Note: I sincerely apologize for the really awful looking pictures. First, I own a point and shoot. Second, incandescent lightning is one of the no-nos for good pictures. Third, I have tried my best.I had the best meals when I was in New York. Regardless of cheap or pricey (still not as expensive as Melbourne), there was nothing in New York that was disappointing except for the meals I had when I was exploring the
Meatpacking District. After the Meatpacking District fiasco, every meal, cheap or expensive ( I don't eat only pricey stuff but I eat healthy though) is amazing in its own, unique way.
Having experienced Boston, New York and Washington, which are three prominent cities of America, I feel that every foodie should head to New York at least once in their life. New York, is as amazing as Hong Kong, when it comes to food but of course, I will vouch for Hong Kong when it comes to fanta-mazing Chinese food. :)
It took me some time to get to Le Bernardin!
When in New York, I think that every foodie, who have no restrictions in terms of budget, should try the following: At least one of the restaurants owned by Jean Georges, Per Se or Per Se Salon if you cannot get a rez, Daniel (couldn't get a table at all!!!) and Le Bernardin. First, you can see for yourself whether the restaurant lives up to its expectations. Second, you can use it as an estimate to know what does it feel like to be in a top restaurant. Third, you can to observe culinary trends and how far these trends spread to your locality.
Of course, I do not encourage every meal to be a meal in some fancy restaurant. For me, simple meals can be as equally good as well. :) Here, I ! define s imple as healthy, slow-cooked and less emphasis on service and presentation.
Enough of pep talk and onto the review.
Unlike Per Se, Le Bernardin's decor was really plush and lush.
I think I was fortunate enough to snag a table for one at Le Bernardin. I felt that it was either by luck or perhaps, Le Bernardin is not as popular as Per Se or Daniel. I was pretty pissed off when I could not get a table at both restaurants. However, I was glad I had Le Bernardin. And like any of my dining experiences, I entered Le Bernardin without an expectation whatsoever because sometimes, having high expectations can defeat the purpose of the meal. I would be contented if they stuck to their philosophy, which is "the best fish, prepared simply" and the service was friendly.
I have to say, I had both.
There are different menus for dinner at Le Bernardin: a 7 course Tasting menu (140 USD per pax), an 8 course Chef's Tasting Menu (190 USD per pax) and a 4 course Pre-Fixe menu (115 USD per pax). I went for the pre-fixe because I had to rush to Apollo Theater all the way at Harlem after my meal and also, I do not have the capacity to pull a 7 course meal. The 4 course Pre-Fixe is interesting in the sense that you pick three savories and one dessert. In the three savories, you choose one item from "Simply Raw", which means the seafood is uncooked, one item from "Barely Touched", which means very minimal cooking is done on the seafood item and "Lightly Tou! ched&quo t;, which means cooked just right because overcooked seafood is nasty. If you are not huge on Seafood for your mains, you can opt for "Upon Request" but I think it defeats the purpose of going to New York's Temple of Seafood.
Some items may not be available on the menu because Le Bernardin use only the freshest fish. I can testify for that (more about this later).
My meal started off with an amuse bouche of oyster. I wished I remembered the name of the amuse bouche but boy, the oyster satisfied my palette and ignited my appetite. The citrusy notes offered by the dressing that came with the fresh, meaty oyster, enthralled me. After having the oyster, I was craving for more.
After that, I was offered bread. I was hoping for warm bread but no, I was offered bread at room temperature. At this point, I was very convinced that it is an American thing to serve bread at room temperature. In Malaysia, Melbourne or Hong Kong, such a thing would have been criticized! I hope someone from Le Bernardin would read this and start serving warm bread!
Smooth, velvety butter
Nonetheless, the bread basket was lovely. One gets to choose up to seven different kinds of bread. In Per Se Salon, I was offered 3. Maybe they offer more in the restaurant itself, I do not know. However, 7 is a step up for sure. :) I picked the mixed fruit and raisin bread because it was the tiniest. It would be unwise to dull my palette with the taste of bread, even though I love eating bread a l! ot!
The raisin bread was pleasant in the sense that it was really moist and not too sweet to taste. Yet, I would not say that it blew my mind off but as they are six other options, at least one of them is bound to satisfy me.
