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Gemini and Happy Ice Cream (formerly Happy Gyro, formerly Komi), 17th & P Streets NW, 2013 James Beard Award Winning Chef Johnny Monis Rocks East Dupont


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No lollipops on Saturday night. I didn't ask if this was a permanent change. Anyone else notice this?

This is by no means a complaint in case anyone is wondering.

Hey, mdt, can you give some more detail about your visit? I haven't heard anything about Komi in quite awhile, and it has been *way* too long since I've been. Do you think Little Serow has affected Komi in any way? I'd love to hear about your likes and dislikes.

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Hey, mdt, can you give some more detail about your visit? I haven't heard anything about Komi in quite awhile, and it has been *way* too long since I've been. Do you think Little Serow has affected Komi in any way? I'd love to hear about your likes and dislikes.

IMO, Little Serow hasn't affected Komi in any way that I can see, at least not negatively. Dinner was excellent as always and service continues to be at the top of just about anywhere I have eaten. The mezzethakia are still seafood (and crudo) themed but vary between the plates to keep you interested as they come out. As one of our party noted the spicing and seasoning has expanded from your typical Mediterranean array to include flavors typically associated with Indian cuisine (I didn't take detailed notes). New standards for the main are a smoked beef rib and a slow cooked lamb neck that were enjoyed by all.

We do the wine pairing with dinner (half pour is available with no fuss) as they always seem to bring out some rather interesting selections that pair perfectly with the dishes. You don't necessarily get a full glass of each wine, but IIRC we had about 8 or 9 different ones.

Since I am a frequent diner here I know my experience is not typical and we see some extra dishes, but this place is clearly one of the top spots anywhere. You seriously need to get there again if it's been a long time.

Perhaps the others that dined with us will chime in with their comments.

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 As one of our party noted the spicing and seasoning has expanded from your typical Mediterranean array to include flavors typically associated with Indian cuisine (I didn't take detailed notes).

I first noticed this in 2008, so while the Indian palette may have a greater influence than before, it's definitely not new.

It must be nice to be a frequent diner at Komi! :blink:

You know, aside from being a nice guy, Johnny Monis really is something of a genius. He came from *Chef Geoff's*, for Pete's sake. I know he grew up in a restaurant family, but he didn't learn to put out food like this at La Casa, so where did all this skill come from? I'm sure this has been covered before in an article somewhere.

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No lollipops on Saturday night. I didn't ask if this was a permanent change. Anyone else notice this?

This is by no means a complaint in case anyone is wondering.

No lollipops last night, but some caramels that actually had a taste of rosewater to them even though rosewater wasn't mentioned. Honestly... rather than missing the lollipops, it made me miss the hot chocolate and doughnuts that he served once upon a time.

I'm not a *frequent* diner; I've probably only made it in 10 times over the last decade, but I'd have to say that last night was the best I've ever experienced it. The goat was fantastic as always, and yet the lamb completely outshone it. (I'm not even really fond of lamb!) Served along with the mains there was a cinnamon-spiced yogurt (berbere spices, but cinnamon was the strongest note for me), and a hummus that was made with chickpeas that had been cooked in the lamb juices. my mother in law inhaled the bread-and-butter pickles. we ended up asking for more pita... twice. In the prelude there was a Maine scallop that was so soft and buttery that it just melted on the tongue. Aji with a citrus glaze. octopus with a green and custard that I asked about and completely mentally lost 5 minutes later. a puff with salmon roe on it. the fig with mascarpone, olive oil, and salt"”just as delicious as the first one I ever had. a mint ravioli. foie gras with a sesame palmier. Lots of microgreens and edible flowers that made each presentation very pretty and also delicious.

The wine list has greatly expanded. The parents had brought two bottles to drink just because they hadn't been thrilled with the pairings the previous two years, but I think they would have been fine with a pairing this year. Friends of mine who had the next seating were quite happy with the pairing.

I think the skill just comes from his vision of what he wants to accomplish, and he's just been growing and refining that over a decade of very hard work. The very first meal I ate at Komi in 2004 was a lunchtime pizza that had been had been showered in perfect baby basil sprigs. I *still* remember that fucking pizza. And those doughnuts. It's honestly been a privilege to experience the maturation of Komi over the last 11 years.

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We went again Friday.

Johnny's and Basheer's beards are gone, lollipops are back.

The veal chops were accompanied by a new veal sausage that was deeply sublime.

