Eleven Madison Park and a meal of a lifetime

Capping off my experience of living and working for 6 months in New York City with a dinner for one at one of the world’s best restaurants.

Eleven Madison Park needs no introduction. It is one of New York City’s best and most expensive restaurants, boasting an impressive 3 Michelin Stars and the ranking of the World’s Third Best Restaurant 2016 and the Best Restaurant in North America 2016, amongst numerous other awards and accolades the restaurant has managed to rake in.

I actually knew of the restaurant not through all those awards and publicity, but rather from a very thoughtful gift my friends gave me on my birthday in 2016. They gave me the Eleven Madison Park Cookbook which boasts not only the cutting edge recipes from the restaurant, but also the logistics and schedules of how both Chef Daniel Humm and his business partner Will Guidara organises and runs the restaurant.

Just after the New Years, I was just casually checking restaurant reviews and came across a glowing review of Eleven Madison Park by the New York Times. Curious, I took a look at their website and checked their reservations page and to my surprise, they had a reservation open for 1 person for my last week in New York City. At first the cost of the meal was definitely a huge barrier in my decision to book a table at the restaurant. Knowing that in all probability I would not be able to drag someone else to spend north of 300 USD on a meal, I have to get the limited number of single reservations the restaurant had availably then. After much research, consultation with friends (and my bank balance) and much much dithering, I decided to pull the plunge and booked a reservation for my last Monday in New York. As you have to prepay for the tasting menu, I was beset with a mix of both excitement and guilt after entering my credit card details and sealing my fate with the restaurant.

Two months passed by before I finally found myself in front of the revolving doors of the restaurant one balmy Monday evening. I was nervous for some reason. A part of me was a bit scared that the experience will not match up to my expectations and another part of me was beyond giddy with the chance to finally eat at one of the world’s best restaurants. So with a little spring on my step, I took a deep breath and pushed the shining metal bars to let myself into the high ceilinged and art deco space which housed the restaurant.

A man greeted me immediately and out of habit, I just blurted out the details of my reservation. Later I found out, it was hardly necessary, as right after I finished saying my name, the first thing he said was “Really great to have you here and thank you for choosing us to spend one of your last evenings in New York! How did you feel about the city?”. They have asked in the reservation form if there are any special occasion to the reservation and I did mention about my leaving New York that week, but to have someone greeted you right away knowing that was rather surprising and a tad overwhelming for me. I made small talk, explaining that Iam here for work and that I will be back in London by the end of the week, as I was taking off my coat. He then wished me a very good dinner and evening before allowing another lady to whisk me away to my table.

The table was neat and classically decorated. They sat me towards the end of the room with a view facing the rest of the restaurant. Perfect view to people watch and just to soak in the atmosphere of the restaurant. Another staff then immediately greeted me, asking again about my experiences in New York and my feelings about leaving the city. It was at this point that I felt the service was just outstanding. They really did make me feel welcomed in the restaurant and I felt that I could engage in a real conversation with the staff. Dining alone can also be a bit daunting, when at times I do feel a bit self-conscious, but there was nothing in their manner of service which made me uncomfortable or the least bit self conscious about being alone.

With that brilliant introduction and the production of a cocktail list, they left me alone with my first bite of the night. Wrapped in a box with strings was their take of the New York Black and White cookie. Instead of the sweet cookie it was inspired from, they have made it savoury by incorporating Cheddar in the cookie and a smooth but delicate apple cream. I took a bite and my first reaction was to immediately thought of Kaasstengels, a savoury cheese cookie that is very popular in Indonesia. The cookie was crunchy and bursting with the savoury flavour of the cheddar, but the delicate apple cream brought a hint of sweetness that complimented the cookie well. I was still smiling at the thought of tasting Kaasstengels in Eleven Madison Park as they cleared the box and I promptly ordered my cocktail then.

For the cocktail I ordered the Montauk, a gin based Negroni like cocktail. The cocktail was delicious, with the strong gin coming to the forefront based with the bittersweet aromatic flavours of the various vermouths they used in the cocktail and highlighted by the slight brightness of the citrus oil. Solid start to the dinner.

Next came a series of hors d’ouvres served in hexagonal wooden boxes. Each dish was made only in small bites and meant to give me a taste of the flavours that I would further encounter during the meal.

