Haute Dining: 10 Questions for Chef Jasper Schneider of Hudson Hall

Since joining Hudson Hotel as executive chef in August 2010, Chef Jasper Schneider has instilled his philosophy of cooking with passion, freshness, and quality into all aspects of the iconic hotel’s Hudson Hall restaurant. It’s a modern collegiate hall that allows guests to craft their meal through a selection of small plates created from premium sustainable organic products indigenous to the New York Hudson Valley Area.

Signature dishes at Hudson Hall include a 72-hour braised short rib, mac and cheese with ricotta besciamella and tasso, chermoula roasted Amish chicken and buttermilk-ricotta pancakes with organic warm blueberry-lemon curd and candied almonds. Here, we speak with the chef behind these dishes: Jasper Schneider.

Haute Living: What’s new at Hudson Hall?
Chef Jasper Schneider: We just got our first of the season English peas, verbena & lemon balm. Also, two wiskey barrels from Tuthilltown Spirits to age our homemade Worcestershire sauce.

HL: What are some of your favorite dishes at your restaurant?
JS: Baby beets salad with hazelnuts, goat cheese and dried cheeries.
Hamachi crudo with green papaya salad and Thai bird chili.
72-hour sous vide short rib, medium rare with homemade Worcestershire Sauce.

HL: Where do you like to dine when you’re not working?
JS: Veselka for the homemade perogis. Yakatori Totto for the chicken skin and chicken oysters. Brunch at the bar at Balthazar on Sunday with my wife.

HL: What’s your ideal meal?
JS: Simple roasted chicken with haricot verts and a glass of single malt.

HL: Where do you like to dine for a special occasion?
JS: Le Bernadin (to pay homage to my mentor) and Morimoto.

HL: What’s your favorite NYC neighborhood?
JS: The Bowery. I love the restaurant scene there. It’s also convenient/walking distance from Financial District, where I live, for Sunday brunch.

HL: What do you like to do in the city on your days off?
JS: Eat, cook for friends I don’t get to see during the week, download some music.

HL: What’s your favorite vacation destination?
JS: Kauai, Hawaii to visit my parents and eat as many Bubba Burgers as I want plus my mom’s home cooked meals.

HL: What’s your most memorable meal?
JS: El Farillon at the Capella Pedregal resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where my wife and I spent our honeymoon. Fish caught hours before it’s served and cooked to perfection.

HL: What are your five favorite ingredients?
Salt, butter, Banyuls vinegar, fresh kombu and katsuobushi [fried, fermented fish].

Hudson Hall is located in the Hudson Hotel at 356 W. 58th St. 212-554-6502

Need help finding the perfect New York City restaurant? Or want tips on cooking elegant meals at home? Contact Haute Living dining columnist Tracey Ceurvels via her blog, The Busy Hedonist, or email her with any questions.

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