Dining at the best restaurant in the world
Eleven Madison Park
New York City
Voted #1 in the best restaurant in the world list in 2017. I booked 2 months in advance, I think that’s when the date was available, we prepaid $685 USD for two which is around $950 AUD. The most I’ve ever spent for a lunch but this was super special! I had a friend dine here before and my expectations were pretty high but they went above and beyond.
Black and White cookie with cheddar and apple, the famous cookie I had heard all about this cookie from my research and wow it was light and crunchy and salty yet sweet it was pretty amazing. I can see what the hype is about.
Tomato tea with summer herb bundle, Dosa with goat cheese and green tomato and tomato salad with summer berries how stunning were the elements in this dish! I absolutely adore deconstructed elements like this. The tomato salad was the highlight all peeled and fresh and delicious. The tomato tea was such an enjoyable and unique taste sensation.
Corn Soufflé with Caviar and Bonito the ingredient of the season corn, with a touch of luxury with the caviar. The top of the soufflé was cut off because this is the best part which the crunchiness of the outside of the soufflé and the fluffiness of the inside the shuffle mixed with the fresh sharp flavour of the caviar and the smokiness of the sauce. This dish was an experience not just a dish.
Crusty bread and Dolce Cheddar Cheese salted butter, such a nice bread look at that generous serving of salt. This bread was more like a flaky brioche with very fine flakes in exterior and light texture in interior.
Crab Salad with Zucchini and Lemon I think this was the most beautiful dish of the lot, the detail that went into this I sure do appreciate. The zucchini was sliced so thinly it tasted like baby cucumbers. The crab salad underneath was so creamy and absolutely melted in our mouths.
Lobster butter-poached and charred with greens and bean ecrasse I swear there is lobster underneath those greens haha. A lobster tail was poached in butter it tasted so tender and juicy. Lobster tail was wrapped in yam leaves. Slices of baby bean were cut in a diagonal angle, served along with shiso leaves. The lobster broth was so beautiful.
Snails grilled with chanterelles and onion this dish was served to us by the very talented Australian chef Chris Malone, from Perth he was the 2017 young chef of the year. I actually couldn’t believe how young he was in 2018 when we dined he was 21!! Anyway enough fangirling, back to the dish. This dish was so cool, I haven’t had snails since 2010 in Paris so it was nice to have them again. Usually they are doused in garlic but not in this dish. The way of eating them was to place grilled snails and mushroom on Swiss chard leaf along with the other 4 side dishes, and then roll the Swiss chard like a rice paper roll before you bite on it. I loved enjoying the snails that weren’t ruined in garlic butter, you could taste the snails better.
Duck honey and lavender glazed with blueberries and onion this was the signature dish. I can see why, it was so rich in flavour and the combo of the duck with the blueberries and onion and lavender glaze was such a unique dish. Served on the side was corn creamed with juniper berry and grated egg yolk, such a pretty dish, not as a creamy as the title suggest but beautiful. Zucchini with lemon and mint, so fresh, such a nice surprise to have a main dish with so many side dishes, felt like a real family style fine dining share meal.
Next up I lost my foodie mind, we were invited to the kitchen!! Sure I did notice some people get up and go back there before us but I was still excited when we were invited. They have two seperate areas, one for lunch one for dinner, there are SO many staff I couldn’t even fathom it. For a palate cleanser we were given a lollipop of strawberry jam cover by lemon icicle powder made with dry ice.
How stunning is this cheese dish!! I love cheese, and I never order it because I go straight to dessert so I am so glad this was in on the menu. Triple creme in brioche with cherry and basil creme fraiche look at it pour out of that brioche!! The cherry pate style was so nice and the freshness of the basil was so creamy.
Complete with a birthday candle was Peach compote and shingles with honey custard the peaches were sliced and cooked, and glazed. Honey custard were served with peaches to enrich the fruity taste. I love a hidden dessert and this was delicious.
Another cult favourite of Eleven Madison Park is the Chocolate covered pretzel this was so light it tastes more like a cookie than a pretzel. More like a yoghurt covered as the chocolate is tempured so thinly. So stunning love love love would have loved even more if it was milk chocolate not dark chocolate.
To finish the best lunch of my life, we were absolutely spoiled!! In a beautiful gift bag, we were given a little glass canister with a silver lid embossed with the Eleven Madison Park logo, filled with granola to have the next day for breakfast. I was gifted a chocolate bar for my birthday and the menu came in a little tin and even said Happy Birthday on it with the date. The personalised service and entire experience and the food of course the food was a once in a lifetime bucket list item ticked.