It’s not very often that I disagree with a NY Times review, but so is the case when it comes to dining at Lyon.
Lyon is located in the heart of the West Village, seen easily anywhere on the street by the bright yellow and white light-up sign hanging over the sidewalk. Walking into Lyon you’re immediately transported into a classic French bistro. The room is bright, especially during the day as the large windows allow natural sunlight to shine on the dark woodwork running through the room, offset slightly by a hue of red. The color scheme then carries over to the red-and-white picnic blanket style napkins, also displayed proudly by the service staff uniforms.
My only complaint about the décor is that the tables for two are packed so tightly together. So tight that the entire table has to be removed for the patron that is seated against the wall to get in or out. Make sure they make a bathroom trip before the meal starts, because it’s damn near impossible for them to be removed once the table is full of food and drink. In fact, everyone should make a trip to the restrooms, which are located in the basement. Every wall displays colorful classic French cartoons. Your friend taking too long? No problem, amuse yourself with the “Adventures of Asterix”. Your friend is most likely doing the same inside the stall.
The Executive Chef here is Chris Leahy, who opened Lyon with business partners Francoise Latapie and Penny Bradley. Of Irish background, Chris has a very impressive cooking background training under some of the best chefs across the country, and his heart lies in classical French cooking.
From the very first bite you immediately understand you’re in the presence of not only a talented cook, but a gifted craftsman. For French food having known to be stereotypically heavy with butter and cream, the food at Lyon is so surprisingly light. Every course punched me and my dining partner in the face with a wallop of flavor, yet incredibly light texture. We started the meal with a sampling of three appetizers.
Side note: I wish they updated their website more regularly, because a lot of the dishes portrayed on the website are no longer available at the restaurant. For a few days I had really been wanting to try the foie gras and rabbit terrine, but alas, no more.
Escargot with mushrooms and gnocchi. Escargot are snails, and for those of you who have never tried them, this dish would be a great introduction. Snails have a slightly earthy flavor to them, and if prepared the right way, need no more than a hint of garlic and butter to be enjoyed. Chef Leahy pairs the escargot with maitake mushrooms, fava beans, and fried gnocchi, which gives the dish a very interesting textural crunch. Everything is tied together with a mushroom cream sauce. The second this dish hit the table it was devoured in minutes.
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| Escargot |
Codfish fritters with saffron aioli. The best codfish fritters I have ever had go to Au Pied de Cochon, which pack so much flavor into one little bite I am amazed they haven’t received worldwide recognition. Not quite the same, the fritters here are still very good, though. The codfish flavor is not very strong, and the fritters are so airy that they give you the same feeling and joy as if you just broke open a freshly made buttermilk biscuit. Paired with the creamy saffron aioli you can’t help but wish there were more than just five on the plate.
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| Codfish Fritters |
Pike (category of white fish) quenelles. This is the one that really threw me and my dining companion for a loop. The quenelles had a subtle flavor of fish mousse, rounded out by a flavor of egg whites, topped with a not-so-rich lobster sauce. But what was the most surprising was the incredibly light soufflé-like texture to them. They were almost non-existent, melting away the second they touched your tongue. We later on learned the secret to making them. Sorry, I am not one to share the Chef’s secrets here, but just know they are incredibly involved, undertaking seven processes and almost two days to make. It just reinforces the notion that Chef Leahy is a patient craftsman, thinking through every step to deliver a great dish. Most chefs would have stopped the process at step three, and called it a day.
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| Pike Quenelles |
Duck wings with orange glaze and red chilies. Perfection. That is the one word I will use to describe them. The “wings” (which technically they weren’t) were so meltingly tender, with a beautifully crisp texture all the way around. The sweet orange glaze was spiked with specks of garlic, chili, and chives. I would go back to Lyon just to eat an entrée portion of them. They were incredible.
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| Duck Wings |
Artichoke ravioli. To be honest, the other vegetables on the plate took center stage to the ravioli, but overall still a great vegetarian mid-course to share. The raviolis were not stuffed very much, so it was hard to pick up on the artichoke flavor inside. The other vegetables, however, were cooked perfectly, with their natural flavors coming through under a buttery glaze. It was a perfect mix of thumbelina (small round) carrots, salsify (turnip-like flavor), and fava beans.
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| Artichoke Ravioli |
My friend then had the “cote de cochon”. It was a double pork chop, served with kale, and potatoes. This dish does not need a description. Just look at the size of the damn thing and tell me that doesn’t make your mouth water. The chop had this silky-smooth texture to it which I cannot even begin to describe, with the knife cutting through it like butter. The chop has so much flavor, only enhanced by the perfect sear on the outside, and the tender potatoes that sat under it.
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| Pork Chop |
I finished with the “pieds de porc”. Two large, perfectly crisp discs of pig trotter, foie gras, and spinach. They sat atop a stew of green lentils, diced carrots, pork cracklings, and cippolini onion. A splash of sherry vinegar and a huge quenelle of fresh house-made mustard brought everything together. What impressed me the most after cutting into it was the smoke that billowed out from the inside of the trotters. It is such a disappointment when you receive lukewarm food at a restaurant, but these arrived piping hot in the middle. What more could you ask for? That’s a sure sign of a kitchen that knows that they’re doing. Not trying to just push food out the door, but taking the time to properly execute every step. Although I was pretty full at that point, I couldn’t help but finish every bite of this dish. It was so good, and for $22, such a steal for a great entrée.
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| Pig Trotters & Foie Gras |
Although I do respect Sam Sifton’s opinion, I can’t help but think he may have been wrong about Lyon, or if anything, maybe he should come back and dine again. Being open for less than a year, I feel the kitchen may now have finally found its stride, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the years to come. One thing is for sure, though, if the kitchen executes like this on a daily basis, this restaurant will be around for a very long time.
Lyon
118 Greenwich Ave
New York, NY 10011
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