Above and top photos: Paul Wagtouicz
No trip to New York would be complete without a visit to Gabriel Kreuther in midtown Manhattan. He’s known for caviar, truffles, and champagne, and he is especially celebrated for bringing the simplest ingredients to life and transforming them into outstanding masterpieces.
Chef Gabriel is the master of his craft, presenting timeless chef-d’œuvres at his two Michelin-star restaurant. While every meal is an experience like no other, he provides a particularly glorious modern twist to Alsatian cuisine in celebration of the Gregorian New Year. His profoundly delightful gourmet journey is impeccably exquisite.
Chef Gabriel displays a splendid epicurean treat, his stellar team presenting a memorably magnificent experience and the elegantly charming atmosphere is an escape away from the Times Square chaos. On New Year’s Eve, as a swarm of people flock to celebrate the ball drop on Broadway, Gabriel Kreuther’s guests celebrate the chef’s ingenuity and culinary creativity while ushering in the New Year.
Kreuther provides a fascinatingly festive five-star experience taking guests on a pleasantly unexpected culinary trip. A live musical band, celebratory ballon-filled ambiance and the aromatic scents from the kitchen make a shift into the New Year an experience to remember. An array of meticulously created courses are lavishly presented, allowing diners to indulge first with the eyes.
Start the impeccable Gabriel Kreuther culinary journey with the restaurant’s legendary scallion kougelhopf, house bread like no other, nicely complemented by a rich chive-flavoured fromage blanc. Continue the palatable voyage with caviar served table-side on a mother-of-pearl seashell dish accompanied by a perfectly whipped homemade crème fraîche and crisp seaweed crackers. The gourmet experience continues with mouth-watering canapés, including jelly topped with gold leaf and served on a thinly sliced lime as well as fresh smoked salmon on bite-size bread topped with a sprig of dill.
After awakening the palate with bites of sophistication, continue the trip with bay scallop crudo, uni and langoustine toast along with a delicate citrus touch evoked by the hint of yuzu vinaigrette. A beautiful foie gras terrine and praliné with flavourful resiling gelée, pickled gooseberries and butter bread convey a powerfully intense burst of tangy flavours and an array of consistencies, from the soft paté spread to the lightly ground pistachio crunch.
A skilfully roasted, delicately crisp, Atlantic halibut floats atop a crushed celery root shellfish foamed broth and is topped with lightly cooked Kaluga caviar and champagne sauce.
One of the most fragrant truffles, the black Périgold, is one of the many stars of the evening. Cooked in a mason jar with black barley, puffed as well as potato grains, the airtight container is unleashed at the table for diners to experience the distinctively robust scent of the truffle’s floral decadence before enthusiastically diving in one spoon at a time. The enchanting course simultaneously provides a treat for sight, smell and taste.
Chef Gabriel embraces ingredients of the season, including white truffles that are harvested late in the year, September to December. The pleasing tones of earthy Alba white truffle add an extra touch of sophistication. Chef Gabriel’s take on the spätzle is a journey into a culinary realm: a beautiful brown butter chestnut purée and pine nut gremolata garlic breadcrumbs are covered with paper-thin sliced truffles for the ultimately tantalizing melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Continuing to incorporate tastes of Alsace, touches of sauerkraut, also known as fermented cabbage, gratifyingly elevate the senses.
The inspiringly savoury journey is topped off with one of two satisfyingly delectable desserts: an enriched chocolate-filled cremeux with bay leaf foam and chocolate sorbet or an extraordinarily intense chestnut mont blanc made up of an almond and vanilla cake topped with a “tobacco”-permeated chantilly, fittingly served with a red currant sorbet, both glistening with a gold leaf touch for an added spark of glamour. Chef Gabriel desserts are never overpoweringly sweet: they serve as exceptionally subtle palate cleansers.
The full Gabriel Kreuther experience is enchanting, intriguing and truly captivating, accentuating the master’s utmost creative artistry.
As we transition into the New Year, we wish everyone a spectacular and sophisticated 2024 in total Gabriel Kreuther style.
Lola Cristall is Paris editor of Lucire.
Todd Coleman Photography
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