Fives at The Peninsula New York — New Chef, New Menu

A-Tooch recently joined a handful of other New York bloggers for a fabulous tasting dinner at Fives at The Peninsula, celebrating a new chef and soon-to-be-released new spring menu. Our host, Executive Chef Anuwat Nu Morakotjantachote (“Chef Nu”), was present thoughout the meal to guide us through the ingredients and inspiration in each of the courses (and there were many).

We started with some delicious hors d’oeuvres including my personal fav, a foie gras napoleon. The foie gras was whipped into a light mousse — SO decadent.

A colorful and fresh carrot gelatin amuse bouche came out first. Chilled and tart, it was the perfect little bite to wet our palettes.

The next courses were a haze of delicious spring vegetables — a chilled asparagus soup, lamb with pea mash and a melt-in-your-mouth smoked cod with cucumber spaghetti and tomato. I couldn’t get enough of the homemade cavatelli with tiny cockles and bacon lardons for amazing flavor. I said it once I’ll say it again, adding bacon to anything just seals the deal.

Herb salt crusted veal with a grape (uhm, yum?!) and morel mushroom ragout:

Chef Nu also brought out his sous chef and pastry chef to speak with us; the entire team including our hosts and servers were beyond friendly and completely unpretentious — a rarity in NY fine dining. We, of course, had a million questions to ask the pastry chef about the unique dessert: valrhona soft chocolate with caramel popcorn ice cream and what I called “cookie dough croutons.”

At an average entree price of… well… a lot, Fives is probably a “special dinner” kind of spot. Think: Mother’s/Father’s Day brunch event. Chef Nu also plays host to weekday power breakfasts, lunch and a prix fixe weekend brunch that are all probably just as tasty as our dinner was. The hotel itself is an impressive space and the location is great. Plus, The Peninsula really knows the way into their guests’ hearts and that is through none other than cupcakes. Check out our parting gifts, also left in the suites of new hotel guests.

Too bad this foodie at work used to have an office two blocks away from The Peninsula but now works miles away

P.S. Check out what Alejandra of Always Order Dessert had to say plus snazzy photography from the evening.