A fresh lobster roll is a quintessential part of the classic American summer. The dish conjures up images of sun-drenched seaside restaurants, maybe on Cape Cod, in Montauk or along the rocky coast of Maine. This is part of what makes the dish so special to Tae Strain, chef at Manon, an opulent new Meatpacking District restaurant and bar.
Strain has familial ties to coastal Rhode Island, where he describes lobster rolls as being a “regional delicacy” that embodies the cooking of that area. Despite his revved-up version of the New England mainstay, he says, “the recipe itself is dear to me,” revering the fundamental goodness of the lobster roll.
Still, Martha’s Vineyard this isn’t. Chef Tae has reimagined the American classic (pictured), giving it a new high-end twist, topping it with foodie favorite uni and that most luxurious of ingredients, caviar.
Previously served as a special, off-the-menu item, this $38 spin on the seafood sandwich, which Chef Tae compares to a burger crowned with foie gras, was not supposed to make it better, says the chef, but rather to “see how we could do it different and do it to represent the restaurant.”
What should you sip while enjoying this jazzed up lobster roll? Chef Tae suggests putting down the pale ale and going a bit more high brow. “It goes great with bubbles,” he says with a laugh.
Manon is located at 407 West 14th Street New York, New York
