Sometimes the best things in life present itself when you don’t follow a plan. You don’t choose the experience, it chooses you. When those opportunities present itself, you can decide to go along for the ride, or opt out and continue life in an ignorant bliss, not knowing the amazing opportunity that you have just foregone. Well, apparently since I’d already said to hell with plans on New Years Eve this year, I might as well break my new years resolution a second time within a week span. Woke up early, changed my flight, and enjoyed every extra minute that I had to spend in New York City. As a result of another spontaneous decision, I stumbled upon what is not my favorite restaurant in New York City.
Eleven Madison Park
This restaurant can do absolutely no wrong. From service, to ambiance, to food, everything was spot on. Understated modern simplicity, with a touch of elegance. Let’s start with the food. We’ll let the photos tell the story.
Menu. Simple and straight forward, it states only the main ingredient presented on each dish. You choose one item from each column, and leave the rest up to the chef.
Amuse 1: Gougere
Cheese battered profiteroles. Not something that I was unfamiliar with from making it at work on a weekly basis. Great way to start a meal with cheesy goodness.
Amuse 2: Chicken Veloute with Chive Oil
They first bring you a teacup with a small amount of chive oil on the bottom, which leaves you wondering how this dish is consumed. Then teapots arrive at your side, and steaming chicken veloute is poured into the cup, with the scent of thick, creamy chicken broth tingling your senses. The scent alone, guaranteed a flavour that would not disappoint.
Amuse 3: Chicken Liver Mousse on Brioche
This bite sized mousse, perfectly spread on brioche, was light, flavourful, and just enough to leave your palate craving more.
Amuse 4: Smoked Sturgeon Sabayon
Light and foamy egg filled a perfectly topped eggshell, the scent of smoked fish emulating from it. Who can say no to smoky goodness, fluffy goodness.
At this point, you wonder if you’ll still have room for the meal by the time they actually start serving you the dishes that you ordered. But who doesn’t like freebies, especially when they are presented so tastefully and with such elegance? And then came… the bread.
Fresh out of the oven, the bread is indescribable with it’s light flaky crust, and fluffy interior. Almost resembling a croissant, but not quite as buttery. It came with a pairing of goats butter and cows butter, along with Maldon salt.
First Course
Crab:
Rolled in avocado, lightly glazed, micro greens and edible flowers.
Scallop:
Ceviche and salad, lightly dressed in olive oil and lemon.
Foie Gras:
Terrine w/ black truffle paste, purple carrots and brioche tuilles.
Second Course
Lobster:
Sherry butter poached lobster tail w/ mixed mushrooms and sherry sabayon. Absolutely most perfectly cooked lobster I’ve ever tasted. Border lining rare and cooked.
Chestnut:
Fontina Val D’aosta tortelli w/ chestnut puree.
Turbot: Poached w/ celery and truffles in tapioca celery nage.
Third Course
Squab:
Breast and leg, roasted beets, bitter chocolate and squab jus.
Veal:
Roasted with porcini mushrooms celery, served w/ boudin blanc and veal jus.
Guinea fowl:
Beast and leg, seared foie gras, salsafy and suckle berry.
Now, before we could get around to dessert, the Maitre De had put together an amazing surprise for us. I’ve been on numerous kitchen tours before, but definitely nothing like this.
Kitchen table set up in the corner, white linens and polished silver spoons, waiting for us. We had no idea what to expect.
As we stood there taking it all in, liquid nitrogen was poured into a bowl with apple compote.
Then pomegranate foam was dipped into a bucket of liquid nitrogen.
This resulted in an apple brandy, liquid nitrogen pomegranate foam cocktail. Quite unexpected and jaw dropping to have a kitchen table set up for you for cocktail service in a 3 Michelin star rated restaurant.
We were then instructed to take the spoons and crack open the frozen foam and enjoy bites of that with the apple compote brandy in the bottom of the glass. Speechless.
We couldn’t help but also notice the spotlessly clean kitchen, where everyone seemed to be smiling, laid back and not the least bit stressed.
Back at the table (and more freebies), we were served the Eleven Madison Park version of egg cream with orange syrup, cocoa nib, citrus olive oil and topped with soda water.
Deconstructed cheesecake
Triple Crème:
An assortment of cheeses that they bring to you table side as a whole prior to bringing you your cheese plate.
Quince:
Quince sorbet, poached quince, quince puree and nuts.
Chestnut:
Chestnut sorbet, puree, meringue and grapes.
And because none of us had ordered the chocolate dessert, they sent out 2 differing plates of chocolate desserts, complements of the kitchen.
Last but not least, came the (excuse my choice in vocabulary for describing this next item) orgasmic black and white truffles. Not the least bit close to what I expected, this white truffle literally made my eyes roll to the back of my head. An explosion of cool, liquid white chocolate infused with black (mushroom) truffle. Imagine that! Need I say more?
Whether you’re looking for a restaurant with great ambiance, service, inspiring plating and food, or value for money, Eleven Madison Park is the place to go. It is definitely more than just a meal. It’s an experience that’s worth every penny.
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