NEW YORK (March 5, 2019) This April, INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC – a unique cultural space where ideas and people converge – announces Chef Sergio Barroso as the restaurant’s next Global Chef-in-Residence for its esteemed culinary program. Chef Barroso, who is behind the renowned Restaurante 040 in Chile, will make his U.S. debut at INTERSECT this spring. Opening in 2015 in Santiago, Chile, Restaurante 040 quickly positioned itself among the best restaurants in Latin America and has been paving the way of gastronomy in the region. INTERSECT’s Cocktail Bar and Lounge will also transition into Room 09 – Restaurante 040’s speakeasy – where mixologist and partner, Raul Esteban Yañez Campos, creates original and daring cocktails.

Following the inaugural concept from Chef Gregory Marchand of the Frenchie restaurants located in Paris and London, the Restaurant at INTERSECT will continue its commitment to fine dining in its second iteration of the rotating Global Chef-in-Residence program. The program allows the restaurant to introduce a new dining concept from a different chef every 4 to 6 months, hosting innovative and emerging culinary talent from around the world. Each chef is selected in collaboration with Danny Meyer’s acclaimed Union Square Hospitality Group and directly reflects INTERSECT’s commitment to supporting the creative community on an international scale. 040 @ INTERSECT BY LEXUS undeniably fits this criteria, bringing a unique combination of contemporary gastronomy and Latin flare to Manhattan. His innovative selection of small bites and artfully crafted cocktails are inspired by cuisines around the world as well as his commitment to using local ingredients.

“The Global Chef-in-Residence program was conceived as a way to give New Yorkers a chance to experience a new cuisine without having to get on an airplane. For up and coming chefs, it is an opportunity to give people in New York a taste of what they are creating around the globe,” says Kirk Edmondson, General Manager of INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC. “For the next 4 to 6 months, Chef Sergio will share his vision of Latin America in the heart of the Meatpacking District.”

040 @ INTERSECT BY LEXUS will offer a 12-course small plates tasting menu that consists of cutting edge bite-size dishes set to change on a regular basis. Working from a reserve of 30 small plates that he has curated over the years, Chef Barroso’s menu will change day-to-day, based on seasonality and surrounding influences, consistently highlighting local flavors and utilizing avant-garde techniques to provide an ever-changing dynamic to the restaurant at INTERSECT. Each course is served in non-traditional fashion – on beds of hay, wood panels or even the spiny shell of a sea urchin. These avant-garde tapas will be served without silverware, distinguishing 040 from the typical fine dining experience. Lunch will be slightly more condensed with a 6-course tasting menu. Dishes that will be served include hake churros with béchamel foam, shank dumpling and smoked broth, and oyster with green apple and hot pepper sorbet.  

“Restaurante 040’s inventive approach is not only unique to New York; but also, to the rest of the world,” explains Chef Barroso. “As it is the first fine dining restaurant to offer food that must be eaten with your hands, the concept will contribute a completely new gastronomic experience to the public. The concept resembles Japanese Kaiseki, complementing the overall ethos of INTERSECT BY LEXUS.”

Born in Madrid to a family of chefs, Sergio Barroso has worked at El Bulli, the legendary Michelin three-star restaurant known for its extraordinary Catalonian food, Denis Martin in Vevey, Switzerland and the five-star Monte Carlo Beach in Monaco – all of which have shaped his esteemed cooking style.

As an integral part of the dining experience at 040, guests will be invited to enjoy the Cocktail Bar and Lounge which will be reimagined as Room 09. Room 09 is Restaurante 040’s modern speakeasy, tucked away behind a non-descript door, which boasts a variety of pisco-centered drinks by Campos. His masterful work complements that of Chef Barroso’s, embracing close attention to detail, flavor and innovation. Following in 040’s non-conventional style, Room 09 @ INTERSECT BY LEXUS will serve cocktails in elaborate and whimsical glassware, bridging creativity and technicality for a completely elevated and unparalleled dining experience.

INTERSECT BY LEXUS – NYC is located at 412 West 14th Street New York, New York 10014. The restaurant serves lunch seven days a week from 11:30-2:30PM. Dinner is available Sunday-Wednesday from 5PM-10PM and Thursday-Saturday from 5PM-11PM. The café is open from 8AM-7PM seven days a week. To make a reservation please visit Resy.com and for more information on the space please visit  www.Intersect-NYC.com.