Foodies have flocked to a New York restaurant that went viral after Martha Stewart showed off the ‘chobster’ dish in an Instagram post, but reviews have been mixed.
Barnes HouseThe brainchild of Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud and officially launched in May, it has a $250 dish on its menu that “combines roasted Sasso chicken with lobster, topped with Nantua sauce and spring rice.”
Photos and videos shared by Boulud’s team on Instagram show how the combination is presented on a wooden cutting board, with the whole chicken garnished with brass lobster tail, claws and head, with the actual crustacean stuffed inside the bird. cooked.
While TV personality Stewart previewed the chobster in March, the public and food experts alike have been visiting the Upper East Side restaurant to offer their own verdict on the poultry and seafood mash-up.
Maison Barnes is the brainchild of Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud and officially launched in May.
The fine dining restaurant has a $250 dish on its menu that “combines roasted Sasso chicken with lobster, topped with Nantua sauce and spring rice.”
Food writer Willa Moore, of restaurant recommendation site The Infatuation, described the ‘chobster’ as a ‘tame’, ‘over-the-top’ and ‘pointless’ production.
Food writer Willa Moore of the restaurant recommendation site. The act of falling in loverecently visited Maison Barnes to try the chobster, only to describe it as a “tame”, “over the top” and “pointless” production.
Describing the theatrical presentation, he wrote: “A whole chicken arrives at your table in a lobster armor. The browned appendages are removed, leaving the chicken naked, which is then cut tableside.
“A lobster head is removed from its cavity, pressed to obtain a few drops of juice, and a soup is whipped up in front of you.”
In an Instagram and TikTok video from the food service, the writer also shows the carving in progress, with an overlaid caption describing it as a “very slippery experience” with a breast “falling” to the ground.
Despite not seeming impressed by the theatrics, Willa noted that the chicken was “tender” and the “lobster perfectly poached.”
However, she was disappointed to discover that she only had “about three slices of each” on her plate.
New York Post Critic Steve Cuozzo He also reviewed Maison Barnes, describing the chobster as a ‘high-class turducken’ and a ‘mutant masterpiece (that) takes “Frankenstein foods” to the next level’.
Like Willa, he singled out the chobster performance, calling it one of the “most elaborate tabletop shows” he’s seen to date in New York City.
New York Post critic Steve Cuozzo also visited Maison Barnes and described the chobster as a “high-class Turducken” and a “mutant masterpiece.”
The dish is only for “a lucky few,” as the restaurant only serves “four or five” chobsters a night.
In addition to being cut at the table, the lobster sauce is also whipped in full view of the diners.
Steve explains: ‘When (the lobster) arrives at the table, the brass appendages are removed and the actual lobster head is removed from the cavity. It is placed in an old duck press to squeeze it.
“Boulud turned the wheel of the machine, crushed the crustacean and produced a flavorful liquid that is added to the lobster bisque, crème fraîche and chicken juice to make a rich and complex sauce, a variation on the classic Nantua sauce that “It’s usually made with crayfish.”
Like Willa, Steve seemed impressed by the chobster flavor.
He described it as a “rare union of oceanic and barnyard essences that are sweetened and deepened by the creamy sauce.”
He points out that the dish is only for “a lucky few,” as the restaurant only serves “four or five” chobsters a night.
One lucky diner who tried the dish at Maison Barnes was American photographer Todd Coleman.
He wrote on Instagram that while some people think it’s over the top, he thinks “it’s a fun play on a traditional crawfish and chicken dish.”
He generally gave it a thumbs up and considered it “art”, but acknowledged that it is “definitely not for everyone.”
Maison Barnes says the recipe was inspired by a 19th-century creation and was devised by the restaurant’s executive chef, Romain Paumier, in collaboration with Daniel.
The dish, which serves two to three people, has certainly caused a stir among viewers.
One Instagram user said it “looks like it would give me nightmares.”
Another reflected: “I’m horrified but fascinated, I’m disgusted but I can’t look away.”