There are many restaurants in the Montclair area, but ones that incorporate unique flavors and innovative dishes always catch our attention. Bloom is a French-Korean-inspired restaurant, which has been a top-rated spot in Verona since 2019. Located at 648 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloom’s Chef Woo creates special dishes bringing his South Korean heritage and his French Culinary Institute education to the kitchen to create unique dishes for Essex County locals. Read on to learn all about Bloom in Verona.
(Photo credit: @bloomverona)
About the Owners
Chef Woo and Chef Joann own this unique restaurant. They met while studying at the French Culinary Institute (FCI) in New York City, and opened Bloom in 2019. Chef Woo originates from South Korea, where his passion for cooking started while learning from his mother.
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When he came to the US, he had the opportunity to be executive chef at Prime and Beyond in Fort Lee, NJ. Since going to FCI, he’s landed jobs at some of the best spots in New York City – including French restaurants Daniel and Jean-Georges as well as the now-closed Morimoto, a world-renowned sushi restaurant.
Chef Woo’s Korean background combined with his French training has allowed him to bring dishes to the table that are totally different from the norm.
The Vibes
(Photo credit: @bloomverona)
Bloom is bright and fun on the inside. The small dining room makes for an intimate and cozy dining experience. The walls are lined with posters of purple flowers on one side and decorative plates on the other. The restaurant has a chic storefront set up with a vibrant interior that catches the eye.
The furniture and decor suit the eclectic vibe of the inside. The white walls and tables are accented with wood chairs as well as pops of yellow, green, and purple throughout. There’s also a small bar area where guests can enjoy a meal or a variety of the “Bloom Beverages” or seasonal drinks. Bloom captures the quaint atmosphere of a French eatery with a quirky twist of a Korean-style place.
The Bloom Menu
(Photo credit: @bloomverona)
Although the menu at Bloom may be on the shorter side, it’s quite impactful. Most of the handcrafted dishes have a unique French-Korean twist to them.
(Photo credit: @bloomverona)
As for the brunch menu, it offers soups, salads, specials, sandwiches, and shareables. The classic breakfast portion includes simple plates like French toast, eggs Benedict, and waffles with nuts and berries, while the specials and sandwiches include more unique choices like gochujang octopus with crispy potatoes and gochujang aioli.
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If your preferences are more on the simple side, there’s also a bulgogi ciabatta bowl, Korean fritters with poached egg and hollandaise, and cured salmon toast with honey lemon ricotta.
(Photo credit: @bloomverona)
The dinner selections include a variety of delicious appetizers and entrees. There are organic crispy chicken wings that can be prepared with salt and pepper, soy garlic or sweet and spicy style, rock shrimp with gochujang and wasabi aioli, and more selective dishes like bone marrow, escargot, and grilled Spanish octopus for starters.
(Photo credit: @bloomverona)
The main courses cover every corner, ranging from Korean glass noodles to short ribs, sautéed scallops, and pork belly. There’s the mushroom risotto for a meatless option and classic Korean dishes like bulgogi with kimchi fried rice.
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A dinner dish that catches the eye is the bouillabaisse; consisting of monkfish, clams, mussels, and shrimp in a kimchi saffron broth. Bloom additionally has a wild salmon dinner entree as well as the one on the appetizer menu.
The Bloom beverages are a departure from the ordinary, with a list of fun refreshing drinks good for any occasion. There are juice-based ones like pomegranate lemonade, pink grapefruit, and peach fresh, along with earl grey Yuzu, davante iced milk coffee, and iced walnut coffee for the coffee and tea lovers.
(Photo credit: @bloomverona)
Brunch runs from 10:30AM to 2:30PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Dinner is available from 4:30PM – 9PM Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 4:30PM-8PM on Sundays.
Keep up with Bloom on Instagram @bloomverona, or visit any day but Monday for a fun French-Korean meal.
