Most striking of all is The Vessel, an interactive public monument designed by Thomas Heatherwick which can be climbed for free and seems designed specifically to ensure that you post it on Instagram.
Given its scale, the development is not without controversy, with architecture writer Alan Brake calling it “a billionaire’s fantasy of the future of city life”. But for this visitor from out of town, especially one used to frequenting huge multipurpose developments in Asia, the overall effect was striking in pretty positive ways.
From the array of dining options on offer, I went for three led by chefs with serious reputations, namely Thomas Keller, David Chang and José Andrés.
Keller needs no introduction as the only chef in the US to oversee two restaurants with three Michelin stars, The French Laundry in Napa and Per Se, just a couple of dozen blocks to the north at Columbus Circle.
TAK Room – it stands for Thomas A. Keller, the A for Aloysius – has an unremarkable entrance within a seriously high-end part of the mall, but once up the sweeping internal staircase, things kick into tune. You arrive in The Lounge, a bar that was rocking with a seven-piece live band including a pianist on a vintage Steinway. David Collins Studio is responsible for the interiors, channelling a distinct Mad Men vibe with contemporary art, dark woods and deep leather sofas.
The inspiration, Keller explains, came from his childhood. “I have vivid memories of watching my mother manage the International Club atop the Holiday Inn in Laurel, Maryland. The impact of that decor, service, music, flavours and style of cuisine forever cemented a sense of time and place and one that I would eventually want to emulate.”
It’s a big space, full of nooks for assignations, but we ate in the light-filled area which looks out over The Vessel. The food is unashamedly retro, American country club classics, albeit perfect renditions.
Devilled eggs with crispy capers made for a pleasant start (US$3 each), but the real star of the snacks were the sensational Kennebec crisps with French onion dip (US$10). This was so rich that it was almost a meal in itself. The dip is finished with veal jus meaning it’s definitely not vegetarian, as you’d probably think, but it was impossible not to keep returning to it.
Soft and sweet Parker House bread rolls came with interactive butter, no less, a clever plating trick where a flick of a switch pushes the butter up through a metal mould into six perfect quenelles. Then avocado and garden vegetable Louie (US$18) bought a beautiful, intricate collection of perfectly sculpted produce. Our excellent waiter explained it was served at the Vanity Fair party at The Oscars, but how anyone could have eaten it with any sort of elegance is beyond me.
The vegetarian eggplant Parmesan (US$30) was somewhat heavy on the salt, but my Maine lobster thermidor (US$85) was a masterful throwback of a dish, with generous lobster meat crowning a sauce featuring egg yolks, brandy, cheese, mustard and a whole lot of decadence. By now seriously replete, we were all but defeated by a pretty, zingy lemon meringue tart.
A definite change in cuisine and interiors came at David Chang’s Kawi up on the fifth floor, one of two restaurants he oversees at Hudson Yards. The other is Fuku, which serves fried chicken and had a long line of customers waiting to be served, but Kawi was less popular on a weekday lunchtime.
Chef Eunjo Park runs the kitchen and her plates at lunchtime were exemplary. A simple-sounding starter of chicken wings with white pepper and lemon (US$13) was a masterclass in seasoning and controlled cooking, the perfect marriage of heat and smoke. Squeeze the lemon over them and prepare to use more of the wet hand towels than they provide. Many more, because you’ll quite possibly find yourself going back in to ensure nothing was left to waste. I certainly did.
For some reason – maybe because I was taking photos – they then sent out a complimentary dish of madai (sea bream) fish collar and tail. Cue more lemon-squeezing, finger licking and hand towels. If you think that the famed Maillard reaction – that beautiful browning caused by the interplay of sugars and amino acids – happens best in meat, then it may be time to think again.
A spicy yellowfin tuna kimbap, or avocado and ice ssam with soy-cured yolk, were tempting options from the lunch menu, but really there could be only one winner: “yesterday’s stinky soybean stew” (US$26). Now when it’s more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Centigrade) outside, a bubbling mini cauldron of stew may seem an odd choice, but this was a bowl you’d want any day of the year.
The bean curd stink wasn’t particularly pronounced, but there was so much more going on: fishing out tender pork belly, crunching the occasional jalapeño, picking on the sharp and sour bowl of kimchi or alternating with the crunch of the vegetable nest which accompanied the generous tray.
Finally we head to the ground floor, opposite a staircase up to the High Line, home to the vast Mercado Little Spain. It’s the baby of Spanish chef and humanitarian José Andrés and features no fewer than three full restaurants, two bars and 15 kiosks for eats and gifts. A couple of other culinary names, none other than legendary brothers Ferran and Albert Adrià, also partnered on the project, which is an enviable window on Spanish produce, wine and cuisine.
Mercado Little Spain hopes to let diners experience Spanish food in all its forms but the market of stalls offering churros, paellas, tortillas and more was just prepping when I arrived for breakfast at Spanish Diner. It’s a large, bright space which benefits from fronting onto the street and makes you forget you’re in a mall, while TVs showing La Liga soccer and converted table football games are a nice touch.
Understandably the menu changes throughout the day, but at breakfast it was mainly about the huevos rotos Casa Lucio – their homage to Madrid’s legendary Casa Lucio restaurant and its famed “broken eggs” served over fried potatoes. I choose the “mixta” (US$19) which comes with paleta ibérica, the cured ham from a pig’s front legs, the paprika-heavy pork chorizo called chistorra and black blood sausage known as morcilla.
Substantial and featuring excellent quality meats, it would have demanded an early morning siesta had the extra-strong caffe con leche not kicked in. Whilst authenticity is always subjective, it certainly took this diner back to small cafes in Valencia, Madrid and elsewhere, places that do not mess around with great produce.
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