Johnny always bring one of the courses, but he brought three that night -- either we're special or he was helping out more.... (Shoot, even Anne was working Komi, she usually presides over Serow.) Kyle, Bill, Basheer, and Megan were all so delightful. (And Mike-the-new-guy.)

Oh, right, the food and pairings were wonderful too!

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Had a wonderful dinner last night at Komi. Our first time back in more than 5 years, and hopefully our next time back is sooner than that.

Service was as excellent as I remembered it. Friendly, casual, but just the right amount of attentive. We probably interacted with 6 different staff members with no lack of consistency or continuity.

Bill, the sommelier, guided my wine choices very well and seemed surprised and excited when I told him I prefer Chenin Blanc, remarking no one had ever mentioned that before.

All of the dishes were terrific. There really wasn't a dud in bunch. A few that were stronger than others, but I'd be nitpicking if I were to point out flaws. Can't remember them all, but here's a good sampling.

A steamed brioche with creme fraiche and cold smoked trout roe that summoned the taste of bagels and lox.

Sashimi of horse mackerel with a garnish that I can't recall - possibly avocado and pistachio, but that may have been the next dish.

Two preparations of scallop. A quickly seared bay scallop with meyer lemon that exploded with flavor. And a thin slice of raw diver scallop which had a garnish that may have been the avocado and pistachio. This was the first real stand-out

Grilled sourdough bread with duck rillettes with pickled ramps. This one really knocked me out. At first vinegary, then sweet from the ramps, then earthiness from the rillettes. So well-rounded and balanced.

Grilled octopus. Another one of my favorites.

A super light foie gras mousse.

Mascarpone stuffed date that tasted almost chocolatey. I remember this one from our first visit.

Fava bean agnolotti with crab, uni, and garlic bread crumbs.

Cheese dumplings (Greek gnocchi) made with housemade cheese from both cow's and sheep's milks with beech mushrooms, asparagus, and almond.

Both pastas were pretty great, and it was a toss-up between which I preferred. Overall I preferred the agnolotti, but the presence of the almond as a textural element in the gnocchi was fairly revelatory for me.

And then main course. As soon as the plate hit the table, and I saw those little squares of crispy skin, I knew exactly what I was looking at before the server described it. Roast suckling pig with pita, lamb fat hummus, berbere spiced yogurt that went perfectly with the pork, and very crisp fresh bread and butter pickles. All exactly as I had hoped for.

Meyer lemon sorbet followed.

Lastly, I'm spacing on the details of the second and final dessert, but I do recall a sheet of coconut meringue that was the best part of it.

We left with oatmeal raisin lollipops and a small cardboard box personalized with "happy anniversary" that we've yet to open.

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An epic meal at Komi was enjoyed last night.  16 courses (if you include the lollipop) and not one bad dish.  The wine pairing was excellent and really a bargain at $70 (although Komi does have a good number of reasonably priced bottles on their wine menu).

A brief run-down of the courses (mostly accurate"¦I think)

Seaweed brioche, yogurt, fish roe (salmon perhaps)

Slice of crudo (forgot to write down the fish...but maybe mackerel)

Salmon crudo

Diver scallop

Grilled Octopus (best piece of octopus I've ever had)

Sweet bread with veal/truffle sausage (very nice)

Foie gras mousse, burnt apricot, dulce cream (amazing)

Natural sour dough bread topped with duck rillettes and pickled ramps (also amazing)

The classic Komi stuffed date (a bit too salty)

Crab dumplings (also amazing)

Corn agnolotti (excellent)

Main course:  Lamb neck with tamarind, suckling pig/crackling, pita, hummus, harissa, pickles.  Mind blowing good.

Corn ice cream

Chamomile gelato

Cashew honey brittle

Manhattan flavored lollipop

The food was so good we had ridiculous discussions on how it could have been better:  Did the stuffed date have 3 or 4 too many grains of course salt on it (probably yes).  Did the tough outer skin of the sungold tomato accompanying the corn ravioli make it a lesser pasta course than the crab dumpling"¦we actually debated this"¦but we were well into the wine pairing at this point!

I hadn't been to Komi in about 7 years, I thought this was the best meal I've had there.  Chef is maturing very nicely (at what, age 35?).

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I do think that Komi has cut back on the number of "substantial" courses before the pasta course. My first time after the parade of small plates concluded with the famous date, we had a lamb tongue gyro with foie gras followed by a housemade halfsmoke paired with a beer (and we weren't doing the drinks pairing). that was a few years ago, but when we went in November it was straight to pasta after the date.

