I’m upset with myself for not knowing about Goosefeather restaurant at Tarrytown House Estate sooner. Located on the first floor of the estate’s King Mansion, it has everything you want in a restaurant: ambiance, inventive cuisine, impeccable service and irresistibly delicious food. I’m not kidding, Kev and I couldn’t stop eating when we were full — it was that good that we used our chopsticks to battle to the last bite of each course. Chef Dale Talde’s leveled-up Cantonese cuisine is worth fighting over.
Honorable mention goes to their bartender and his flawless cocktails. We started off our evening in Goosefeather’s bar + lounge and one thing is for sure, they do not take mixology lightly. I don’t drink cocktails often — I usually reach for wine, but I could’ve drank one of each on their menu after tasting my first Pale Rider. Which was a tarragon-infused cocktail unlike anything I’ve ever sipped on. Kevin ordered the Rewind Selectah and I’d like to bathe in that cocktail. A word of advice — if you ever see a cocktail that has egg white as an ingredient, order it. They really are far superior cocktails if you ask me. And the egg white counts towards your day’s protein intake.. right? Right.
I mention ambiance but photos don’t do it justice. From the lounge to the multiple dining rooms, each has their own unique personalities. Each of the four dining rooms offer completely different dining experiences. We were seated in the Library dining room and I purposely dragged out dinner for three hours just to bask in the room’s atmosphere. Maybe it was the cocktail shaken to perfection that was now coursing through my veins, but I remember being happy to be sitting on the bright floral bench in that main dining room. Once the warmer weather finally gets here, they will open their outdoor seating — and I will be the first to make a reservation.
Now on to what you realllly came here for. The food.
We had the option to dine à la carte or have the chef choose our tasting menu. If you ever pick à la carte instead of having the celebrity chef craft your dining experience, you’re wrong.
For us, each course was a surprise. And I love surprises. Each dish that came out somehow outshined the dish prior. It is very hard to do that because normally, I favor appetizers above all else. But I kid you not, each dish that came out made me forget that my stomach could only fit so much food.
First, we were served the Chilled Tuna And Jicama Spring Rolls. To be honest, I normally stay away from chilled tuna appetizers in the winter BUT these… these were freshly piped into the shell, buttery smooth high quality tuna, and I take back my previous statement. I don’t think I will be dining at Goosefeather without ordering these to start. We then had the Baby Gem Lettuce salad. Beautifully plated (+10 points). Tasty (of course). I, however, have never been much of a salad girl. But if you’re healthy like that, this is for you.
Next, the Dry-Aged Beef Potstickers came to the table. Not sure if I have ever verbalized this but — I possibly am dumplings #1 fan. I don’t know what it is. Just kidding, I know exactly what it is — wrap anything in dough and panfry it to perfection, I will love it. The fresh Chinese horseradish mustard is what really got me. And my sinuses. If you know real real horseradish and love the kick that brings tears to your eyes, this mustard is for you. I could’ve eaten that dim sum dipping sauce with a spoon it was so fresh and flavorful.
The time in-between courses was timed perfectly. There is nothing that I hate more than a restaurant stacking courses. It takes away from the meal + ruins your palette. ((Yes, I am quite the food-snob nowadays. Not even going to try to hide it.)) Goosefeather is on it’s game and didn’t rush us at all. Next, they brought out our main course: Crab Rice, Black Pepper Beef and Wild Mushroom Slippery Noodle.
This is where I really found nirvana. ((lol. yes, I am dramatic and have an undying love for food)) These three dishes were some of the best I’ve ever had, ever. Crab Rice may sound simple but it was anything but. With Jalapeno Aioli balanced throughout the dish, in combination with colorful Tobiko — the flavor profile of this dish was A1. I can’t talk about it anymore or I will shed a tear because I don’t have reservation for this weekend.
Next, the perfectly crisp + saucy Black Pepper Beef came out. I normally opt for anything but beef but this was the most flavorful beef dish I’ve ever tasted. I’d swim in that sauce. Just sayin’. Last but not least, and possibly our favorite, although I said I couldn’t pick favorites… Noodles just hold a special place in my heart. The Wild Mushroom Slippery Noodle.
I used to hate mushrooms. You wouldn’t catch me eating anything with those slimy fungi in them… until, I turned 20. Maybe it was because my brain finally was closer to being fully developed and I realized I was 100% misinformed about mushrooms. I now wake up craving mushrooms. Weird. Anyways, you don’t care. SO, when the waiter borought out the Slippery Noodles with the Mushroom XO sauce, Bean Sprouts, Shaved Hazelnut, and Egg ((that you had to break and mix into the noodle dish. Genius)) I was drooling to say the least. This dish was the one Kev and I just kept spooning onto our plates after exclaiming how crazy full we were. Worth it.
UGH, importing these photos into the post is making me hungry at 10:57PM.
Last, and possibly most important, d e s s e r t. Now if you know me at all, you know that I can go out, eat an appetizer or two and skip over the rest of the meal and indulge in dessert. Maybe two. So when they brought out the Goosefeather Sunday — that is covered in French Toast Crunch ((!!!!!)) — I was ecstatic. This was vanilla, pumpkin, and apple pie ice cream with brûléed marshmallow + French Toast Crunch topped off with a drunken cherry! I also was super intrigued by the matcha tiramisu with Green Tea, Yuzu, and Passion fruit. But I’ll be back for that one. Along with one of everything I haven’t tasted on the menu.
To top it all off, the service was some of the best. So friendly and helpful, and we all know service can make or break a meal. But Goosefeather has every base covered. I cannot wait to go back. And while I didn’t get to meet the chef this time — I read that he is a Filipino-American chef. I want to know his opinion on Jollibee… lol.
A huge thank you to Goosefeather for having us!
(( If you don’t understand the Jollibee reference, check out these travel vlogs and this taste test))
xxo,
L
