Last Friday, we found ourselves getting ready to go out for dinner. Except we weren’t going to just any old restaurant—we were headed to the personal apartment of a Michelin-trained chef for the most intimate fine dining experience we’ve ever had.
Chef Nicholas Tran runs a secret supper club out of his NYC apartment, bringing together great food, new faces and unforgettable conversation. His training hails from various upscale kitchens, ranging from Gramercy Tavern to Kappo Masa. Before it was Love, Me, Chef Tran’s supper club was formerly known as The Dark Room.
The entire reservation happens over email, where you prepay for your meal and an additional wine-pairing if you so choose (which, of course, we did). Once your reservation is confirmed, you’ll receive the secret address and apartment number.
We didn’t know what to expect upon arrival, shyly asking the man seated at a concierge desk where we could find the elevators. Once at his door, Chef Tran warmly welcomed us into his cozy apartment, where the dining table stood as the centerpiece of the space.
The table seats exactly eights guests, so depending on your group size, you’ll be having a meal beside absolute strangers. Funny enough, our dining companions turned out to be other residents in the building.
We anticipated some quiet moments, considering most of us didn’t know one another, but the intimate arrangement took us out of our comfort zone and invited us to chat with everyone seated. By the end of the night, we were all laughing together and swapping Instagrams.
Over the many courses served, Chef Tran took a moment to explain each dish and its seasonal ingredients, before we all continued gabbing. Our personal favorites included his Special Rice, inspired by a childhood meal his father made and his Vietnamese heritage, along with chicken-stuffed Agnolotti, as a play on chicken dumplings.
The desserts were extra special, with a sticky toffee pudding topped with whipped tofu that reminded us of a delicious piece of french toast, and fresh strawberries with a matcha crème.
So whether you’re looking to have a spectacular meal, meet some new friends, or just want a great story about dining in a stranger’s apartment, we’d recommend experiencing it for yourself.
Book your own reservation for June now.