\u201cSono is really a reflection of my life. It\u2019s 30 percent Korean, 70 percent Italian, which is honestly just who I am,\u201d says chef Chef Sechul Yang, an alum of Gramercy Tavern and Oiji Mi. Yang grew up in Korea, and spent most of his career cooking in Italian kitchens. \u201cAt some point, I stopped seeing those two parts of myself as separate. This isn\u2019t fusion for the sake of it. I\u2019m not trying to mimic Italian culture, and I\u2019m not trying to follow Korean culture. This is about putting out a concept that represents who I am and what I have learned over the years,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
![\"Outside](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/75383e12928ff5dd2403710a848244f5.jpeg\"\/)
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Outside Sono on First Avenue<\/p>\n
SonoDining at Sono<\/p>\n
Sono was created as a trattoria, an informal, comfortable restaurant to linger in. The menu follows traditional Italian framework: antipasti, primi, secondi, contorni, plus dessert, of course.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe two cuisines are more connected than people expect. Both come from peninsula cultures with coastlines that shaped their cooking, so seafood runs deep in both traditions,\u201d says Yang. \u201cBoth are built around handmade noodles, fermented flavors, alliums, and the ritual of sharing many dishes at once around a table. Banchan and antipasti are not so different in spirit. Kimchi and Italian pickled vegetables are cousins. The umami of doenjang and aged Parmigiano come from the same instinct, patience, fermentation, and depth.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the menu, Yang points to spaghetti alla chitarra as one of the dishes that exemplifies his concept. \u201cI realized that Italian bottarga pasta has a mirror in Korean cooking: al-bap, which is rice with nori and different fish roes, and a saut\u00e9ed zucchini side with cured shrimp,\u201d he says. Yang\u2019s pasta dish is made with saffron and yellow zucchini pur\u00e9e, finished with Korean zucchini, myeongran (pollock roe), nori, and bottarga. \u201cYou get that cured, umami depth without it being too fishy, and the roe adds this little pop of texture and sweetness. It just works.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Oxtail fettuccine at Sono<\/p>\n
Sono<\/p>\n
For meat eaters, the oxtail fettuccine merges cacio e pepe with Korean oxbone soup, and the vongole is a take on Italian clam linguine pushed through the lens of Korean kal guksu, an anchovy-potato-onion broth. <\/p>\n
For dessert, the black sesame tiramisu adds a new element to a familiar dish. \u201cStrange but satisfying, which is kind of the whole point,\u201d Yang says. A chef\u2019s tasting menu for $150 serves two and leaves guests in Yang\u2019s hands. Ala carte ordering is also available.<\/p>\n
![\"Octopus\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4509dbb43dabeb42d537c38272aa8da5.jpeg\"\/)
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Octopus at Sono in the East Village<\/p>\n
Sono<\/p>\n
\u201cI want people to come in curious. I want them to think, I\u2019ve never had Korean-Italian cuisine before, what does this even look like? And then I want the food to answer that question in a way that feels familiar and surprising at the same time,\u201d says Yang. <\/p>\n
Pricing is also really important for him. \u201cEating out has gotten so expensive, and that\u2019s not good for anyone, not for diners, not for restaurants,\u201d he says. \u201cI kept the menu under $50 for mains because I genuinely want Sono to be a place people can come back to, not just a special occasion. Hospitality has to mean something. I learned that from Danny Meyer, from my years at Gramercy Tavern \u2014 it\u2019s about taking care of people.\u201d<\/p>\n