Miss Kō, an Asian fusion restaurant in Paris boasts an interior by Philippe Starck. Located in the heart of Paris, Miss Kō is not just a restaurant - it’s a really an original place where street food, cocktails, art, and music meet to create a unique culinary experience. Inside Miss Kō it’s the future; a place where cultures collide, fantasy rules and nothing is what it seems.
During my recent visit to Paris, Miss Ko was one of the places on my list to try. I have always admired Phillipe Starck’s work and in this project he seems to have channeled his limitless creativity into this restaurant, creating a place where art has no barriers and dinners are surrounded by endless technology.
The details I liked:
- Colors all over the place. Inside, bar and outside. Green and purple tables outside… while the inside, you are seated on relaxing plastic chairs, brown or blue cushion, with fur backs
- The menus are chic, made of glazed satin
- A unique feature at Miss Kō’s is a 26m long table running the length of the restaurant entirely made from digital screens, each playing news channels from all over Asia.
- The restaurant’s name and identity are based around the character of Miss Kō: a young, sexy but eternally mysterious symbol of Asian, and the embodiment of its traditions and its strangeness. Miss Kō shows us her ‘yakuza’, a full body suit tattoo: a sign in some Asian cultures of ties to the underworld.
- The artwork at Miss Kō. Very intricate and beautiful tattoos created by Horikitsune, the only European to have trained as an apprentice in the traditional Japanese art of Irezumi.
- If you look closely at the logo type, you will find that the name is made of 9 grains of rice; the staple of all Asian cuisine and each of the 9 grains represents one of the Asian countries which inspired the creation of the Miss Kō menu.
Everything until now is simply breathtaking but it cannot be complete unless the food is superb. You expect a lot from such a place where millions have been spent to transform it into a piece of art.
- Entrees (14 choices)
- Sushi Party (5 choices)
- Sushi Rock N’ Rolls (10 choices)
- Tartares (2 choices)
- Salades (3 choices)
- Bo Bun (2 choices)
- Pad Thai
- Riz Saute
- Plats (11 choices)
- Side Orders
- Boissons
We ordered… The Food:
- Full Moon Gyozas: (Boeuf Bourgignon, spiced wine port and soy reduction)
Beautifully presented, these five pieces are nice to look at. Goldish and toasted, all you have to do is dip them in soy sauce and enjoy their rich filling. I personally found them too crunchy and unpleasant to chew. The side wine and soy sauce mix adds the missing flavor needed. Overall, I was expecting better.
- Sakura Rose: (Rouleau de printemps Tataki de Saumon mi-fume, concombre, creme mascarpone-yuzu, basilic thai, sauce teriyaki-kosho)
Yummy. These I really enjoyed. A generous mix of special salmon, a hint of cheese and fresh vegetables all wrapped in a vegetable spring roll. Colours of summer in four enjoyable pieces. I recommend you try them.
- Sir Saint Tori: (Croustillant de poulet au shiso, boursin, avocat, tomates confites, sauce mirin)
Too complicated for my taste. Chicken, cheese and vegetables. Adding to that garlic sauce and some soy sauce on top of grilled onions. Ouf! I couldn’t eat more than one piece.
- Bimbimbap Burger: (Steak de boeuf, pickles de legumes, piment coreen, oeuf au plat, pain au curry, tempura de haricots verts)
The image is breathtaking letting your imagination go beyond reality. The idea behind this burger is indeed unique. Curry bread and vegetables sliced pickles, with this fresh egg, all accompanying a nicely cooked meat make this burger a culinary piece of art. As for the taste, a spark is missing. I wanted to be enchanted but I wasn’t. The medium-well done meat is not juicy.
- Nicoise Salad Extreme: (Tataki de thon, legumes craquants aux saveurs d’Asie, oeuf poche, vinaigrette shiro goma)
Big and generous, this salad would have been a hundred times tastier if they use better quality lettuce. Iceberg or Lollo Verde would have been appreciated much more. Premium ingredients, diminished by a fade sauce and cheap lettuce that are the main ingredient after all. Again, this salad didn’t make me feel a spark.
The little things I enjoyed:
- The first impression is intriguing: a colorful nude woman printed on the high curtains
- Welcoming hostesses
- Upside down umbrellas fill the ceiling
- Beautiful pieces of art work make this place memorable
- Candles were lit as soon as we sat down
- Kitchen utensils are hung adding charm to the place
- Asian writings here and there and on the backs of the chairs
- Lanterns hung from the ceilings in various shapes and colors – like the Asian tea pot
The minus: The food should be better
An awesome decoration, tasty cocktails, professional waiters, an ingenious concept, an artistic presentation are not enough if the food is not perfect… and sadly it isn’t. You expect something out of this world that never comes. For everything I say: “Two thumbs up”. For the food I say: “You still have some work to do in the kitchen.”
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Anthony's Restaurant Rating: 82/100 X
Welcoming: 9/10 Menu Choices: 9/10 Food Presentation: 9/10
Food Temperature: 8/10 Food Taste: 13/20 Service: 8/10
Ambiance/Music: 9/10 Architecture/Interior: 9/10 Air Quality: 8/10
Total: 82/100
More about: Miss Ko
More about: Miss Ko