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I do think that Komi has cut back on the number of "substantial" courses before the pasta course. My first time after the parade of small plates concluded with the famous date, we had a lamb tongue gyro with foie gras followed by a housemade halfsmoke paired with a beer (and we weren't doing the drinks pairing). that was a few years ago, but when we went in November it was straight to pasta after the date.

I would probably agree.  We left very comfortably full, but not wafer thin mint full.

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I'll jump on board and agree, but my story goes back even further.  The most recent time I was there was maybe 5 years ago, and the only other time I was there was about 2 years before that.

The first time (~7 years ago), my wife and I left stuffed to the gills and with a healthy buzz from the wine pairings.

The second time (~5 years ago), we left not quite full (we didn't have to stop for pizza on the way home or anything, but I could have easily eaten a few more courses) and (nearly) stone cold sober.  We did the wine pairings the second time as well, and like with the amount of food, I could have used more wine.  I wasn't looking to stumble out of there drunk off my ass or anything, but I remember sitting there with an empty glass and a plate full of food a few times.

Both meals were great, but I was much less enthused about the second visit because I felt cheated on both the food and wine.  That's probably a bit unfair, because if I only went to the second meal, I'm sure I would have loved it and no bad feelings, but I had the first meal as a bench mark.

And if I compare it to say, the Filipino tasting menu at Restaurant Eve, which was half the price and had so much food we couldn't finish out regular meal or the desserts, I feel sort of cheated again.  Again, perhaps that's an unfair comparison, but if I'm spending the kind of money Komi charges, I certainly don't want to leave wanting more food.

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I think their wine pairings have always been great. But I'm confident that the current team would not leave your glass empty if you wanted it filled.  The pairings are often interesting and the pours (and top offs) generous.  Give them another try. 

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I think their wine pairings have always been great. But I'm confident that the current team would not leave your glass empty if you wanted it filled.  The pairings are often interesting and the pours (and top offs) generous.  Give them another try.

I will, I will. And I haven't been avoiding going back because I felt cheated or anything, there are just too many places I haven't been to once yet in this town!

Your comment is interesting though and reminds me of an observation that I was going to put in my original post but didn't. During the first visit, I remember have lots of generous top offs, but on the second visit, I don't remember any. The first visit was just me and my wife, and the second time it was us and another couple. I don't know if that has anything to do with it (probably not) or if our server just missed us.

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I'm not going to add much to the accolades that the food at Komi richly deserves, but wanted to make my first post about how out of this world the service at this place is.  On the Friday of Snowpocalypse (or Snowmageddon II: The Search for More Money or whatever it's been called), my fiance and I had the bright idea of trekking over to Little Serow to grab dinner there, figuring that since we live close and no one would be in line, it'd be easy to get in.  Trick was we didn't know if it'd be open, nor did we know the phone number since Little Serow doesn't have a number.  My bright idea was to ring Komi to ask, since well...yeah.  Anne answered the phone when I called and informed me that Little Serow was indeed closed for the evening (they'd gotten my email asking about it too, but hadn't yet been able to respond), but letting me know that Komi has openings at 5:30 and 6pm if we wanted to go.  And lo and behold, we ended up with an absolutely wonderful, totally impromptu dinner during DC's biggest snowstorm in a generation.  Staff couldn't have been warmer when we arrived (they seriously started the night saying "you guys sit back, relax, and let's have some fun"), and they handled my fiance's gluten-free needs with incredible ease.  And gave us the goat shoulder as the main but with a *side* of suckling pig since we couldn't really decide which to get.  Probably didn't hurt that they got us kinda tipsy, since that wine pairing is a serious deal -- 8 generous pours for $75!?!

And as we departed with the standard lolipop to suck on during our walk home, Anne told us she'd get back in touch the next day about whether Little Serow would be open in case we wanted a double-dip.  Of course, ginning up business is what one is supposed to do, but it's still pretty incredible to get treated like kings on a random Friday night and then have the co-owner email you again the next day hoping to get us back to Little Serow (which, sadly, being fully from the night before, and broke, we didn't manage).  I've had a lot of meals in and around DC over the 12 years I've lived here, and while one might find rivals for Komi's flavors and presentations, there's not another place I've ever been to that nails the service aspect so well -- it's relaxed, warm, and feels like your best family friends are having you over for dinner.  Well, maybe one other place: a couple doors over and underground.

