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Lost in Translation: Six by Nico’s "Seoul" Menu Left Me Feeling Soulless

My recent trip to Six by Nico for their newly launched "Seoul" theme was a heartbreaking disaster. If you haven't heard of the concept, Six by Nico is a Glasgow-born powerhouse that rotates its six-course tasting menu every six weeks. It’s meant to be accessible fine dining, but this time, the only thing "fine" was the exit door.

The decor is chic and modern, fitting the Colmore Row vibe perfectly. However, the service was agonizingly slow. We spent over two hours on a weekday lunch—longer than some ten-course Michelin meals I've had—watching other tables arrive after us and finish before we even saw our dessert.
The "Seoul" Food Breakdown

It’s a brave move for a European kitchen to tackle Korean street food, but nearly every dish had a major technical flaw:
Godmother of Korean Cuisine: Chef Cho Hee-sook

Pork belly:

A decent optionally snacks, pork is relatively tender but a bit under seasoned but overall a decent one.

Cho Yoonsun’s Hand Cut Noodles: 

The pork dumpling skin was incredibly thick and doughy, hiding a pork filling that was dry and tough. The "crispy wheat noodles" on the side tasted cheap and added nothing.

Cho Yoonsun’s Hand Cut Noodles
Chicken consume is rich in flavour but does't match well with the dumpling

Bibimbap: This was a tragedy：

The rice was unevenly cooked—crunchy and underdone in some bites—and the slow-cooked truffled egg yolk couldn't save the lack of overall seasoning.
Six by Nico Bibimbap
Terrible Bibimbap

Mung Bean Pancake: 

Completely tasteless. The texture was "meh" at best, lacking the signature crispy exterior you find in Gwangjang Market.
Six by Nico Bindaetteok Mung Bean Pancake
Honestly it is tasteless

Black pollok:

Luckily the main is a decent dish, fish is nicely cook and the muscle and clam taste fresh, the spicy sauce did pair well with the seafood and fish.
Six bu Nico Black Pollok
the only decent dish of the meal

Prawn Toast: 

A total oil-slick. The shrimp paste was flavourless, and the bread was so soggy and greasy it was hard to swallow.
Six by Nico’s Prawn Toast
Another optional dish which taste very basic

KFC (Korean Fried Chicken): 

I thought this was a fail-proof dish, but I was wrong. The chicken was soggy, underseasoned, and served lukewarm. There was zero "Seoul" soul in the barbecue sauce.

Six by Nicos Korean Fried Chicken
Soggy, dry, under seasoned fried chicken, the real KFC is better 

Doughnuts & Matcha: 

A final disaster. The white chocolate shell was so thick it was a workout to crack, and it was sweet enough to cause instant toothache. Worse, the "matcha" had no actual tea flavour—it just looked like a weird, artificial green paint.
Six by Nicos Doughnuts & Matcha
Very artificial green , more like a mint green and it is incredibly thick
I felt like I wasted £49 on cheap ingredients and poor execution. I believe they will do a better job in European cuisine. This was my first visit, and honestly, it will likely be my last.

Verdict: A massive disappointment. Cheap ingredients and poor cooking turned an exciting concept into a soggy, underseasoned waste of money.

Rating
Food: 2/5 - Major technical flaws; from undercooked rice to oily bread, the quality was non-existent.
Service: 2/5 - Friendly staff, but the pacing was glacial and inconsistent.
Decor: 4/5 - The only saving grace; a beautiful, modern space.
Value: 2/5 - At £49 for poor-quality ingredients and bad execution, it's a "never again" from me.
Overall: 2/5 - Some themes just shouldn't be "simplified" this much.

Estimated cost per person: £49.00 (plus drinks/service)

Restaurant Info:
Six by Nico Birmingham
Address: 81 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2BA
Labels:
Location: Birmingham, UK

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