Le Coucou

I didn't know what to expect when I came here. I've heard raves and some "meh"s. Mostly, I wondered why I did three back to back French lunches when I really don't love French fine dining.

In my head, this was a throwaway. A box to check. Not likely to be anything memorable. The canapes were exactly that. But otherwise, I was very, very wrong.

Le Coucou becomes my favorite French restaurant in NYC, besting even Daniel. The cooking here is sublime, resonating with me partly because of its modern take on traditional French cuisine. "Updating classical French cuisine with charm and verve" as their About Us page states. Spot on.

Named for this French song by the famed Django Reinhardt that the Chef's son was singing as he was trying to think of a name for this restaurant, the whimsical joy of that tune permeates this place. It plays on a loop in the restrooms. The restaurant provides a general feeling that says "Why not enjoy terrific food today?" Take French gluttony back a few steps to "Why not treat yourself? You deserve it." That's le Coucou.

Service lacked a bit, but sitting in such an incredibly beautiful space and being brought delicious dish after delicious dish, service faded to the background behind the open kitchen, clearly operated in a traditional French Brigade structure. Listening and watching brought great energy into a mostly empty dining room.

This is an easy reservation to obtain, and shouldn't be.

I love consommé and ordered it when my server said "It's the best I've ever had. And I'm not just saying that because I work here." It was stellar, providing rich, deep, sweet notes that assure you it's been reducing for the last decade or so.

The pike mousse was ordered because my sister-in-law had been here recently and raved about it. Man was she right! This is a unique and incredible dish, with rich lobster sauce invading the light, creamy mousse, accented by its a dark, laquer. Though I didn't want it to end, the dish was a bit too large, in my opinion. Super light, so it didn't fill you up. But it took a whole lot of eating to get through. A terrific dish to share between two people.

The lobster au poivre stole the show, though. That sauce (which is also served with filet) mimicked the lobster sauce above, with a deep richness that is only achieved through time and top-notch cooking. With just enough cream to balance the peppercorns, you could bathe anything in this sauce and be happy. But the perfectly cooked and unshelled lobster was an ideal vessel. I beg you to get this when you visit here. It's the 2nd best lobster dish I have ever had (best one: The French Laundry's lobster with cumin carrot sauce.)

If you are looking for a fairly informal Michelin-star meal in New York, le Coucou should be on your list. It should be near the top. I can not wait to return to this place, which will happen on my next visit to NYC, I promise. I've heard their rabbit is out of this world and I'm game to try!

(See what I did there?)