Some have an especially intimate feel. At Brutø, for example, the meal is served at an eighteen-seat counter surrounding the open kitchen. Its current eleven-course menu from new executive chef Byron Gomez is priced at $160 per person, with the option to add beverage pairings. At the newly opened Ukiyo, chef Phraseuth "Paul" Sananikone is serving an eighteen-course omakase menu at a twelve-seat counter for $175 per person, before beverages — and those can add up quickly.
Part of the appeal of spots like these is the chance to watch the action in the kitchen and even engage with the culinary team during the meal. But it's also a big splurge for most diners, one you pay for in advance.
Chef Johnny Curiel makes magic on hot plates at Alma Fonda Fina.
Shawn Campbell
The same goes for Alma Fonda Fina, which was opened by chef Johnny Curiel in December at 2556 15th Street. The eight-seat chef's counter here can even be booked for happy hour, which is available Monday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. The team uses that time as a kind of testing ground for new recipes, so you never quite know what to expect. There's no range in this tiny kitchen, which only makes it more interesting to watch the techniques the crew is using.
Hop Alley, chef/owner Tommy Lee's high-energy Chinese hot spot in RiNo, has a new à la carte chef's counter. After expanding the space last year, he's now using a six-seat counter in the back dining room to offer a totally separate experience.
"This is really to let the team have more freedom to play with things that aren't necessarily Chinese," Lee says. Heading up the new venture is executive chef Geoff Cox and sous chefs Sean May and Josh Sanford, as well as sommelier Jacob Roadhouse. Seats are available Thursday through Saturday and can be booked online — just be sure to choose "chef's counter."
You can't order from the regular Hop Alley menu at these seats. Instead, the night's offerings are handwritten in a notebook that sits at each place setting — a kind of culinary journal where dinners can flip back to find a previous favorite or just browse to see how dishes and ideas have evolved. Guests are welcome to order the entire menu, but they can also choose their own adventure.
On a recent visit, we were greeted with some starter bites that weren't listed — an egg custard, some slices of marinated cucumbers and fried sweetbreads. Then we dug into shareable dishes such as dry-aged kampachi with thinly sliced lardo and caviar ($22); a hefty piece of chicken-fried swordfish with tonnato, capers and wasabi that we all joked should come on a bun as an homage to a McFish ($35); char sui wild boar loin ($47); and a dessert that was brand-new that day: a generous portion of seared foie gras on a slice of housemade milk bread with fig spread that was completely worth the splurge for $45.
From the moment we sat down, it was obvious that this staff is excited to play with new ideas and flavors. Everyone working is ready to chat about the dishes, answer any questions and offer recommendations.
As a result, this is the kind of experience that leaves you hungry for more. Not just more food, but more connection, conviviality and culinary surprises.