The first one I tried was the Celery Root with Black Truffle. This one tasted really delicate; the celery root had a tinge of that bitter vegetal taste to it but inside it was filled sour tasting cream which marries well the strong taste of the Black Truffle covering the dish in small beautiful circles. It made for a delicious and earthy bite.

The next one I tried was the Rutabaga with Celery and Walnuts. The dish was served in a small metal spoon containing just a mouthful. I tried half and was immediately compelled to put the rest of it in my mouth. The Rutabaga or Swede was pureed into such a soft consistency and inside there were small morsels of sweet walnuts and celery. It was delicious to have the rather earthy and slightly bitter taste of the Rutabaga highlighted with the burst of sweetness from the walnuts. There was also a tang to the bite, which I am not sure where it came from, but it definitely brightened up the palate.

Next I tried the Salsify with Garlic and Thyme which was served as a piece of salsify topped with finely grated garlic and some fried thyme leaves. I have had salsify before in the Austrian restaurant Steirereck and loved it, but it was served as braised salsify and in crisps form then. This one the texture leaned towards braised salsify but the slight tang was then joined with the slightly pungent sweetness of the garlic and bursts of flavour from the thyme. I really enjoyed the two mouthfuls I had of the dish.

I saved the best for last, as when the waiter served the hors d’ouvres, he said that he usually prefers to have the Parsnip Pie last. The Parsnip Pie was served on a bed of hot rocks to keep it warm. So after finishing the three other dishes, I lifted the tart shell gingerly with my hands, still warm to the touch, and took a bite. When I bit into it, the tart the shell crunched like no other tart shell has ever crunched for me before. It was simply the best tart shell I have ever encountered, and maybe will ever encounter. The shell was buttery and sweet, crunchy, but very smooth as it dissolved in my mouth. The cream inside was sweet, with that unmistakable parsnip sweetness I love and it was topped with grated smoked apple. Later that evening, when a couple beside me was having their hors d’ouvres, the waitress asked them which one was their favourite, to which they immediately said the tart. The waitress smiled and told them it usually is everyone’s favourite and that tart shall though... and she didn't even finish her sentence. I couldn’t agree more.

My next course was the caviar course. When it came, the look of the dish was very whimsical and I was told that it was a play of the classic Eggs Benedict. The dish was assembled from Smoked Sturgeon, Diced Ham, Pickled Egg Yolk and dehydrated Hollandaise sauce, before being topped with cream and served with an assortment of mini English Muffins. The caviar reminded me a lot of Ikura, but more savoury and complex. The pickled egg yolk inside was such a delightful surprise, as while I was digging with the small mother-of-pearl spoon they gave me, yellow viscous liquid oozed out which revealed itself to be the egg yolk. The English Muffins were served warm, fluffy and with a crunchy exterior having came out straight from the oven. Such a complex and brilliant play of the classic Eggs Benedict.

After the caviar, I had a choice of starters between Kohlrabi, Scallops and Foie Gras. I opted for the Foie Gras to be a little indulgent. They then asked if I preferred it warm or cold, and I opted for cold as I have tried seared Foie Gras before. The Foie Gras came covered in a shell made out of dried vegetables and served with a mushroom and Black Truffle sauce. The Foie Gras was so soft and airy, like it was whipped with cream first. It was marinated with Black Truffle and I could taste the earthy delicious flavour of the truffle marrying together with the sweet richness of the Foie Gras. It was the best rendition of Foie Gras that I have ever tasted. It never felt overwhelmingly rich as it was grounded by the earthiness of the truffles and mushrooms.

As a side, they served a warm brioche roll with homemade butter topped with dehydrated cheese. The roll was served warm, wrapped in baking paper and had a texture akin to a pastry in between a croissant and a brioche roll. The homemade butter was sweet with a tang of saltiness from the dehydrated cheese.

It was at this point that a woman came up to my table and introduced herself as the Maitre d'. She told me she knew that I wanted to see the kitchen from my email reservation and asked if I would like to see it now. I was beyond excited. I thought that it was a long shot asking to see the kitchen in my reservation, but they actually managed to make it happen. She narrated the ideas behind the kitchen arrangement as we walked passed the opening at the side of the room and into the sparkling clean kitchen awash with white lights from above. She then directed me to a small table where one of the chefs whipped up a small warm cocktail made out of Sumac flower and warm apple cider, as she was explaining to me the ideas behind the restaurant and the kitchen.

