I recently went to the one star Michelin rated restaurant Bouley at Home located in the Flatiron district in New York City. For those who may not know, a Michelin star is a highly coveted award given to restaurants who are at the top of their gastronomy game.
This is the second Michelin star rated restaurant I have visited, the first being Peter Luger in Brooklyn, New York. And for those of you who read the recent New York Times piece on Peter Luger, I strongly agree. The name or popularity of a restaurant does not always mean the food is excellent, sometimes it is just hype or propaganda, but I digress. And so my question was whether Bouley at Home was truly deserving of a Michelin star.
What I Wore-I went during the lunch hours on a Saturday so I opted for a snakeskin print, long sleeve body-con dress by Leith and brown suede boots by Steve Madden. I also wore my Louis Vuitton Eva Clutch.
Below you’ll find my rating for the following categories: Ambiance, Service, and Food. On a scale from 1-5, 5 reflects excellent and 1 indicates poor/needs improvement.
Ambiance– I give it a 3.75 out of 5. The dining room has an old world, antique charm; however, the test kitchen, is modern and updated.
Service-4 out of 5! The wait staff were very professional, attentive, and pleasant! However, I had to ask their names as they did not formally introduce themselves. The General Manager, Stephane Dorian was friendly and welcoming.
Food-5 out of 5. The food was excellent and can I say excellent four more times! I opted for the 5-course meal and the flavor pairings were absolutely delicious.
- First course- Malibu Sea Urchin, Green Apple Cloud, Golden Osetra Caviar
- Second Course-Black Truffle Dashi Flan
- Third Course- Homemade Gnocchi with Beef, Blue Kale, and Black Truffle
- Fourth Course- Pineapple Granita
- Fifth course- Le Vacherin, Raspberries, and Lychee
Additionally, the executive chef and pastry chef sent me bonus dishes during my entire time there which included-kuzu crisps with aligote purée and amuse bouchée; pan seared black sea bass, mushrooms, asparagus with a coconut and black truffle reduction; coconut soup pineapple granita with vanilla ice cream and exotic fruit sorbet.
All and all, I highly recommend Bouley at Home. Often times people are dissuaded from going to a fancy restaurant because they think they will leave hungry because of the small portions. However, I can confirm that I left Bouley at Home full and ready for a nap. The experience and food at Bouley at Home was definitely worthy of a Michelin star.
