, seatings can seem a bit rushed, and wine glasses can take a while to be filled.

Even with the hiccups in service and current abundance of Korean-inspired fine dining (including sister restaurant Naro), no one does it better. Jua is great for the money, Joo Ok has its moments, and Meju is refreshingly unpretentious—but this modern classic is laser-focused on walking you through thoughts and memories outside of your own. It’s impossible to prove any meal is worth $400. Right now, Atomix comes the closest.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Kate Previte

Ganjang Quail Egg

The tasting starts slow, with a few small bites to ease you in. Here, an exceedingly crisp fried seaweed shell acts as a vessel for sea urchin and a marinated quail egg with a concentrated soy flavor. Nothing too experimental, but seamlessly satisfying.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Ganjang Gejang

This is Atomix’s play on Korean raw marinated crab. The de-shelled crab is mixed with seaweed seasoned rice, accented with what is essentially a pudding of creamy crab head sauce, and topped with a disc of gelee embedded with firm bits of flying fish roe. There’s a lot going on, and you should eat slowly. It’s gratifyingly rich.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Aehobak

The famous zucchini. Well, not quite famous—but it should be. It’s delicate and soft, but manages to maintain a light crunch, with just a hint of sweetness. The white lotus tea dashi adds an earthy element, and the king crab sneaks up with a big oceanic finish.

video credit: Bryan Kim

Golden Eye Snapper, Maesaengi, Abalone

A custardy egg jjim topped with grassy chili leaf oil and the most perfectly sweet and bouncy abalone. Our only note: the snapper is great, but entirely unnecessary. There's enough to love without it.