Latest news with #Atomix
Metro
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
The ‘best' restaurant in the US is officially coming to London
If a trip to New York isn't on the cards any time soon, but you've always wanted to eat at one of Manhattan's top restaurants, you're in luck. The 'best' restaurant in the city (and the entire country, for that matter) is going to be heading across the pond to pop up here very soon. Atomix, is a Korean restaurant by Chef Junghyun Park and Ellia Park, with two Michelin stars and a menu that combines experimental cooking with fine-dining flair. It's currently positioned at number 12 in the the World's 50 Best Restaurants list, which is the highest ranking of any American spot. For one day only, foodies in the UK will be able to try the food as Atomix teams up with KOL, a modern Mexican-British fusion restaurant in London's Marylebone. KOL, which has its own Michelin Star, is going to be hosting two seatings of an eight-course menu collaboration between Junghyun and Santiago Lastra on August 19. One seating will take place between midday and 4pm during lunch service, while the other is from 17:45 to midnight. Expect to see sweet shrimp and chilli oil on the menu, a langoustine taco, as well as KOL classics like the lamb koki mole. There will also be a bespoke drinks pairing, using Lost Explorer mezcals. Tickets will cost £250 per person and they'll be released via the KOL newsletter, with priority access given to subscribers from 4pm on July 27. Speaking about the event, KOL posted online: 'On Tuesday 19 August, we are honoured to welcome Chef Junghyun Park of New York's Atomix for a one-day-only collaboration. 'A pioneer in contemporary Korean cuisine, Atomix marries innovation with tradition, guided by principles of philosophy and design.' Online, Google reviews for Atomix are just as positive, with people saying the food is 'on another level', 'impeccable' and 'magnificent'. Chris Roberts gave five stars, saying: 'This was one of the best meals of my life. After eating at other highly rated Michelin star restaurants, I believe this is one of the best restaurants in the world and deserves a third star. 'What made this restaurant stand apart was how the chef was able to tie Korean culture to his dishes and create a meaningful experience for guests.' More Trending Chris went on to hail Chef Junghyun a 'culinary genius' who makes 'one-of-a-kind' dishes. And Oanh agreed, writing: 'We had an amazing meal at Atomix. The Asian-inspired flavours with a modern twist were on point and every dish was beautifully put together. The paired drinks and cocktails complemented the food perfectly.' View More » However, not everyone was a fan with some admitting they 'didn't understand the hype' and were 'undewhelmed' proving, as always, that taste is subjective and just because a restaurant is touted as 'the best' it won't always be for everyone. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Trump's three word reaction to newly-resurfaced photos of him and Epstein MORE: 'A bus driver killed my daughter but I still blame myself because of one decision' MORE: BrewDog closing 10 bars across the UK, including flagship location – full list Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Time Out
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
‘America's best restaurant' is coming to London for an exclusive pop-up
Atomix, the New York-based experimental Korean restaurant, is coming to London for one night only. Ranked at number 12 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list – the highest placement for any north American eatery in the ranking – Atomix will be teaming up with Marylebone's Kol (which currently sits at 49 in the list) for two seatings of an eight-course menu on August 19. It will cost £250 per person. Manhattan's two Michelin star Atomix is run by Ellia and Junghyun Park, and it's Seoul-born chef Junghyun who will be joining Kol's Santiago Lastra in the kitchen for the special menu. Atomix was praised as the 'ultimate gastronomic manifestation of the K-wave phenomenon' and 'Korean dining at its very finest' with 'dishes grounded in heritage, but distinct and innovative,' by the World's 50 Best organisers. Earlier this year it was revealed that manager Ellia and Junghyun Park will be opening their first London restaurant in Mayfair in 2026. Named 'Kiji', the Korean BBQ restaurant will reportedly 'take diners on an unmatched culinary journey'. Atomix – which is the follow up to Ellia and Junghyun Park's first Manhattan restaurant Atoboy – serves a 10 course tasting menu and offers 'new Korean cuisine'. The restaurant says: 'Ato, stemming from the ancient Korean word for 'gift', is the innovative cuisine that husband and wife team – chef Junghyun and manager Ellia Park – hope to deliver to the world using New York City as their stage. 'Atomix, a follow-up to their well-loved firstborn Atoboy, is a place where guests can really dive deep into chef Park's cuisine through a tasting menu that is inspired by Korean traditions and technique.'
Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
From Madurai to New York: Meet Semma's chef Vijay Kumar, whose authentic Tamil cuisine is turning heads worldwide
It's not every day that a South Indian restaurant tops The New York Times annual list of New York City's 100 best restaurants, beating the likes of Atomix and Le Bernardin. But Semma, a cozy Tamil restaurant in NYC's Greenwich Village, has done that. The brainchild of Madurai-born chef Vijay Kumar, Semma – a Tamil slang term meaning 'fantastic' – clinched the No. 1 spot in 2025, just four years after its debut in 2021. Semma was on No. 7 on the same list last year. In a world where Indian cuisine is finally receiving its long-overdue global recognition, Semma's rise feels personal and symbolic. 'It's an incredible honour, especially for a restaurant honouring food from the villages of South India,' said Vijay, 44, in an exclusive interview with 'But it's also validation that our cuisine, in its truest form, belongs on the world stage.' Growing up on a farm near Madurai, Vijay learned to cook by watching and helping his mother and grandmother in the kitchen. After culinary school and stints at Indian hotels and cruise ships, he moved to the United States, where he led kitchens at Dosa and Rasa in California. In 2021, he relocated to New York to open Semma. His mission was clear: to serve regional, heritage dishes rarely seen on restaurant menus. Some of these are eral thokku, nathai pirattal, and thinai khichdi. 'The nathai pirattal is something you won't find anywhere else. It's a true village dish, one I grew up eating,' he said. His New York move came with a partnership with restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and chef Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Foods. 'They asked me one simple thing: to cook the food that lives in your bones. That became Semma, a place to celebrate the bold, soulful dishes I grew up eating, without watering anything down,' said Vijay. That philosophy paid off. In addition to Semma's recent top ranking, he won the prestigious 2025 James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State, often dubbed the 'Oscars of the food world'. A champion of hyper-local and seasonal ingredients, Vijay said he is driven by what's deeply tied to the land and the people. 'I want to explore more native ingredients that haven't had their moment yet, and find ways to bring them to the global table,' he said. What's making Indian chefs and restaurateurs succeed and take risks on the world stage? According to Chef Vijay, it's the refusal to dilute or compromise: 'Nothing is adjusted to 'play it safe'. It's bold, rooted, and deeply personal.' 'For a long time, Indian chefs felt pressure to soften or simplify our food to fit expectations,' he said. 'Now, we're cooking loudly and with pride. The innovation comes from looking inward, at our own traditions, and presenting them unapologetically.' What's next for Semma? Vijay is clear: 'To keep digging deeper into regional recipes, forgotten techniques, and the stories behind them. And to keep evolving without losing what makes Semma special—honest South Indian food, cooked with heart.' Jayashree Narayanan writes on fitness, health, aviation safety, food, culture and everything lifestyle. She is an alumnus of AJKMCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia and Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi ... Read More
Bloomberg
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Why There Isn't a Best Chef in the World
In victory, top chefs are much like the classiest of professional tennis players: self-deprecatory, admiring of their rivals, grateful to their teachers. Two weeks ago, just after his restaurant Maido was proclaimed No. 1 among the 50 Best Restaurants in the World at a ceremony in Turin, Italy, Mitsuharu Tsumura told me, 'There is competition, but when you finish, you shake hands, you have a beer.' Unlike tennis and other sports, though, the world of haute cuisine doesn't really have a universally recognized ranking system like the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women's Tennis Association. For those who point to the Michelin Guide, I will politely say the French tire company provides ratings not rankings. The 50 Best franchise certainly provides a glitzy showcase for some of the finest eating establishments in the world, but it's incomprehensive. The list has lots of Latin American representation, like Maido in Peru, but sparse North American luminaries. (One of my favorites, Atomix in New York City, placed 12th this year, dropping six spots; the next US restaurant isn't even in the top 50: Single Thread in Healdsburg, California, at 80.)