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1 hour ago, no1uno said:

Hmmmm, can a Komi Pot Mascarpone Date be far behind...?

"Artisanal Marijuana Crabcakes: Is This The Future Of Getting High?" by Maura Judkis on washingtonpost.com

Instead of Bernard Loiseau's "Chicken in a Pot," we can now have "Pot in a Chicken."

(I figure if we can taint this thread with such tawdry paragraphs, we can at least repay Johnny by tying him in with a Michelin 3-star legend.)

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For those reading this later in future, please note that today is the day that the Shaw Bijou closed after less than three months of operations. A common criticism is that the new chef is less than 30 years old and he had not much of a track record. 

I am interested in Komi's story. I wasn't really in the DC dining scene when Komi emerged, but I have always understood the opening crew was all under 30 and this place was just instantly adored. Looks like once did lunch here, did it start off modestly and they just gradually veered towards the high end?

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I ate there within a couple of years of when they opened, and it wasn't a tasting menu. I think there were two or three options for each course, plus they brought lots of extra little plates between courses. I remember a lot of raw fish on the extra little plates. For my main course I had insanely delicious goat that was served in a portion for two. I think that was the first time I'd ever had goat -- what an introduction. I remember the goat 10+ years later. I remember thinking it was more expensive than most places at the time but not insanely expensive. It was already hard to get a reservation. Sadly I haven't been back, although I lived a block away for 13 years and used to see Johnny Monis at CVS. :-)

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When Komi first opened, Monis and crew described it as a neighborhood restaurant, a place where people might dine once or twice a week.  The menu was all a la carte, with entrees under $20.  and yes they served lunch.

Obviously a lot has changed over the years!  But still one of the best restaurants in DC.

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52 minutes ago, DaRiv18 said:

For those reading this later in future, please note that today is the day that the Shaw Bijou closed after less than three months of operations. A common criticism is that the new chef is less than 30 years old and he had not much of a track record. 

I am interested in Komi's story. I wasn't really in the DC dining scene when Komi emerged, but I have always understood the opening crew was all under 30 and this place was just instantly adored. Looks like once did lunch here, did it start off modestly and they just gradually veered towards the high end?

Would encourage you to read the first year of posts in this thread when Komi opened in 2005.  In the early stages, Komi offered both a tasting menu and and a la carte.  Tasting menu was priced at $89. At a 2% inflation over 11 years, maybe that's $115 or $120.....not an insane $185.  But maybe the the biggest reason was that the food was actually really good and not "tepid" as respected reviewers described Shaw Bijou.  See Rocks' review from October 2005 when he called Komi one of the very best and most important restaurants in the DC area.

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13 minutes ago, jrichstar said:

Would encourage you to read the first year of posts in this thread when Komi opened in 2005.  

I saw Rocks pasted in a review he did back in 2003-2004 of the place.  It must have already been going strong when our fearless leader launched this great site!  I just wondered what the first crucial years were like and how it was received (obviously very well!). 

Tweaked's account of a once/twice-a-week dining spot seems incredible now, huh?  More like a 2 Amy's type place. Or even a Red Hen thing. Funny how things evolve. 

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1 hour ago, DaRiv18 said:

I saw Rocks pasted in a review he did back in 2003-2004 of the place.  It must have already been going strong when our fearless leader launched this great site!  I just wondered what the first crucial years were like and how it was received (obviously very well!). 

Tweaked's account of a once/twice-a-week dining spot seems incredible now, huh?  More like a 2 Amy's type place. Or even a Red Hen thing. Funny how things evolve. 

I'll write more detail as I can find it, but this was "Johnny and Sebastian (Zutant)," and they had "the second great cheese plate in the city" (after Nectar) for about $12, and Johnny's awesome hot beignets with a cup of piping hot chocolate dipping sauce as a dessert course. I distinctly remember Mark Slater saying, "I hear those kids over there are doing some good work." 

I talked up Komi to a young, greenhorn restaurant writer, who had never heard of it before - I took him there for the very first time, and I guess he must have liked it. His name? Todd Kliman. :)

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In the beginning they might not have even offered tasting menus. I remember at some point they added one that was available Thursday thru Saturday (if I remember correctly).

but it was very much in the same mold as Palena Cafe (the first incarnation).

i loved going there and grabbing a few plates for dinner. Delicious food at a very good perceived value. While Johnny and Kwame were both young, only one was offering up a good perceived value...hence only one is still cooking.

