Kitchen at The Modern next the MOMA
Located next to the Museum of Modern Art aka MOMA, The Modern is one of the restaurants of acclaimed Chef Danny Meyer from Marta, or more popular...Shake Shack. What a difference between the latter and The Modern, where we had a fantastic meal! We decided to go to the formal dining room that had an exclusive view on the garden inside the museum, a room with a very high ceiling and huge windows that gave lots of light to that beautiful room. It was definitely in contrast with the more casual room that was next to the bar, dimmer and noisier.
Kitchen at The Modern next the MOMA
Dining room at The Modern next the MOMA
Formal dining room at The Modern in the MOMA
I started off by ordering a cocktail: the Wakatake, made with Japanese single malt, shoshu, matcha, lemongrass and lemon. It was an interesting cocktail, with a nice green color given by the matcha that really came through.
The Wakatake cocktail at The Modern next the MOMA
The Wakatake cocktail at The Modern next the MOMA
They then brought us bread: whole wheat for Jodi, baguette with caraway seeds for me.
Bread at The Modern next the MOMA
As an amuse, they brought a celery soup that was surprisingly very good and smooth. I admit that I was surprised as I am not a huge fan of celery. With it were small tartlets made with seasonal vegetables. Really good.
Amuse at The Modern next the MOMA
Amuse at The Modern next the MOMA
The first course was, for me, Gently seared scallops seasoned with yuzu juice and toasted pistachios. The color of the dish was superb and the scallops were perfectly cooked, nicely sautéed.
Seared scallops at The Modern next the MOMA
Jodi got the warm red pear and lettuce hearts dressed in black truffle buttermilk. The most surprising element of the dish was the black truffle buttermilk dressing that was succulent.
Warm red pear and lettuce hearts at The Modern next the MOMA
The second course was, for me, Foie gras poached in a duck broth with pickled mushrooms and celery. The foie gras was really good, deliciously fatty and buttery. They poured on top a nice duck consommé that I inhaled.
Poached foie gras at The Modern next the MOMA
Jodi got some Spring vegetables with apple chips.
Spring vegetables at The Modern next the MOMA
The third course was the best of the evening: Beef crusted in aged Comté cheese - à la royale style with beluga lentils. The tenderloin was a perfectly cooked medium rare and was so tender, it was like butter. It was definitely a good quality piece of meat. I loved the aged comté cheese crust that added a nice saltiness to the dish.
Beef crusted in aged comte at The Modern next the MOMA
For Jodi, it was Acorn squash with root vegetables, lentils and morels.
Acorn squash at The Modern next the MOMA
After this, they gave us a beautiful bite to cleanse our palate: it was a lime sorbet with coconut, nestled in mango.
Lime sorbet with coconut at The Modern next the MOMA
Last was dessert. Jodi ordered the Brioche bread pudding with crème anglaise and golden pineapple. The presentation was interesting and it was like a deconstructed dessert, delicious for sure.
Brioche bread pudding at The Modern next the MOMA
On my side, I went for the Mont Blanc, a dessert made with chestnut, a crispy cashew tuile and a vanilla-chestnut ice cream. This was sublime! Not too sweet and quite delicate.
Mont Blanc at The Modern next the MOMA
As we finished, they offered us a petit four made with salted caramel and ganache. Lucky for me, Jodi got full, so I got both...
Petit four at The Modern next the MOMA
We left full and amazed by the food we got at The Modern. I should point out the excellent service and beautiful plating of each and every dishes. The attention to each detail made this one of the best fine dining experiences we had in the city. If you want a nice meal and can afford it, I strongly recommend this place: no wonder why they got two Michelin stars!
Enjoy (I did)!
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The Modern - 9 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