On the walls there were pictures of Miles Davis, the American Jazz Trumpeter, all around the kitchen. The Maitre d’ explained that he is one of Eleven Madison Park’s greatest source of inspiration. On one of the walls there was a list of 11 words which were used to describe Miles Davis, which are now the words that the restaurant live by. Discussing the history of the restaurant, I took a sip of the warm cocktail and it was delicious. Sweet from the caramelised sugar burnt in front of us as we were talking and tangy from the dried Sumac flower.

After I finished my cocktail, the Maitre d’ politely asked if I would like her to escort me back. A part of me wanted to say no and ask if I could just have the rest of my dinner there in the kitchen watching all the magic happening right in front of my eyes, but alas common sense prevailed and I followed her back out from the bright lights in the kitchen to the softly lit dining room.

Comfortably seated back on my chair, I was then presented with the next course which was the lobster. The chef prepared it table side while explaining to me the cooking process of the lobster tail. He noticed that I had been to the kitchen just a few minutes ago and asked how I have enjoyed my evening so far. Stopping myself from spewing torrents of positive superlatives, I just told him that it had been very memorable. He smiled and proceeded to show me a fresh piece of lobster tail on a bed of seaweed placed in a copper pan. He then said that they would steam the lobster with seawater and clams, to get that rich sweetness out whilst retaining the freshness of the sea in the lobster meat.

After steaming the lobster, they then took it back to the kitchen for it to be plated and assembled with the other components of the dish. When it returned, gone were the copper pans and seaweed, and what I had before me was a succulent piece of perfectly cooked lobster tail with lobster Bouillabaisse, served with potato and fennel puree. The lobster was beautiful, the flesh still tender and not overcooked at all. It was sweet, salty and really had that taste of the sea. The Bouillabasse was like delicious liquid lobster caramel, coating each morsel of lobster tail with even more lobster-iness. The potato and fennel puree was light, smooth and had a little tang from the fennel, which balanced the sweet and savoury flavours from the lobster and the Bouillabasse perfectly.

It was after this point the staff noticed that I had finished my cocktail and asked if I would like to see the wine list. After browsing the tome they called a wine list, I settled on a half bottle of red Gigondas Domaine du Gour de Chaule, Cuvée Tradition 2011, in anticipation of the main course.

The next course was the Delicata Squash, roasted with Bone Marrow and Pumpkin Seeds. This was one of my favourite dishes of the night. The Squash was just brilliant. It was sweet with the strong savoury and rich flavours of the bone marrow complementing it perfectly. The sunflower seeds gave a crunch and bitterness that was just genius. I really enjoyed the addition of the sunflower seeds and thought that the whole dish came together like nothing that I have ever tasted before.

I waited for a bit for my main to come after the squash. I didn’t mind the wait, as I had my glass of wine with me and the dining room was just such a beautiful place to people watch and eavesdrop on conversations. I also got to observe teasers of what was to come next when the different tables were being served their respective courses and also to relive some of the dishes I just had by watching other guests trying the same dish that I had before and seeing their reactions to those dishes. One act was always a big hit, which was the way the Sommelier melted the stem of wine bottles instead of uncorking them. They delivered the performance with such pomp and circumstance which was always met with sheer delight from the customers. I asked the Maitre d’ where they came up with it and apparently it was a traditional technique from Portugal to open old vintage of Ports which may have corks that are no longer in a good condition. So rather than risk soiling the wine with crumbling cork, they instead melt the stem of the bottle with a pair of heated thongs to serve the wine. Though it’s not needed for most bottles these days, it was still brilliant showmanship on the part of Eleven Madison Park.

After a good 20 minutes of people watching, the staff announced the arrival of my main course which was the roast duck. On the plate they brought in, there was a perfectly cooked piece of duck breast with citrus duck jus to accompany it. For sides they served roasted Brussel Sprouts flavoured with Blood Sausage, and Lemon and Parsnip with Juniper. The roast duck was glazed with a Honey Lavender Glaze and Sichuan Peppers.

Taking my knife and cutting into the meat, I could hear the crackle of the skin. Taking a bite, I was immediately floored. It was the best duck that I have ever tasted. The skin was just brilliant, crunchy and perfectly caramelised, aromatic with the hint of lavender, but also tingly and bright from the Sichuan Peppers. This went amazingly with the perfectly cooked meat below it and the citrus duck jus. The sides were brilliant, with the Brussel Sprouts being bitter and tender, and the Parsnip a wonderful mix of sweet and sour notes. I think I will be dreaming of that duck for many nights to come. It was just that good.

