Ok so I admit I was confused when I walked in and saw a Korean chef. But this guy is solid. Trained in Italy and used to cook for the Pope (or his staff maybe?), allegedly, in his summer retreat (not the Vatican). He spoke fluent Italian and was very proud of his Italian training as a chef.
The dishes were all made with the utmost care and there is indeed a sublime quality to his cooking that stands up to my need to eat at Angolino (which is presently shut down for renovations at the time of this writing). It didn't disappoint. I'm not sure which is better and I might have to do a blind taste taste of 5 or so dishes before I could truly say, but it's close enough to at last be a real close second, at worst.
There is a richness and purpose to his flavours and he comes across as a bit of a mad scientist (in all the good ways) and he's a fun and sympathetic character who will talk both of your ears off if you let him. Great guy, great food and he really takes pride in what he does. This is cooking with love.
I give 5 stars because there's no 4.5 option and if I had to round, I'd feel bad rounding down. Yelp should allow half star ratings to get clearer averages imho. Get your isht together already, Yelp!