20 Questions with Rose Noel of Peak at Hudson Yards
In the Resy Questionnaire, we play a game of 20 questions with the industry folks behind some of our favorite restaurants. What’s your most memorable restaurant experience? Your favorite food movie? What restaurant would you want to time-travel for?
In this edition, we spoke to Rose Noel, the executive chef over at Peak at Hudson Yards in New York.
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The Resy Questionnaire
1. Favorite thing you’ve ever cooked?
Leek Wellington. I love vegetables, and it was delicious.
2. Kitchen tool or equipment you couldn’t live without?
A chef’s knife.
3. What pantry items would you bring on a desert island?
Black pepper, hot sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and curry powder.
4. What’s your favorite place to get a slice in New York?
5. Favorite cookbook?
“D.O.M.: Rediscovering Brazilian Ingredients” by Alex Atala.
6. Your drink of choice?
Sparkling water.
7. Favorite food movie?
It’s a tie between “The Menu” and “Chef.”
8. Your ideal dinner party guest, dead or alive?
Anthony Bourdain.
9. What restaurant industry person do you admire the most?
Dominique Crenn because she creates amazing food at a high level and still doesn’t take herself too seriously.
10. The greatest restaurant experience of your life so far?
Da Cesare in Rome. I had great company and it was my first meal in Rome.
11. Your greatest professional achievement?
Opening Maialino Mare in Washington, D.C. It was my first executive chef position. It was in a new city, and I got a chance to build an amazing team.
12. What single dish best describes your personality?
Bucatini all’amatriciana because it’s spicy and flavorful.
13. If you could go back in time, which restaurant would you dine at?
Mission Chinese. They had such good food, anytime.
14. Your favorite meal from childhood?
Chicken with rice and green peas.
15. What is your wish for the restaurant industry?
Great compensation for line cooks, prep cooks, and porters.
16. What do you wish you did better? What do you do well?
I want to be better at balancing admin time with kitchen time. As for what I think I do well, I feel I am very invested in my team.
17. If you could eat through a city for a day, where would you go?
Rome.
18. The one thing you can’t resist splurging on when you go out?
Caviar.
19. What do you value most in restaurants?
Great food and staff who care about what they do.
20. It’s your last meal on earth, what are you eating?
Roasted whole fish and roasted vegetables.
Peak is open daily for lunch and dinner.
Follow Rose Noel on Instagram.
Deanna Ting is Resy’s New York Editor. Follow her on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Follow Resy, too.
