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Classically trained, a culinary educator, experienced gastronomic chef, and entrepreneur, Jason McKinney has worked at big culinary names – The French Laundry (USA), where he trained under renowned three-Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller; Gaggan (Bangkok); Maison Pic (France); and Frenchie (Paris). In collaboration with The Hedonist, a curator of fine food experiences, he is showcasing a seven-course Modern American tasting menu that celebrates local ingredients with international flavours and techniques.
McKinney recently showcased at Michelin-starred restaurants and hosted intimate residencies at luxury hotels across Japan, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, and Sweden. The final India chapter was on March 26-27 in Bangalore. And this is in preparation for opening Restaurant Elizabeth – a 14-seat chef's counter on NYC's Lower East Side in late 2027. He picks his best chef tables across the world in an exclusive conversation with the Robb Report India.
Restaurant Elizabeth, a 14-seat chef's counter on NYC's Lower East Side, will open late 2027.
The cuisine of Elizabeth is an ode to his mother, after whom he has named the restaurant. Combining precision with storytelling, this will have nostalgic American comfort food with global techniques showcased through a thoughtful tasting format. “Very simply, it will show the most delicious things I've learnt to make or tasted in my life that I'm kind of recreating in my own style. I want to tell stories that go with the food and showcase a bit of my journey from being a kid from a broken home to being able to work at a great restaurant.”
A well-known 3-star Michelin restaurant helmed by Chef Thomas Keller has a chef's table that is the hardest to get a reservation for. “At The French Laundry, there is a hallway that goes to the dining room, and at the start is the chef's office with glass on all sides. For super VIP guests who are usually solo diners, they would be served at the chef's office. You would sit and get to watch the entire kitchen at work. The chefs would sometimes bring you the courses themselves. And you would get to watch the entire kitchen, and it's one chef's table that no one knows about.” And while reservations are hard to get at the restaurant, the one in the chef’s office is even more niche. “The truffle egg custard is one of the best dishes I've ever had."
The Menu, a 2022 American black comedy horror movie, is also about fine dining being a little ridiculous. “And like the movie, Gaggan (Anand) got that right. And there are two things they do well at Gaggan – one is the show, and secondly, he really does try to focus as he wants each course to be a delicious bite,” he says. And one dish that the chef recommends is the chilled scallop curry, a scallop panna cotta, with the panna cotta made with a coconut curry.
“Before they would serve it, they would ask people about their idea of curry, and he would tell them 'this is the curry'. Two things then happened: one is that dish was delicious. Two, you saw people as if it were almost like their brains that ate the idea and found it delicious. And so that was cool and unique."
David Barzelay, is the executive chef and owner, who is not usually on the top 50 but deserves to be there, shares McKinney. “He puts two tables with 20 people on each in a long format. They kind of mix up who sits with whom, and then you can watch the chefs cook. It is almost a little bit like you're in someone's home. And you watch them cook. And whoever's course it is, they bring the course, they explain the story, and they tell everything about it."
Björn Frantzén has achieved something that no one else has: three Michelin stars. “The layout looks very similar to how I envision Elizabeth. The tagline is high-end dining and casual spaces, and they show you all the ingredients. They take you upstairs, and then you go in and dine, and everything is delicious.” With restaurants in Dubai and Singapore as well, the restaurants serve modern European fare with a touch of Japanese flair.