After that mind blowing act of a main course, they cleared my plate and told me that my cheese course was coming. When the cheese course came, I was a bit confused as it came in a rounded fried dough look and was served with green salad. They then explained that it was called the Cato Corner Hooligan, a fondue with cheese sourced from Connecticut wrapped in baked potato, fried and served with black truffle mustard and a side of green salad with vinaigrette also with a hint of black truffle. Safe to say it was delicious. The cheese was tangy, salty and melty which worked well with the soft baked potato. What really surprised me was how well it worked with green salad and the vinaigrette. The contrasting flavours and textures married surprisingly well. Definitely not what I was expecting when it was introduced as a cheese course.

For dessert I had a few options to choose from, a cheesecake, sorbet or a baked Alaska. Having seen the flaming baked Alaskas prepared table side, I could not say no to it and opted for the baked Alaska. They then brought out the meringue covered dessert and proceeded to lit a small container of rum, pouring the flame on top of the baked Alaska and setting it completely on fire. It was such a fun sight to watch. While setting the dessert on fire, they also gave me a history lesson on the dessert and said that the most common claim about the name "Baked Alaska" is that it was coined at Delmonico's, a restaurant in New York City, by its chef de cuisine Charles Ranhofer in 1867 to honour the acquisition by the United States of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 10 that year. Nobody knows it that’s true, but it sure made for an interesting story nonetheless.

It was then she asked if I would like to just have as much as I want of the whole thing or would I prefer it if the kitchen would carve it for me. Knowing that I do not have that much self control by then, I sheepishly asked for the kitchen to carve it instead. When the carved dessert came in a small bowl, it tasted heavenly. The meringue had that bitter smokiness where it was burnt and also the strong bitter rum flavour coating it. The ice cream inside was delicious and served with the best crumbles I have ever had. It was such a delightful dessert.

I was getting really stuffed by then but there was still one last part of the meal which was the chocolate course. For this they brought in 4 bars of milk chocolate, made out of different milks; from cow, sheep, goat and buffalo. They then presented me with a pencil and a card and asked me to match the chocolate with the milk of origin. I spent a bit of time on it, taking bites of the chocolates, changing my mind multiple times before settling on what I thought was the right answer. In the end, when they presented me with the answer, I found that I only got one right. It was rather disappointing, especially as someone seated next to me got it all correct and got a tacky ribbon to show it off. I on the other hand had to unfortunately leave the dinner ribbon-less.

And finally, the final bite for the night was a simple chocolate pretzel, brilliantly done and served with a bottle of apple brandy specially made and distilled for Eleven Madison Park from Upstate New York. The Pretzel was accented with sea salt and was delicious. The Brandy was also amazing and reminded me a lot of the pear liquor I once bought from Austria. It was so good that I had quite a few glasses of the Brandy as they did leave it on the table and told me to just have as much as I liked.

Getting quite tipsy, I stopped myself and got the check for the drinks. Once that was settled, the Maitre d’ came by again with a white paper bag. Inside was homemade granolas in a custom jar, a gift from the restaurant to bring back and a white envelope containing the personalised menu that I had that evening. I was beyond happy by then to have something to bring back and to really remember the experience by. So finishing my last glass of apple brandy, I stood up and went off to get my coat amidst the thank yous, smiles and goodbyes from the staff. The person who greeted me as I came in earlier was there and said that he hoped I had a brilliant evening. He also asked my plans for my last few days in New York before wishing me all the best and a very pleasant last week in New York.

Donning my coat, I thought the whole experience felt very surreal. I didn’t really want it to end and as I crossed Broadway walking towards home, my mind kept coming back to the dishes I had, reliving the flavours and textures in my head and smiling to myself when I remembered a detail I particularly liked. It was just such a brilliant experience, truly a meal of a lifetime. Everything from the food to the last detail of the service was perfect. I thought that it was such a brilliant end to my 6 months in New York, months that were filled with a myriad of culinary and, to a certain extent, self discovery.

As I walked home that night I did not know how this meal would impact me later on. I have written before about how my meal in Nougatine served as an inspiration for me to pursue further creativity in my own cooking, but the experience at Eleven Madison Park was just rather overwhelming that I think it will take me some time to be able to synthesise the experience into hopefully something that I can go back to, to inspire and improve my own cooking.

So for friends,who might be invited for dinner in the future, do not be surprised if I serve roasted squash with bone marrow jus in our next supper club.

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