Dishes at the newly opened Somssi in Manhattan's West Village

Somssi

A new cozy dinner spot has opened in the West Village, melding Asian and European ingredients and techniques on a multicultural, shareable menu.

Somssi is the debut restaurant from Ahris Kim, a Manhattan restaurant veteran as an operator with NA:EUN Hospitality’s Atoboy, Atomix, and NARO. Located at 79 MacDougal St. in Greenwich Village, Sommsi is named after the Korean word 솜씨 (somssi), which means skills honed over time through instinct and experience. Chef Junghyun “JP” Park and Ellia Park of NA:EUN Hospitality partnered with Kim for to create her vision that blends tradition with personal experience, in a very distinct New York way, matching history with trends and passion.

“One of the biggest challenges in opening Somssi was resisting the pressure to fit it neatly into a category,” says Kim. “The food is certainly informed by my experience growing up Korean American, but it’s equally shaped by the restaurants, wines, travels, and people that have influenced me and our team throughout our collective career…In a city where concepts are often built around a specific cuisine or trend, we're comfortable living in the gray area. That freedom allows Somssi to feel uniquely our own.”

Rather than opening a Korean restaurant, Kim focused on creating a place that felt personal. “The menu moves freely between influences, the room is intentionally intimate, and hospitality sits at the center of everything we do,” says Kim. “We want guests to feel like they’ve been invited to a dinner party hosted by a close friend or an extended family, one where the food is thoughtful, the wine is delicious, and nobody is trying too hard to define the experience.”

The menu is inspired by Kim and her team’s memories. Her mother is one of seven sisters, and Kim grew up at family gatherings with each aunts showcasing their unique somssi. “Some expressed it through cooking, others through gardening, sewing, hosting, or simply making everyone feel welcome,” Kim says. “That spirit became the foundation of Somssi. Rather than recreating specific Korean dishes, we tried to capture the feeling behind them: generosity, comfort, and the idea that food is often the language through which we show love.”

Following that ethos, Chef JP and the team drew from a wide range of culinary influences to create a menu that feels familiar, nostalgic, and distinctly New York all at once.

Every dish at Somssi is designed for sharing, including a tuna crudo dressed in anchovy soy with freshly crushed peas and goat cheese, and a fennel and mustard frills salad with tangy buttermilk dressing, ricotta salata and fried capers. The Potato Potato Potato features a a creamy pomme purée, dusted with potato starch, wrapped with potato strings and topped with caviar, uniting playful indulgence and comfort in each bite. Mains include linguine with kimchi ragu (a twist on New York’s red sauce joints) and the Somssi mutton chop, rooted in the tradition of a classic chophouse preparation seasoned a Chinese cumin crust.

To drink, a wine program overseen by sommelier Jenny Eagleton plus cocktails by head bartender Christian Gray. Guests can sit in the intimate front dining room, at the bar, or in the more lively, back of the 50-seat restaurant decked out in neutrals, dark greens and vintage paintings along with antique details.

“Guests have told us the experience feels warm, personal, and familiar, which is exactly what we hoped for," says Kim. “People may describe the food differently, as some call it Korean, some call it a bistro, some call it something else entirely, but what has been remarkably consistent is their connection to the hospitality."

Somssi is open Tuesday - Thursday from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., Friday - Saturday from 5 - 9:30PM. Reservations are available via Resy.