Foodies divided over famed chef Daniel Boulud’s $250 ‘chobster’ dish that sees a lobster stuffed inside a chicken served at his New York restaurant

Foodies are flocking to a New York restaurant that went viral after Martha Stewart showed off the ‘chobster’ dish in an Instagram post, but reviews were mixed.

House Barnesthe brainchild of Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud and officially launched in May, it has a $250 dish on its menu that “combines roasted Sasso chicken with lobster, topped with Nantua sauce and spring rice.”

Photos and video footage shared by the Boulud team on Instagram show the combination being presented on a wooden cutting board, with the whole chicken dressed with copper lobster tail, claws and head, while the actual crustacean is inside the cooked bird is filled.

While TV personality Stewart got a taste of the chobster in March, the public and food experts alike have since visited the Upper East Side restaurant to make their own assessments of the poultry and seafood mash-up.

The upscale restaurant has a $250 dish on its menu that “pairs roasted Sasso chicken with lobster, topped with Nantua sauce and spring rice.”

Food writer Willa Moore, of restaurant recommendation site The Infatuation, described the ‘chobster’ as a ‘tame’, ‘over-the-top’ and ‘pointless’ production

Food writer Willa Moore, from the restaurant recommendation site The crushrecently visited Maison Barnes to try the chobster, but described it as a ‘tame’, ‘over-the-top’ and ‘pointless’ production.

She wrote about the theatrical presentation: ‘A whole chicken comes to your table, dressed in lobster armor. The golden appendages are wiped away, leaving the naked chicken, which is then carved at the table.

“A lobster head is removed from its cavity, squeezed into a few drops of juice, and a bisque is whipped in front of you.”

In an Instagram and TikTok video from the food service, the writer also shows off the carving, with an overlay caption describing it as a “very slippery experience” with one breast “tumbling” to the floor.

Despite seemingly being unimpressed by the theater, Willa did comment that the chicken was “tender” and the “lobster perfectly poached.”

However, she was disappointed to discover that she only got “about three slices of each” on her plate.

New York Post critic Steve Cuozzo also reviewed in Maison Barnes, describing the chobster as a ‘high-class turducken’ and a ‘mutant masterpiece’ [that] takes ‘Frankenstein food’ to the next level.”

Like Willa, he highlighted the presentation of the chobster, considering it one of the “most elaborate table spectacles” he has yet seen in New York City.

New York Post critic Steve Cuozzo also took a look at Maison Barnes, describing the chobster as a “high-class Turducken” and a “mutant masterpiece.”

The dish is for a ‘lucky few’ only, as the restaurant only serves ‘four or five’ chobsters per evening

The lobster sauce is not only cut at the table, but also whipped up in full view of the guests.

Steve explains, “When [the chobster] reaches the table, the copper appendages are removed and the real lobster head is removed from the cavity. It is placed in an old-fashioned duck press to be pressed.

‘Boulud turned the wheel of the machine, pulverizing the shellfish and yielding a flavorful liquid that was added to lobster bisque, crème fraiche and chicken jus to create a rich, complex sauce – a variation on the classic Nantua sauce usually is made with crayfish.’

Like Willa, Steve seemed impressed by the ‘chobster’ flavor.

He described it as a “rare marriage of ocean and barnyard essences, sweetened and deepened by the creamy sauce.”

He insists the dish is only for a “happy couple” as the restaurant only serves “four or five” chobsters a night.

One lucky guest who tried the dish at Maison Barnes was American photographer Todd Coleman.

He wrote on Instagram that while some people think it’s overdone, he “thinks it’s a nice twist on a traditional crayfish and chicken dish.”

Overall, he gave it a thumbs up and thought it was “art,” but acknowledged that it’s “certainly not for everyone.”

Maison Barnes says the recipe is inspired by a 19th century creation and was created by the restaurant’s chef, Romain Paumier, in collaboration with Daniel.

The dish – which can serve two to three people – has certainly caused quite a stir among onlookers.

One Instagrammer said it “seems like it would give me nightmares.”

Another mused: ‘I’m shocked yet fascinated, I’m disgusted but I can’t look away.’