Since Wylie Dufresne opened up WD-50 on New York’s Lower East Side in 2003 it has become one of the most talked about of the city’s restaurants and, after a four-year absence from this list, it’s nice to welcome its return. What made WD-50 an instant hit was Dufresne’s ‘topsy-turvy’, experimental cooking, which pairs unlikely ingredients and challenges long-held food conceptions, and there is still plenty of evidence of this today in dishes such as Wagyu Skirt Steak, Long Bean, Tamarind and Peanut Butter ‘Pasta’.
They serve an aerated foie gras terrine that resembles a natural sponge and which is made by ealing the foie in a container with a one way valve when still liquid and then exposing it to a partial vacuum before allowing it to set and Scallops, Pine Needle Udon, Grapefruit Dashi and Chinese Broccoli, where the scallops are unusually cooked sous-vide before browned off in a pan.
But WD50 has started a renovation since then and has reopened again on May 10th.
“I want people to think. And it has to be delicious, too. Let’s not forget that. We’ve scratched the whole game plan. We’ve never in the history of the restaurant flipped the entire menu.’’ – Uber-chef Wylie Dufresne of New York’s influential WD50 restaurant – famous for its ‘deconstructed’ egg Benedict- on the end of the restaurant’s a ala carte menu and the introduction of two tasting menus that will allow him to experiment even more.
WD50 has reopened on Thursday, May 10th with the inauguration of two new tasting menus: a twelve course menu “From the Vault”, a five course menu featuring classic dishes from the restaurant’s past menus. They no longer serve an a la carte menu. Bar diners can enjoy two courses (savory or sweet.