Le Coin, Meatpacking District’s newest culinary masterpiece, fuses fine art and dining

Executive Chef Sebastien Chaoui of the brand new Le Coin restaurant in the Meatpacking District has a creative process akin to an artist who carries a sketchbook everywhere in case inspiration strikes.

“I write down all my ideas,” he says, “wherever I am.”

His artistry is visual as well, as he explains: “I work like a painter — I’m very visual. I try to work with a color palette. … My last menu was light green, purple and off-white. If you are a chef, you love art.”

That is not to say that his food is based solely on looks. His mix of flavors produces elegantly simple yet rich dishes, as in his signature scallop dish, La Saint-Jacques, which is comprised of seared dry sea scallops on the half shell, blood orange beurre blanc, and leeks in a pine nut compote.

“It’s all about the technique and the sourcing,”  Chaoui notes. “I’m all about the best cheese, the best bread. Even if you are doing something simple, you have to use the best.”

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