#7 Corton
Ramp with green puy lentils, roast chicken ice cream, pickled ramps, hon shimeji mushroom and white asparagus milk
An exquisitely plated dish, with a crisp ramp leaf floating atop a refreshing yet creamy hon shimeji mushroom and white asparagus milk. The leaf was embellished with delicately applied roast chicken ice cream, which harmoniously blended smoky mushrooms with mild chicken flavors. This was mixed with pickled ramps, which were strikingly sour (but in the good way). A unique and enjoyable offering.
Spring garden
A beautiful composition of seasonal spring vegetables, excellently and imaginatively executed. A delicious assortment of purple cauliflower, hen of the wood mushrooms and edible pansies, along with other interesting items such as a delicate onion meringue. Most remarkable was the intense red syrupifaction: liquid tomato encapsulated in a thin gelatin shell.
Wild Rohan duckling
While my mind strayed to “Lord of the Rings,” Rohan duck is a local New York breed named after a family of dukes and princes who lived in the Rohan area of France. The tender, rose colored meat had been solely poached and served with its skin, garnished with a light sprinkling of sesame seeds. Plated with a small slice of fatty pork belly and finely sliced slivers of spring parsnip root. All of this was accented with a splash of fine pistachio jus and subtle coffee notes. While good, we found the meat slightly too chewy.
The duckling was served with two side dishes, which, while tasty, seemed a bit gimmicky and irrelevant. The moist “shepherd’s pie” with a creamy spuma was an admirable attempt to explore a traditional dish but struck me as soggy and salty. The crunchy taro root croquette, filled with tete de cochon, was an adventurous take on a classic but lacked distinctive flavors. These items seemed to detract from the core component.
Rosé grapefruit
This was one of the most elegant expressions of tart grapefruit flavors I’ve encountered. Nestled underneath a dainty grapefruit meringue was a smooth grapefruit sorbet, a luxurious ginger crème, an intense burnt honey sabayon (akin to a very light custard) and small chunks of candied grapefruit. We marveled at the broad bouquet of grapefruit flavors, one that we certainly won’t be forgetting any time soon.
Maple
A consummate combination of deep maple with silky yet sharp sour cherry. The long sliver of two-toned cake was a base of flaky biscuit covered with two slivers of smoked maple crème and a sour cherry puree, which balanced each other perfectly. Served with a small morsel of coffee sponge cake and crowned with the most beautifully applied toast ice cream. Embellished with an intense red cherry puree.
Petits fours
An magnificent variety of house-made chocolates, truffles and macarons. Not only bewitching, all of these were lusciously rich and tasty.
Without a doubt, Chef Liebrandt created one of the most impressive meals I’ve encountered in a long time. From the first fantastically composed amuse bouche (one of many) through to the delightful petits fours, each course was an exciting and surprising combination of textures and flavors. Plus, the plates were perfectly composed, art works in themselves. Bravo.
We had the seasonal tasting menu, which was $115 per person and also included an unpictured impeccable wild Alaskan ivory king salmon, served with rhubarb, trumpet mushroom boudin and red curry jus. Yes, Corton is a special treat but it really is quite exceptional. My thanks to all the team for taking me on an incredible culinary journey.
239 W. Broadway
212-219-2777
