Huso Tribeca — Review by Bon Appetit
New York, United States — French fine dining / Modern European
Huso Tribeca is a hidden Michelin-starred restaurant located inside a caviar shop in New York City that earned its prestigious star just 9 months after opening. Head Chef Lois showcases exceptional technical skill and creativity, featuring innovative tasting menu dishes that celebrate premium ingredients like beluga caviar, bluefin tuna, wagyu beef, and live scallops with meticulous preparation and artful plating.
What was great: Innovative Michelin-starred cuisine, exceptional use of premium caviar, meticulous technical execution, creative dishes like tuna tartare with caviar and beef Wellington, hidden speakeasy concept within a caviar store, attention to detail in plating and preparation
What could improve: Nothing mentioned
The Dishes
Huso Tribeca operates on a seasonal tasting menu format, with five menu changes in less than a year according to the kitchen philosophy. The first course features a stunning tuna tartare composed of two components: a pounded puck and minced dice for textural contrast, topped with oetra caviar and smoked sturgeon for depth. The dish is accompanied by a delicate tuna consomme made from bluefin tuna carcasses, onions, and fennel, creating a light and fresh broth prepared with surgical precision.
The beef course represents a showstopper preparation of wagyu beef wrapped in pancetta and encased in pastry with intricate hand-braided pastry details on top. This decadent final savory course comes with a truffle-forward perigle sauce made with cherry vinegar and butter. A guest favorite is the scallop dish, a celebration of sunchokes featuring salt-baked sunchoke puree, pickled and roasted sunchokes, and a house-made sunchoke caramel that was born from an accidentally over-reduced consomme.
The Experience
The restaurant maintains an intimate speakeasy vibe, accessible only through the elegant caviar shop at street level. The dining room features just 11 tables upstairs, while the kitchen operates downstairs in a meticulously organized space. Service begins with a pre-service tasting ritual where the head chef personally tastes every component to ensure quality standards. During dinner service, the kitchen operates with military precision, with the head chef stationed at an expo station offering a 360-degree view of all cooking stations. The operation maintains detailed guest records including allergies, visit history, and special notes.
Value & Pricing
While specific pricing is not mentioned in the video, the restaurant clearly positions itself at the luxury tier as a Michelin-starred establishment featuring premium ingredients like beluga caviar (which is exclusive to the United States through their partner Maris), bluefin tuna, wagyu beef, and live sunchokes. The tasting menu format and ingredient quality suggest a significant investment per guest.
Notable Moments
In 9 months, we got our first star, which is a tremendous achievement for all of us involved.
The scientific name for Beluga is Huso Huso. So kind of ties everything together.
If you fail an inspection, that is pretty much closed down at the restaurant.
A pet peeve of mine is people not cutting the little tails off. It upsets me immensely.
The Verdict
Huso Tribeca represents an exceptional fine dining destination for adventurous diners seeking innovative haute cuisine with obsessive attention to technical detail. Best suited for special occasions and those who appreciate the craftsmanship of fine dining, this hidden gem rewards guests willing to seek it out within the caviar shop's elegant facade. The restaurant demonstrates remarkable achievement in earning its Michelin star within nine months, a testament to Head Chef Lois's vision and the kitchen's unwavering commitment to excellence.