RESTAURANT REVIEW Great Appetizers and Outstanding Entrees
KO Prime’s Dishes Are Easy to Look at, Easy to Enjoy
Eric D. Schmiedl—The Tech
KO Prime
90 Tremont St., Boston, Mass. 02108
(617) 772-0202
The moment you walk in the door of KO Prime, the well-acclaimed steakhouse near the Park Street T stop, you feel trendy, surrounded by a funky chocolate and red decor complemented by faux cow skin chairs and zebra-striped pillows. KO Prime feels more like a modern lounge than a restaurant, and indeed, the spacious dining room is adjoined by a classy bar and couches. While fun and upbeat describe the atmosphere itself, the food is nothing less than elegant.
My date and I were greeted by the friendly manager, who frequently stopped by all of the guests’ tables during the evening. He made everyone feel welcome, and our waitress was very personable. Looking at the menu, I was immediately enticed by the exotic choices, complemented of course with the more standard steakhouse fare. KO Prime not only has a Caesar salad with grilled croutons ($9), but they also offer a bone marrow appetizer with a blood orange salad and a touch of beef tongue marmalade ($13). I wanted a surprise, so I chose the bone marrow and my date selected the duet of foie gras and poached Forelle pear ($19). Both dishes were a delicate balance of meat with a hint of sweetness from the oranges and pears. Visually, they were as impressive as they were delicious. Certainly, I will be back to KO Prime very soon if only to sample more from the creative appetizer menu.
The entrees were just as gorgeous, and the proportions were generous enough that a single meal could have fed two. I ordered the braised rabbit with morels in fresh pappardelle (a jumbo version of fettucine) surrounded by fava beans ($28) with a side helping of jumbo green asparagus coated in a tangy hollandaise ($9). The rabbit was tender and succulent, but beware, the pappardelle does dominate the dish. My date purchased the 26-ounce T-Bone steak ($44), one of the several steak specialties on the menu. The flavor-packed steak was neither under- nor over-cooked and had a perfect juicy taste to it. Not only that, but the steak itself was so chic, surrounded by petite pink petals, that I wasn’t sure whether to enjoy the view out of the massive windows overlooking Tremont Street or to marvel at such a beautiful steak. If there’s an art KO Prime has mastered, it’s the art of crafting a scrumptious and equally visually-pleasing steak.
Finally, for dessert we chose a chocolate mint torte and a lavender creme brulee ($9). While these did not stand up to the beauty and taste of the appetizers and entrees, they were still quite good. That said, if you’re watching your pocketbook, I’d recommend trying one of the sweeter appetizers rather than the desserts.
The restaurant had a classy and modern atmosphere and served up food that looked as good as it tasted. So come to KO Prime like we did for a tasty dinner right near the Boston Common, or maybe try something different and stop by for breakfast, a late-night snack, or all you can eat wild boar chili ($5) from 5–7 p.m. every night! Don’t miss one of the most extraordinary appetizer menus in the Boston area.