This is a hard review to write, I have to admit.
Having participated in a magical evening at Ko a lifetime ago (2009), we decided that we needed to return now that Ko had moved to swankier digs. That meal loomed high in the lore of our lifetime best meals catalogue of stories: moments of real whimsy, fantastical preparations, daring combinations and most of all, giggle inducing fun on a plate. It was sensational.
Alas, the thrill is gone. Sure, the food still uses some amazing top quality ingredients and technique: there are dishes that surprise, there are dishes that sing. But it is all very, very safe. Maybe it is just that other restaurants have now hitched their stars to that same wagon of creativity, a little on the side of mischief just enough to thrill the diner, but if I'm going to spend hard earned food dollars and and an ever rarer night out without my kids, I want magic. It was in short supply at Ko this time around.
The wines by the glass and the cocktails, both is meager supply, were very good, I just wish they offered more choices (the 75+ page wine list was ostentatious in comparison). The pours were also incredibly ungenerous, and at $17-$35 a glass, diners deserved more than a 3/4 glass pour. I also scoffed at the ridiculous price for the wine pairings...no one when we were there, it seemed, went that route. I hope the management will take notice and pull it back from the stratospheric range.
Sadly, Ko no longer looms as large for us as it did before. I used to recommend Ko as that rare experience where you can't imagine the sleight of hand required to pull together an enticing combination of flavors, but there was little here to wonder at any longer. The cat is out of the bag and they just aren't trying hard enough to get it back. Judging by recent reviews of other Chang restaurants, perhaps that magic can only be spread so thin before it disappears altogether.