Ex-Duck & Waffle chef Dan Doherty to open NY restaurant

Chef Dan Doherty is to open a new restaurant in New York in partnership with London-based hospitality group Rhubarb next year, having stepped down from his role of chef director at London’s sky-high Duck & Waffle.

Dan Doherty’s NY restaurant will open in Manhattan in March 2019

Doherty will take up the position of chef partner at the as yet unnamed all-day dining restaurant, bar and terrace that will open on the fifth floor of the newly developed Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s west side in March 2019.

It will be the first international location for the London hospitality group Rhubarb, whose portfolio already includes Sky Garden, and the Royal Albert Hall.

“We are delighted to partner with Dan, who offers a raw passion for food and an infectious energy,” said CEO of Rhubarb, P.B Jacobse. “He also shares our ethos, which is to push the boundaries of food expectations and deliver something truly memorable. Hudson Yards is a development that will change the way New York lives, works and eats, and to be part of that is extraordinary for us all.”

Doherty had been executive head chef at Duck & Waffle, (and later chef director) at the restaurant located on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower since it opened in 2012. Tom Cenci, who has been the executive head chef under Doherty, will remain in place at the restaurant.

“I love New York & have always been a fan of the food scene there, so I was really excited when Rhubarb approached me to work as Chef Partner on the Hudson Yards project,” said Doherty. “It’s an incredible site, and with an all-day offer, there’s something for everyone. I’ll continue to be based in London, but will be spending a lot of time in New York from pre-opening to launch and beyond.”

The 171-cover restaurant will an “East meets West” menu inspired by Doherty’s love of travel with dishes including: Singapore chilli crab croquettes; scallop, apple, kohlrabi and Chinese chilli oil; beef fillet, chilli, daikon & soy cured egg; asparagus, sticky shitake, brown butter hollandaise and roasted and glazed herb fed chicken with chicken fat rice.

“The restaurant and bar will be light, bright and grand in form; with natural textured materials, opulent tones, teak timber screens and oriental features, seamlessly blending industrial West with authentic East,” a release stated.

Later, in 2020, Rhubarb will open another 10,000 sq.ft restaurant and events space at the top of 30 Hudson Yards that will occupy the top two levels of the 1,296-foot-tall tower and include an expansive observation deck, which will be the “highest manmade outdoor viewing area in the Western Hemisphere, and the fifth highest in the world”.