If the food served by Concerto were to be compared to music, one should imagine a Korean born maestro leading a European symphony orchestra. Inspired by elements of Korean culture in some respects, but innately European bringing guests a truly unique dining experience.
Concerto has created a safe haven prepared to cater to your every need. The two story building features a formal dining area, bar, heated outdoor patio space, bakery and immaculate dessert bar featuring everything from macaron to tiramisu on the first floor; the second floor features an open space that can be reserved for various events. Parking is available via valet for $3.00 on premise.
Upon being seated in the formal dining area, the server brought us a basket of freshly baked focaccia served with olive oil and an entire head of roasted garlic. To start, we were served a seasonally fitting Sweet Pumpkin Salad featuring Asian style pumpkin, strawberries, mixed nuts, and organic spring mix greens dressed in balsamic and maple syrup. In many cases, this dish could have been overwhelming, but it was actually orchestrated perfectly, leaving a refreshing taste with a delicate touch of sweet.
Following our salad, the server brought out the Pepata Di Cozze. Traditionally, this antipasto features steamed mussels doused in ground black pepper served with toasted bread and lemon, however, Concerto takes this Neapolitan classic a step further by incorporating a variety of seafood including clams and shrimp, along with the mussels, in a white wine garlic sauce paired with slices of a garlic baguette.
Next up, we were served the Seafood Nasi Goreng and the Kimchi Carbonara. The Seafood Nasi Goreng is actually a dish that is of Asian origin. The dish features assorted seafood in a rice stir fry with soy sauce, tobiko (flying fish roe), onions, red onions, green onions, bell peppers, bean sprouts, cilantro, and eggs. The Kimchi Carbonara takes a spin on the traditional bacon and creamy garlic sauce recipe by giving it a kick of sautéed kimchi making it the ultimate display of Korean influence on Italian food. On a scale of 1 to 10, the spice level for this dish would earn a solid 7 so proceed with caution if you’re not the biggest fan of spicy food.
On the subject of Italian cuisine, our last dish was the Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza. As the title suggests, this pizza was embellished with prosciutto, arugula, balsamic reduction, and tomatoes on a pomodoro sauce. A slice of Italy made fresh in the heart of Korea Town.
Currently the menu boasts heavy Italian influence, but will be transitioning to incorporate a heavier variety of European influence at the hands of their new chef, Terry Kim, who has worked at Michelin Star restaurants in France and Italy and was the one who introduced the ever popular Kimchi Carbonara so stay tuned for that!