Marche Moderne
Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszu 2001
Baguette and Whole Wheat with Salted Butter
Soft Shell Crab En Saison – Beignet of Fleur de Courgette, Armagnac Jus, Chicken Chicharron
Beignets of Fleur de Courgette – Emulsion yaourt et basilica, mozzarella, fennel pollen, lemon Mosto
Between Grilled Cheese and Croque Monsieur + Truffle Scented, Tomato Soup – Comte du Jura 24m, Beemster Grand Cru 26m, King cut Gruyere 18m, Tomato Soup
Bouillabaisse with Olive Tapenade, Eggplant Caviar, Fennel, Roasted Potatoes, Tomate Roti, Rouget, Saint Pierre, Dorade, Rascasse, Seppia, Octopus, Clams, Shrimp. Side of Rouille, Crouton, Tomato Tartare, Fennel Pollen, Lemon Garlic
Duck Breast with Roasted Fitzgerald Peach and Nectarine, Ruby Port Foam, Madeira Jus, Duck Chicharon Roasted Beets
Lemon Gateau Basque, Lavender Mousseline, Cassis Gelato
Traditionally weary of ‘mall restaurants,’ though conceding that two of New York’s best are located in the Time Warner Center my decision to visit South Coast Plaza’s Marche Moderne was largely influenced by two things – location and a seasonal promotion featuring traditional bouillabaisse with all fish flown in fresh from the south of France; the fact that a friend was happy to accompany to the meal in order to sample more of the menu an additional perk. Featuring a large space with a dark wood interior juxtaposing an open kitchen plus an ‘outdoor’ patio my friend and I opted for a seat on the cusp largely due to the high noise level within and with service competent though rather restrained our meal began with good drinks from a surprisingly diverse menu but rather dry, uninspired bread service as we awaited our appetizers – a trio that included a clever but overpriced grilled cheese sandwich, oily and limp but admittedly interesting stuffed squash blossoms, and a fried softshell crab that certainly did not taste ‘in season,’ though the tempura was thankfully far lighter in application on the crab than the included blossoms while the Armagnac was admittedly very good. A bit disheartened at this point our pair of entrees would thankfully prove far superior to the starters and although the temperature of the duck could have stood to be warmer both it and the bouillabaisse were excellent and ample in both portion and flavor, the former well paired with fragrant fruits and earthy beets while the latter was rich, rife with seafood, and every bit as good as I hoped it would be when I booked the table. Sated and largely uninspired by the dessert menu with plenty of leftovers from earlier in the day back at the hotel the decision was made to split a single selection and on the suggestion of our server we opted for the basque cake, a warm and buttery presentation lightly tinged with lemon that, while decent, certainly did not justify the $12 pricetag given the small size and flavorless gelato which was already melting on arrival; the whole meal surviving largely on the strength of a single uncommonly seen dish thankfully done very well.
