Not a fan of The Bar Room at The Modern

The Bar Room at The Modern 
9 W 53rd St 
New York, NY 10019 
www.themodernnyc.com 

The Bar Room at The Modern

I’ve heard many great things about this restaurant for a long time, and I was intrigued so I finally came here for dinner on a Friday night. Well… I didn’t quite fall in love with The Bar Room at The Modern, even though I pass by this swanky restaurant every single day. The service was good but the ratio of wait staff was almost the same as patrons, so I expected excellent. The chairs were not comfortable and the tables were situated way too close together next to other people dining. The ambiance was pretentious, lively, and filled with snobby people by the bar. The bar was definitely bumpin', but it caused such a disruption that I didn’t quite enjoy my conversations nor my meal. Boo... this just proves that high expectations can lead to high levels of disappointment.

Tarte flambee, Alsatian thin crust tart with creme fraiche, onion and applewood smoked bacon - This was the only dish I liked. The dish was surprisingly huge and the creamy cheese and sweet onions were a perfect blend. This is my kind of pizza!

Upside down tuna tartare with fennel, Japanese cucumber and aioli - There was nothing special about this tuna tartare.

Grilled diver scallops with fried brussels sprouts, butternut squash puree, and citrus nage - I ordered this because I thought there would be brussels sprouts, but where were they?

Slow-poached farm egg, with Maine lobster, artichoke puree, crosnes and sea urchin froth - I couldn't taste the sea urchin because it was overpowered by the sourness of the artichoke puree, but the froth was very rich and foamy. The few pieces of lobster were a little overcooked and the soft poached egg just tasted odd with everything united.

Beer-braised pork belly with turnip choucroute and ginger jus - The pork belly was very tender but the pork skin was a tad too tough and chewy.

Roasted Long Island duck breast with peppercorn-crusted apples and toasted pistachio-truffle dipping sauce - The roast duck tasted like the roast duck I get at Chinese restaurants. It was good but with that price, I could’ve ordered a whole duck and more at a Chinese place. I didn't like the sliced peppercorn-crusted apples on the side at all, and I barely used my pistachio-truffle dipping sauce. I thought it was an odd combo and the flavors just didn’t mesh well.

The waiter advised us to order 3 items on the menu per person - categorized under ONE, TWO, and THREE, but I think 2 dishes should suffice. The portions are small, but I was actually full at the end of the meal and didn’t leave room for dessert. Each dish was beautifully presented, and even though they all have interesting and unique combinations of flavors, I was not blown away. Overall, I felt nothing amazing and the dishes did nothing for my not-too-hard-to-please palate. Sorry The Bar Room at The Modern for making you my first bad review. :(

Mickey’s ratings: 5/10 
Price range: $$$$