Adjacent to The Moma, The Modern is probably the most underrated two Michelin stars restaurant in the City. I do not know why. Anyway, we were looking for a place to celebrate our anniversary when we saw that they offer a unique experience that any food enthusiast would appreciate: a table in the kitchen that gives you an inside look to what happens in the kitchen. I have been to Michelin star kitchens before, from Noma in Denmark to Maison Pic in France, without forgetting Eleven Madison Park, and have always been impressed by the calm and organization of the kitchen staff, only disturbed by tickets being called, followed by a “oui” Chef shouted in unison. It is simply mesmerizing and the kitchen at The Modern is no different: organized in three sections: dining room, pastry and bar room, the 30 or so staff there were working like a well oiled machine while 30 other people where preparing the next service (we went for lunch).

The $345 menu is a suprise: they ask you for any dietary restrictions and anything you do not like, but that’s it: Executive Chef Thomas Allan and his team will decide what to serve you with some classics like their eggs on eggs on eggs or their dry aged duck, each dish being like a piece of art carefully crafted. Here is what we had:

They started by bringing us an amaretto flavored kombucha from Brooklyn to prepare our palate, as we were waiting for our drinks. We also got a mocktail for Jodi (Ko-Pilot, made with a non-alcoholic Duche de Longueville sparkling cider, Yuzu, maple and sea salt) and cocktail for me (First World, made with Mezcal, Falernum that is a Caribbean syrup, vermouth, verjus and green chartreuse, that is what made me decide to go with this cocktail, lemon and fleur de sel that was on the side of the glass). I also had, later in the meal, a nice 2022 Roger Belland Chassagne Montrachet that was a bit of a bet as I did not know what they would serve, but could not resist a pinot noir!

Amaretto flavored Kombuchar at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Ko-Pilot mocktail at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

First World cocktail at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

2022 Roger Belland Chassagne Montrachet wine at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Then started the 8 course menu that was more 10 with the add-ons…Here is what we had with, on the left, the vegetarian dishes for Jodi:

Amuse bouche:

Beets and lovage:

Hiramasa or yellow tail and elderflower:

Hiram's or yellow tail with elderflower at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Beluga lentils eggs on eggs on eggs:

Asparagus, green tomatoes, avocado ice cream and burrata:

Asparagus green tomatoes and burrata at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Endive with grilled sugar snap peas and morel mushroom broth:

Endived with sugar snap peas at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Caviar eggs on eggs on eggs:

Chilled lobster, green tomato, avocado ice cream and burrata:

Chilled lobster green tomatoes and burrata at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Sea bass with grilled English peas and mushroom broth:

Sea bass with English peas at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Agnolotti with artichoke, sorrel and black truffle from Australia, a treat from the Chef:

Agnolotti with artichoke and black truffle at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Grilled Summer squash with poached cherries and chanterelles:

Grilled Summer squash at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Confit eggplant with squash blossom and saffron:

Confit eggplant at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Dry aged duck with poached cherries and summer squash:

Dry aged duck at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

American Wagyu beef with creamy chanterelles and parmesan:

American Wagyu beef at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Frozen Almond with cucumber and passion fruit to clean our palate:

Frozen almond with cucumber and passion fruit at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Raspberry and pistachio ice cream compliment of the Chef:

Raspberry and pistachio ice cream at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Dark Chocolate tart with blueberries and sunflower:

Dark chocolate tart at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Cheesecake ice cream, strawberries, brown sugar:

Cheese cake ice cream at The Kitchen Table at The Modern

Last, they brought us some banana toffee that were the last thing I could eat after such meal. Everything was delicious, my favorite being the duck that was perfectly cooked, the skin being crispy and deliciously fatty, as well as the pasta that surprised me, not because of the truffle, but because, when I heard “artichoke”, I was not sure what to expect. Being in the kitchen you can of course expect a top notch service, but it was even better: this was true hospitality, everyone making us feel comfortable, in a setting that was not stuffy at all. I definitely recommend it if you can afford it.

Enjoy (I did)!

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The Kitchen Table at The Modern - 9 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

The Kitchen Table at The Modern in NYC

I Just Want To Eat!