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Travel + Leisure
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
This Restaurant in Lima, Peru, Was Just Named the Best in the World
The 2025 edition of The World's 50 Best Restaurants unfolded in Turin, Italy, on June 19. Maido, the Lima institution where Peruvian and Japanese traditions meet, claimed this year's top spot. Asador Etxebarri in Spain, which is all about fire and fermentation, held steady at No. 2. Mexico City's Quintonil landed at No. 3, further proof that Latin America now sits confidently at the center of the global culinary map. North America, by contrast, made a quieter statement, but not an insignificant one. Atomix in New York City, the intimate tasting counter helmed by chef Junghyun 'JP' Park and his wife, partner and hospitality director Ellia Park, slipped from No. 8 to No. 12. SingleThread, the elegant farm-restaurant-inn in Healdsburg, California, led by husband-wife duo Kyle and Katina Connaughton, dropped from the main list to No. 80 in the extended 51-100 ranking. I spoke with JP and Ellia Park earlier this week at the James Beard Awards in Chicago, where they had just won for Outstanding Hospitality. 'We're not just plating food,' JP told me before flying to Italy. 'We're trying to offer a place where guests can truly feel present, maybe even feel seen.' Atomix's rise from No. 33 in 2023 to the top 10 last year marked a turning point for Korean fine dining in America. But its real triumph lies in how it frames hospitality as a cultural act—one where the tasting menu becomes a vessel for storytelling, tradition, and connection. Out west in Sonoma County, I visited SingleThread's 70-acre farm in Dry Creek Valley, where Kyle, the chef, and Katina, the head farmer, are building something far larger than a restaurant. 'We're part of an ecosystem,' Katina said as we walked between rows of young greens and flowering herbs. 'Our goal is regeneration, not just of the soil, but of the way we think about food.' Their inn, perched above the dining room, serves the most quietly extraordinary breakfast I've ever had: house-milled grains, just-laid eggs, persimmons still warm from the tree. While SingleThread is no longer in the top 50, its impact has only deepened, shifting the focus from accolades to ethos. William Drew, managing director of the 50 Best portfolio, echoed that sentiment. 'It's not just about which countries are ranking,' he told me. 'It's about what values are showing up on the plate—sustainability, indigenous ingredients, and a deep respect for culinary heritage.' The interior of Quintonil in Mexico City. With more than 1,100 anonymous voters around the globe, the list is always evolving. This year, that evolution is also geographic. For the first time, North America will receive its own dedicated ranking. North America's 50 Best Restaurants will debut this September in Las Vegas. The list, compiled by a new academy of 300 regional experts from the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, will reframe the continent's culinary narrative, spotlighting restaurants well beyond the coastal strongholds of New York and San Francisco. The live countdown will take place inside the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on September 25. The Ganjang Gejang from Atomix in NYC. The launch coincides with Revelry, Wynn Las Vegas's immersive food and drink festival, which has evolved into a global culinary summit. The programming reads like a love letter to craftsmanship: tastings, talks, hands-on workshops, and a constellation of collaborative dinners. Atomix will team up with Casa Playa, where chef Sarah Thompson was a 2025 James Beard finalist, for a dinner that traces flavors through Korea and Mexico's Yucatán. SingleThread will unite with chef Jeff Ramsey at Mizumi for an afternoon exploring Japanese gastronomy through a Northern California lens. 'It's not just about a dinner,' JP Park said. 'It's about learning from one another, creating something ephemeral and meaningful.' Beyond the headline dinners, the week will include: The Feast, a multi-cuisine tasting experience, anchored by chefs from coastal Greece to Texas's 6666 Ranch; and the All-Star Chefs Dinner, hosted by Christopher Lee and featuring names like Spoon & Stable's Gavin Kaysen and Le B.'s Angie Mar. For those hungry for more, the Connoisseur Series offers everything from a whiskey tasting with Mahesh Patel to a burger-and-bubbles masterclass with Dominique Crenn. While Maido and Quintonil may currently dominate the top slots in The World's 50 Best Restaurants, it's clear North America is moving in its own direction—one marked less by dominance than by depth.
