Cedric Gayon, the Chef de Cuisine of Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ, returns to Skinner’s Loft in Jersey City for Five Tastes—a pop-up restaurant concept that hosts professional chefs in a tasting menu environment. Five Tastes revolves around modern cooking with contemporary French and new American influence. The five-course dinners pop up at various NYC and Jersey City restaurants.
Gayon’s resume is studded with accolades, including stints at Las Vegas’ Sage, Restaurant Guy Savoy, Madame and the former best restaurant in the world, Eleven Madison Park. The acclaimed chef is known for his contemporary take on French cuisine.
On Tuesday, September 26, Gayon will take over at Skinner’s Loft for the evening, putting forth another iteration of the Five Tastes experience. This time, Gayon will be joined by another New Jersey-based chef, Bryan Giron, who owns Santelli’s Hospitality. Giron premiered his own private dinner concept earlier this year, Perquín, which explores Honduran and Latin American cuisine. You can rwad more about that concept here.
Gayon and Giron will put forth a six-course tasting menu, that is complete with a surprise take-home item. Guests can expect to see plenty of modern techniques, thoughtful plating and a robust collection of flavors and textures.
In an Instagram post about an earlier Five Tastes dinner, Gayon stated: “The menus I develop for these pop-ups are the furthest level I can push myself within the means of what me and my team are able to execute… With the food, my inspiration always begins with seasonality. What vegetable, fruit, or protein is at its highest peak of its natural state at that point in time?” It is crystal clear that Gayon puts his all into these dinners.
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His first menu for Five Tastes, which took place on June 27, included a tomato salad with brown butter croutons and finger lime, a scallop with local corn, seared arctic char and confit pork with stone fruit. With this newest menu and the ones that will follow it, Gayon will continue to push the limits of his capabilities—finding new ways to innovate and bring guests expertly-sculpted flavors. “I take an immense amount of pride in every menu I develop because it’s my creative escape to push myself more each day,” said Gayon of the dinners.
Five Tastes at Skinner’s Loft will take place on September 26 with two seatings at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Guests can expect to experience their meal over the course of two to three hours. Tickets can be purchased here.
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