Hamachi - Hamachi Tartare; Marinated Cucumber, Aged Citrus Vinegar
During my Boston trip, I had not fulfilled my fish quota. Therefore, all three courses that I had picked were fish dishes. I had the hamachi or the Japanese amberjack. Hamachi has a distinctive sweetness and I felt that the kitchen really brought that feature out with the use of the tangy dressing. It was a great follow up from the oysters.
Tuna - Ultra Rare Yellowfin Tuna; Spiced Dashi Gelee; Green Peppercorn; Iberico ChutneyThe most memorable dish of this dinner would be the tuna. I loved the bold flavors of the bonito and how amazing it went with the smoked scented tuna. It was just umami overdose!
Rice crackers to go with
The rice crackers added a funky touch to this really classy dish, which appealed to me.
Cod fish - Sauteed Codfish; Leek and Grape Parfait; Caramelized Endives; Green Peppercorn Marinerie
Initially, I picked cod for my mains because I love the milky taste of cod. To my dismay, the cod was bland! At first, I thought the fish must have been frozen or something like that but judging from how the flakes fall off from the fish, it would be impossible. Moreover, the kind waiting staff actually brought out one of the cod fillets and showed it to me that it was indeed fresh. As I consume a lot of fish and buy my fish from the wet market, I can tell that the fish is really fresh. It's nearly translucent and has this lovely glow to it but it baffles me that the cod is bland! Not even the sauce could bring out the signature milky taste of cod.
Therefore, I googled up about the North Atlantic Cod and it was said that the cod fish would taste better if they were placed with catfish.
Monkfish - Pan Roasted Monkfish; Sea Bean; White Asparagus in a light Barnaise Scented Broth
As I was really unhappy with the dish, they were happy enough to get me a replacement. I had the monkfish instead because I had seen it on the telly but never had it before. The monkfish, as compared to the cod, tasted like a cross between chicken and lobster. After having the monkfish, I was telling myself: "Give me this anytime!" It was really good. What I loved most is how there were the flavors of hollandaise and barnaise in one dish!
I told the waiting staff about how delicious the monkfish was and was told that the monkfish has a reputation of being the poor's man lobster. I find it to be really true.
Egg - Salted Caramel, Egg WhiteFor entremet, I had this custard, caramel typed dessert. I wish I could know the exact name of this dessert! Boy, I do appreciate this creation. It may be small but it does pack a punch. The caramel was perfectly cooked - it was golden, gooey and just gorgeous!
I was ooh-ing and aah-ing as the entremet arrived. When I was in
Per Se Salon, I was given a magazine to read and I came across this article about cutting egg shells and how difficult it was to execute such an act. With this in mind, I appreciated this entremet more.
Citrus - Lime Parfait, Meringue, Avocado Puree, Mint, Grapefruit - Tequila SorbetFor desserts, I picked something citrusy because I did not think I can handle another chocolate dessert. The dessert was really love. The parfait was really smooth, almost yogurt-like. I loved how it was not too sweet and the lime was really prominent. The other components of the dish complimented really nicely. I was a happy camper after the meal.
Decaf - they serve really good coffee here. :)To finish off my meal, I had some coffee. I was not served as petit fours because I think I was actually rushing my meal. I felt really bad but what can a student on a study trip do? I have to rush up to Harlem a! fter my meal. I wished I could spend more time and soak up the atmosphere at Le Benardin like how did for Salon Per Se. The service was superb but I felt more like a princess at Salon Per Se.
This is my first time seeing brown sugar molasses!
When it comes to food, I do not think it is fair to compare both Per Se/ Salon Per Se and Le Bernardin. Both restaurants have their own specialty. If you are a seafood lover, I would say, head to Le Bernardin. If you want to be treated like royalty and feel that you have a special connection with a restaurant, I would vouch for Per Se. :)
Little things:-Cuisine: International, Modern, Seafood, French
-Ambience: Romantic, low lightning
-Service: Quick and efficient, Attentive
-Portions: Reasonable
-Budget: Damage done was 115 USD excluding tax and tips.
-More information:
Pictures from Apollo Theater:
Offerred bread so many times.
