Joule represents the best kind of fusion cooking. It cleverly combines French and Korean staples and techniques, and chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi know when to let one cuisine hold court (shrimp and edamame dumplings or simple, nostril-searing kimchi); when to let an unexpected ingredient create a subtle crossover (spicy beef soup with daikon, leeks and crème fraiche, or duck breast with daikon soubise); and when to let things get weird (the incredible mochi with oxtail and soy-cured egg yolk). Out of the current crop of “inventive” chefs, this husband-and-wife team is perhaps the most consistent and inspiring.

If you sit at the counter that encircles the partially open kitchen, you can see some of this chemistry in action—Yang and Chirchi actually do most of the cooking. Otherwise, the small space is simple but graceful—canary yellow and brown walls and candles flickering on dark wood. The tables are close together so Joule is alternately romantic and casual/loud as it fills up and thins out.

It’s worth following Joule’s Facebook or Twitter (@joulerestaurant) feeds for news of special events like Sunday night globetrotting barbecue menus.