This is just a quick post to share Day 1 of our trip to NYC! We were bumped from our original flight so we arrived at our hotel much later than we had planned. As a result, we only had time for a little shopping before our dinner reservation at DANIEL. My vlog includes a short run-through of our day but the majority of this post will focus on our meal... which was one of the best meals I've ever had.
Dinner time! When we arrived at DANIEL, our table wasn't quite ready yet so we took a seat at the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. I had the From the Field (Lavender and Honeycomb Infused Plymouth Gin Lemon Juice) and my hubby had the Arnold Palmer (Black Tea, Fresh Mint, Hibiscus Syrup, Ginger Ale, Lemon Juice). The bartender put on quite a show shaking the drinks - he was awesome. My drink was delicious and very strong - which was right up my alley because I can't stand weak gin cocktails. My hubby's drink was very tasty and refreshing. Before we knew it, our table was ready, and we were led to a lovely corner table. The ambiance at DANIEL is perfection. I love how we sat side-by-side in a booth and looked out at the rest of the restaurant.
The service at DANIEL is top notch. The servers are incredibly courteous, warm, and professional. We were made to feel very welcome and very comfortable. Since our reservation was for 9:30pm, we decided to go with the shorter 3 course menu, but with all the little extras from the kitchen, our dinner still spanned nearly 3 hours. Before I start with the food, I just want to apologize for the poor quality of the photos. DANIEL has a no photography policy so I wasn't planning to take any but the situation seemed ok so I went ahead. There were a few tables around us where the patrons were on their phones and plus we were sitting in a quiet corner in the restaurant. Rest assured I was very discrete... which is also the reason for the poor composition and blurriness. With that being said, we started our foray into deliciousness with a trio of beet. My hubby doesn't even like beets but he loved this trio. All the flavours were incredible.
I don't remember what the amuse bouche was exactly but it was either spinach foam or spinach cream (it was spinach green on the inside). Another delectable bite.
Next, we moved into the appetizer in our three course menu. I chose the Chilled Peekytoe Crab "Cannelloni" (Early Summer Melon, Lime Coulis, Pickled Ginger, Mint). Seafood features prominently on the DANIEL menu and every bite was so fresh and tasty!
My hubby chose the Marinated Sea Scallop (Northern Light Caviar, Smoked Potatoes, Sorrel Coulis, Sancho Pepper, Chive Oil). We both love raw scallops so another wonderful dish.
For my main course, I stuck with the seafood theme and chose the Black Sea Bass with Syrah Sauce (Glazed Cipollini Onions, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Chive Bud Tempura, Timut Pepper). When this dish arrived, I immediately started salivating. It smelled so GOOD. This was my favourite dish of the evening.
My hubby is a huge fan of red meat so he ordered the Duo of Beef (Braised Black Angus Short Ribs, Black Trumpet, Garbanzo Beans & Seared Wagyu Tenderloin, Tomato Marmalade, Crispy Panisse). Yummy! The short ribs were served in a little separate cup on the left side of the below photo.
For dessert, I ordered the Island of Passiflora (Floating Island, Black Sesame Praliné, Passion Fruit, Yuzu Anglaise). My hubby wasn't a huge fan of my choice because it was very tart. I loved it though. Since I haven't been really into super sweet stuff lately, I really enjoyed the light sweetness of this dish combined with the fruity acidity.
My hubby couldn't decide on dessert but eventually ordered the Borneo Vacherin (Lime-Avocado Sorbet, Coconut Chantilly, Spiced Meringue, Green Apple-Absinthe Coulis). I liked the presentation! I only had a bite but my hubby cleaned the plate so I think he liked it.
Our server also surprised us with a third dessert dish, compliments of the kitchen. They thought we should have some chocolate to end our meal. :)
That wasn't all. Next, we received a selection of mignardises.
Finally, a little "basket" of the best madeleines I've ever had. They were teeny tiny, super light, with a perfect crisp on the outside. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I'll take a thousand!!
If I could describe DANIEL in one word, it would be... perfect. Admittedly, I can be quite a picky person at times, and there was not one thing about this experience I would change. I can't wait to go back!
