Exquisite food and some pageantry at Maison Passerelle - Review - New York - The Infatuation
"Printemps in FiDi isn't exactly a department store, though it does house the high-fashion brands you might find in one. Instead the French import is more of a building-sized display case for beautiful blouses, $2,000 handbags, and a limited-edition Nike collab (available exclusively at this location, of course). If Printemps is more showroom than shop, then its flagship restaurant Maison Passerelle is more of a showcase for excellent food than a place to relax and enjoy a meal. With its intricately tiled floors, and lighting bright enough for handbag browsing, the big dining room extends naturally from the Beauty Corridor with its Champagne Bar, and the Red Room with its historic Art Deco interiors and new “shoe forest." photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute Even if Passerelle feels less like a dinner destination than a stop between Margiela and Manolo Blahnik, the food is as exquisite (and as expensive) as the evening gowns beyond the door. Asian, Caribbean and French elements come together seamlessly in the open kitchen, run by the chef from Kann, one of our top-rated restaurants in Portland, Oregon. An amuse bouche of pastel-orange tomato soup, spiked with coconut milk and slivers of pickled jalapeño, tastes like a brilliant tom kha gai. A warm mini-loaf of plantain bread—gluten-free, like everything else on the menu—deserves full attention, even if the couple next to you seem more wrapped up in Italian villa rental negotiations. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute Something as mundane sounding as roast chicken comes out with skin as brittle as crème brulee, coated in harrisa jus and a paste of preserved lemon and castelvetrano olives. Two servers in matching neckties pour tamarind sauce over stunning slices of duck. You might even feel like applauding, if someone in a $450 t-shirt weren't loudly asking how long the Haitian chocolate dessert will take because they're in a rush to visit the Apothecary department. Maison Passerelle works best for Printemps diehards who need a meal after browsing, tourists wandering in after a visit to the 9/11 Memorial, and Wall Street professionals with expense accounts who've been to Le Gratin a few too many times. We appreciate the beautiful food here, even though the entire experience can feel a little precious, like an outfit that's meant to be seen but not worn. Food Rundown Cocktails They’re highly drinkable, and quite often larger than you’d expect from a place that serves a $150 plate of steak frites. Warm Plantain Bread & Butter Like a miniature banana bread, except savory, and served with two types of butter: one cultured and local, the other herby and plant-based. Always start here. photo credit: Kate Previte Salt Cod Fritter We like these gumball-sized fritters with a crab cable-like interior, but we prefer other starters more. Order this only if you’re here with a slightly larger group. Citrus Cured Kampachi Not your run-of-the-mill crudo. It comes in a thick, smoky coconut milk sauce, with a hot pink rhubarb sauce swirled into it to balance out the richness. photo credit: Kate Previte Green Asparagus Soup The soup service is a must. The rich, asparagus and coconut cream-based broth is poured tableside, so that you can marvel at the dainty pile of peekytoe crab and spring vegetables that sit in the center of the bowl. When asparagus goes out of season and this soup changes, we may hold a small vigil for it, and you’re invited. Though we’re sure future iterations will be similarly delicious. photo credit: Kate Previte Spaghetti Homard The downfall of this dish isn’t the spiced, smoky tomato sauce, or the big, just-cooked chunks of lobster. It’s the pasta itself. If you’re going to charge $60 for a bowl of spaghetti, that spaghetti should be pretty near perfect, and this one isn’t—the noodles are underdone and clump together, making everything except the lobster nearly inedible. photo credit: Kate Previte Slow Cooked Grouper Beautifully cooked, but a little lackluster in comparison to other entrees. If you do eat meat, eat meat at Maison Passerelle. Roasted Farm Chicken You always run the risk of coming off as boring when you recommend the roast chicken, but we’re doing it anyway. The contrast of the crisp skin and the tangy preserved lemon and olive spread on top is a textural triumph everybody should experience. photo credit: Kate Previte Cane Syrup Glazed Duck The slices of duck in this dish are incredibly soft, with a generous fat cap and a singed, caramelized crust that crackles in your mouth like chicharron. photo credit: Kate Previte Pommes Frites These thick-cut fries aren’t crispy enough, but we appreciate that they’re tossed not just in salt, but also in vinegar powder. Salt and vinegar chip lovers will forgive the slight sogginess. Braised Spring Greens Like the very best collard greens, with a slight spice from the chow chow. The “spring” is slightly misleading, because this bowl of greens would be a worthy addition to a winter meal, but delicious nonetheless. Coconut Chiboust The dessert menu at Maison Passerelle is lengthy and not to be missed. If you’re looking for just one, though, go for the coconut chiboust, with toasted coconut sorbet and lots of lemongrass notes. photo credit: Kate Previte" - Willa Moore