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51 minutes ago, reedm said:

We all left smiling and extremely satisfied. If anyone from Komi reads this, let me thank you again for a wonderful evening!

They'll read it today.

Bravo, Reed - Johnny Monis is a Hall of Fame chef. The thing that impresses me the most is that he has opened *one* other restaurant, next door - Little Serow, itself, one of the best restaurants in DC.

And he has fostered the team from Tail Up Goat, also one of the best restaurants in DC - funny, I happened to be there just last night. Details forthcoming, but I owe Aaron Silverman a write-up first.

The father of them all? Frank Ruta, and I can't wait to try Mirabelle.

Oh, you could also say Jean-Louis-Palladin (actualy, you could *easily* say Jean-Louis Palladin).

You could also mention Patrick O'Connell, Peter Pastan, Jeff Buben, Michel Richard, Ann Cashion, Roberto Donna, José Andrés, Cedric Maupillier, or Eric Ziebold, but I'm talking about Chefs (which means they're working in the kitchen, which leaves out Peter and Jeff), in Washington, DC (that leaves out Patrick), who have no desire to run an empire (that leaves out Michel and José), who have careers without a hiatus (that leaves out Ann and Roberto), who have long-standing, decision-making authority (that leaves out Cedric), and who were the very first of their type (that leaves out Eric).

There's your first-ballot Hall of Fame class, by the way.

I wrote this post in two minutes, so my apologies if I left out anyone, but there aren't very many at all.

I'm so glad you enjoyed Komi - and now you know why it has been ranked in Bold since day one. Thank you for such a wonderful write-up.

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Don, what I love nearly as much as the food and service is that they are all devoted to their profession. Komi has no PR campaigns and no social media presence. We chatted briefly about the lack of michelin recognition, and I sensed they completely believe in what they're doing, so the omission is of little concern.

They don't even like to discuss how the dishes are created. (I didn't catch on to this right away, much to my wife's embarrassment after I asked how the goat and lamb were prepared more than once. :-))

I admire and respect Monis, who like Silverman, treats his staff extremely well. (5 day work weeks, restaurant is closed 2 weeks per year, benefits, etc.). All of their restaurants absolutely nail hospitality.

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21 minutes ago, reedm said:

Don, what I love nearly as much as the food and service is that they are all devoted to their profession. Komi has no PR campaigns and no social media presence. We chatted briefly about the lack of michelin recognition, and I sensed they completely believe in what they're doing, so the omission is of little concern.

They don't even like to discuss how the dishes are created. (I didn't catch on to this right away, much to my wife's embarrassment after I asked how the goat and lamb were prepared more than once. :-))

I admire and respect Monis, who like Silverman, treats his staff extremely well. (5 day work weeks, restaurant is closed 2 weeks per year, benefits, etc.). All of their restaurants absolutely nail hospitality.

Yes to everything you just wrote. 

Ruta had originally "lost" the Beard Award to R.J. Cooper, but a recount showed that it was a tie. When one of his cooks raced down to tell Frank the news, he burst into the kitchen, and said, "Frank! You won! You won after all!" I don't know how much of this is apocryphal, and how much is true, but Frank, who was working the line, didn't even look up - he shrugged his shoulders, kept working, and said, "Eh."

One day, some know-nothing MBA will come up with the idea of a "Hall of Fame" for DC Chefs - I'd like people here to remember the previous post when that happens, and fight for what is right and just.

I'm willing to bet you paid a fortune for your meal, and walked out thinking that it was worth every penny.

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On 1/15/2017 at 10:28 PM, Tweaked said:

When Komi first opened, Monis and crew described it as a neighborhood restaurant, a place where people might dine once or twice a week.  The menu was all a la carte, with entrees under $20.  and yes they served lunch.

Obviously a lot has changed over the years!  But still one of the best restaurants in DC.

It was a much more casual place when it opened. I remember a bunch of us from the DC Crü wino group had a dinner here just so we could see what all of the fuss was about. Man alive the food was so good. It was amazing the place was not mobbed back then already. Been back several times over the years, but we have not been in maybe 4 or 5 years at this point. Need to fix that.

