On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, a US$200 plate of French fries stretches the definition of haute cuisine. The New York restaurant Serendipity 3 already claims world records for the most expensive burger (US$295) and ice cream sundae (US$1,000), so if the question is, “You want fries with that?” its answer is a resounding yes. Guinness World Records certified the feat. As of July 13, the fries are officially the most expensive on Earth. “Serendipity is really a happy place,” said creative director and chef Joe Calderone. “People come here to celebrate, to really escape the reality of life sometimes.” The Crème de la Crème Pomme Frites start out as Chipperbec potatoes. They are blanched – or scalded – in vinegar and champagne. Then they are fried in pure goose fat (not oil) and not once but twice, so they are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Sprinkled with edible gold and seasoned with truffle salt and truffle oil, they are served on a crystal plate with an orchid, thinly sliced truffles, and a Mornay cheese dip. The sauce, too, is infused with truffles, a rare seasonal mushroom. We go in search of Hong Kong’s best French fries “Truffle is the main star here,” said corporate executive chef Frederick Schoen-Kiewert. Like many restaurants, Serendipity 3 was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic . Calderone and Schoen-Kiewert thought the fancy fries would be a good way to announce its return. It’s working. There is an eight- to 10-week waiting list for the fries. “It’s been a rough year and a half for everyone, and we need to have some fun now,” said Calderone.