4 Days in New York City - 9/8 - 9/11

Day 4 - Daniel - 9/11/13

1st Course

I selected the Duck Terrine With Basil Poached Frog Hollow Farm Peach green almond, celery, wood sorrel

The French know how to prepare a Terrine.  It was light, tasty, and the poached peach was perfectly ripe and delicious.

Hoa selected Sautéed Hudson Valley Duck Foie Gras (and additional $14 -worth every penny)

Poached Asian pear, Huckleberry Coulis, Sicilian Pistachio, Boston Lettuce

The Foie gras was seared to perfection with a nice caramelized top and was pretty thick.  The inside was soft tender that simply melt in your mouth.

Very nice and well balanced sauce, Asian pears was a nice addition. We both enjoyed this dish.

The sommelier suggested a glass of Sauternes to go with the Foie Gras.  The small glass cost $32 but who cares, you are here so might as well indulge.

To think that Phuc, our sommelier extraordinaire, usually bring a bottle or two of better Sauternes than Daniel, and we would gulp down a few glasses like this the norm.

  2nd Course

Roasted Elysian Field Rack of Lamb, Green Zucchini "a la Plancha", Almond crusted Tomato, Chickpea panesses, Arugula

Elysian Fields Farm located in Pennsylvania is the best lamb purveyors in the United States where Thomas Keller, from the French Laundry, is a partner.  The lamb is raised humanely and fed a perfectly diet, yields delicate meat with the right amount of gaminess.  Today the trend is sous-vide but here it roasted to a perfect medium rare, well seared on the outside and juicy on the inside. Zucchini, yellow squash, Almond crusted Tomato, and chickpeas Panisses complete this Provençale combination.

The dish was brought out without the sauce and then our waiter process to pour the sauce carefully on the plate.

Beautiful presentation.

Hoa selected the Duo of Beef (additional $15)

Braised black Angus Short Ribs, Horseradish-Cauliflower puree, Hen of the woods, Broccoli

Seared Wagyu Tenderloin, Crispy  Potato, Smoked Beef Tongue

Daniel used to be the executive at Le Cirque years ago and there he started braising the beef in red wine and created a signature entree in form  of a luscious melt in your mouth texture, earthy and robust at the same time.  Here at Daniel he added the seared Wagyu beef and wanted this dish to exemplify the duality of his background: the countryside of his childhood (braised beef) contrasted with the refined, seasoned tenderloin of his urban life.

At Daniel this duo of beef changed slightly each season depending of the availability of fresh and in season vegetables became an instant classic.

3rd Course: Desserts

Pastries at Daniel are crafted by chef Ghaya Oliveira.  Even though there aren’t individual signature desserts, the entire menu equals high standards of elegance and creativity found in every savory dish at Daniel. The dessert menu is divided into fruit and chocolate categories, the confections range from  Orchidea Vacherin with Calamansi Meringue Chips, to roasted Plum  with
Caramel-Licorice Cream, to the warm Guanaja chocolate coulant with liquid caramel, fleur de sel and milk sorbet. While none of them are signatures, the delectable desserts are not to be missed.

I selected the “PETIT” BABA A LA CHARTREUSE with Glazed Black Mission Figs, Coconut Crémeux

A baba is a small yeast cake saturated usually with rum, but here it is soaked in Chartreuse liquor (It is composed of distilled alcohol aged with 130 herbs, plants and flowers). Here the Baba are filled with a really tasty pastry cream in the inside and filled with whipped cream between each baba.

I love this dessert!  You can really taste the Chartreuse and it is not too sweet.

Hoa ordered the MELON PROVENÇAL, Orange Blossom Moelleux, Lemon Curd Calisson, Blueberry-Violet Jus

This dessert is created during the summer time when Melon are on the peak season.

Unbelievable beautiful to look at.

This dessert is really light and also so satisfying.  It is so complicated with so many elements that I don't really know where to start but everything come together so well.

Coffee with desserts in a must for me any way..

I thought we were done and then our server brought out a tray of assorted petit fours- Irresistible so I forgot I took a bit before taking a picture.

Again I thought we were done... and they brought out this basket.

I was told that at Daniel for the last two decades, every meal ends with lemon-infused madeleines dusted with a snow of powdered sugar and nestled into a beautiful folded linen napkins.

A great way to end a meal and after you eat them you’re just going to have to come back for more.

By the time we arrived at Daniel we already been to two amazing restaurants: Atera, and Le Bernadin and I am worried that Daniel will not live up to our expectations.  On top of that we have been wining and dining for 4 days in a row and I have to admit that Hoa and I we were a bit blasé with the upscale dinning.  I can't believe I am saying that but not to sound like a snob, upscale dinning for 4 days in a row is a bit much for us.  I wasn't sure if I was going to be WOW by Daniel but to our surprise we both like it a lot.   Once we walked in the restaurant we found  the interior to be sumptuous, elegant, sophisticated and refined. Daniel has a strict dress code, and no pictures with a flash is allowed so that's why the pictures are not that great. However, the food presentation at Daniel will visually seduce you as much as the flavors will please your palate. The service is impeccable, the staff hits all their cues, they noticed every little details and nothing is left to chance.  I am sure every little details is orchestrated to give customers an amazing dinning experience and the cuisine deserves rave reviews.  Daniel is upscale French food at its best.

Filed under: Restaurants; Travel