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I haven't been in years and I want to take my kids 7 & 5.  They're inordinately patient and have been to plenty of fancy restaurants.  The sticking point is - I'm not sure I'm willing to pay the full cost for each of them for the full tasting menu.  Should I ask the restaurant if the two of them can split 1 portion or is that just tacky?

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46 minutes ago, Tweaked said:

I was randomly on the Komi website and noticed this:  Effective September 7, 2017, a 20% pre-tax service fee will be applied to the final bill; no tipping necessary.

I find this odd - with the level of service I got at Komi, I definitely would never tip 20% pre-tax.  Are they risking bringing down total salaries for staff by doing this?  Or are there more really crappy tippers at a place like Komi than I would expect?

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19 minutes ago, zgast said:

I find this odd - with the level of service I got at Komi, I definitely would never tip 20% pre-tax.  Are they risking bringing down total salaries for staff by doing this?  Or are there more really crappy tippers at a place like Komi than I would expect?

I suspect what it means is that they average *less* than 20% pre-tax, and that you would be considered a generous diner. There won't be anything stopping people from slipping a $10 in the check holder, so if people wanted to leave more, I would suggest they bring cash, because they may not have a place to leave a credit card tip.

I still wish there was a way to leave line cooks, dishwashers, and AGMs a tip - they work harder than servers, and are paid less.

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5 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

I suspect what it means is that they average *less* than 20% pre-tax, and that you would be considered a generous diner. There won't be anything stopping people from slipping a $10 in the check holder, so if people wanted to leave more, I would suggest they bring cash, because they may not have a place to leave a credit card tip.

I still wish there was a way to leave line cooks, dishwashers, and AGMs a tip - they work harder than servers, and are paid less.

Well - the other thought in the back of my head is that this could actually be a way to shift some of the generous tipping to those in the back.  Not sure how pooling works at Komi (or virtually any other restaurant today).  As for not averaging 20% pre-tax, I find that mind-boggling. Maybe if I ordered a $500 bottle of wine, I wouldn't top 20% on that, but - just - wow.  One can rationalize that they can afford $150 for a meal, but not $30 to tip?  

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I once tried to tip our server at Komi some extra cash for him to pocket personally, and he refused it.  

I wonder if this is following P&P's "let us not burden you with math" at the end of a luxurious meal, for the benefit of the diner.  Also, if you are ordering a $500 bottle of wine at a restaurant, you are trying to impress somebody, so the extra benjamin just adds to your mystique.  

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8 minutes ago, DaRiv18 said:

I once tried to tip our server at Komi some extra cash for him to pocket personally, and he refused it.  

I wonder if this is following P&P's "let us not burden you with math" at the end of a luxurious meal, for the benefit of the diner.  Also, if you are ordering a $500 bottle of wine at a restaurant, you are trying to impress somebody, so the extra benjamin just adds to your mystique.  

Well - just to be clear, I wouldn't order a $500 bottle of wine. I'd much rather order 3 bottles at retail and enjoy them at home.  Check that, I'd rather order 2 cases of $20 wine and enjoy those at home.  How does one go about getting one of those expense account things?

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17 hours ago, DonRocks said:

I still wish there was a way to leave line cooks, dishwashers, and AGMs a tip - they work harder than servers, and are paid less.

A pre-tax service fee is not subject to tipping regulations, and *can* be distributed to the kitchen staff. This is partly why alinea/next went to the service fee model. I suspect that is likely influencing Komi as well. I suppose it may also result in slightly higher tips;  my suspicion is that it would be slightly lower net but guaranteed and stable and therefor better for all involved.

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Haven't been to Komi in years and would appreciate some updated info. How do the dietary restrictions/substitutions work? Something discussed while making a reservation or upon arrivalat the restaurant? Considering going for my birthday, but am also pregnant and staying away from raw/undercooked proteins, etc. Also, is there only one seating and time available per night?

Thanks!

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12 hours ago, cajcaj said:

How do the dietary restrictions/substitutions work? Something discussed while making a reservation or upon arrivalat the restaurant? Considering going for my birthday, but am also pregnant and staying away from raw/undercooked proteins, etc. Also, is there only one seating and time available per night?

It's not single-seating; they take reservations at various times.  They're always great about accommodations (we're pescatarian, and we've been with a pescatarian friend who was also pregnant at the time, further limiting her options), but definitely give them advanced notice.  (Service is so excellent that I'm sure they'd make it work at the last minute, but why not get the benefit of advanced planning for such a special meal?)  Enjoy!

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