Overview
Great news for food lovers over the bridge — you have a cosy new Korean eatery on your northern shores, only a stone's throw from the beach.
From Auckland hospitality stalwart Jason Kim comes Tokki, the chef's first solo venture after opening Gochu in Commercial Bay with business partners David Lee and Oliver Simon back in 2020.
For a chef trained under Clooney's Des Harris and Sid Sarawat at Sidart and Cassia, you might expect Kim to open another inner-city spot within walking distance of Gochu. But instead, he's set his sights north of the bridge, into the beachside suburb of Milford — making Tokki the perfect spot for a post-work, post-swim date night this summer. Don't worry about dressing up — Kim's interior designer brother Nick has overseen the fit-out and promises a relaxed, neighbourhood feel suited to the seaside location. You might even spot Kim in the kitchen, thanks to an open kitchen and dining layout.
Kim says the menu will lean towards seasonal, fresh and delicate modern Korean food — that means steering away from the bubbling-cheese-over-fried-chicken dishes that you might find in other Korean spots around the city. Instead, the focus is on simplicity, elegance and seasonal ingredients.
"Korean cuisine is not just strong flavours and cheap and cheerful," says Kim. "Traditional Korean is more subtle and elegant. It's about highlighting beautiful produce and the flavour and freshness of the ingredients and not messing around with it too much."
On the menu you'll find authentic dishes and techniques, including impressive hand-cut metre-long flat noodles with Korean-style XO sauce made from pork and mushrooms. Beef short ribs grilled over charcoal, crispy eggplant and pork belly also star. Many of the ingredients are made in-house including the soy sauce, soybean paste and white kimchi (made traditionally with just two ingredients — Korean cabbage and salt). And the seasonal greens including cabbage, cucumber, radish and mustard leaves are all sourced from Korean growers up the road in Silverdale.
Wash all those delicious eats down with some bevvies from an impressive drinks list curated by Kim's friend and sommelier Hiro Kawahara. Wine-wise, you'll find local and international drops including a selection of natural wines and champagnes, while beer drinkers can enjoy an ice cold Korean Jeju lager, a Sapporo or something local from Sawmill, Garage Project or McLeods.
And yes, there will be soju to finish things off — just make sure you have picked the sober driver first if you're heading back citywards over the bridge.
Tokki can be found at 87 Kitchener Road, Milford, where it's open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm. Bookings are welcome.