Exactly a week after we went to Le Bernardin, DLS took me to Jean Georges because… much like Le Bernardin, the executive pastry chef of Jean Georges, Johnny Iuzzini, was leaving at the end of 2011.  Of course, I’ve actually ‘worked with’ Johnny in the past (click the link earlier, you’ll see) and sampled desserts that he literally made on the spot, but it would be different to eat what he makes at the restaurant, right?  Right, and that was reason enough to have dinner here (I had lunch there earlier in the year).  

I joked how ‘lucky’ DLS was that Dominique Ansel had already vacated the executive pastry chef position at Daniel – and how lucky I was to have already been to Daniel.  Ha! 

Our amuse bouche: fluke sashimi with tarragon salt; black mission fig with house made mozzarella; roasted pepper soup with black truffle emulsion.  I particularly enjoyed the fluke sashimi, which was nice, bright, and the salt added another layer of flavor to the piece.  The soup was also a wonderful sip, and while the fig/mozzarella combo was lovely, it didn’t stand out compared to the other two. 

This time, we each did a different tasting menu so we could try more things.  We didn’t even ask last time if we could each get a different one, whoops.  DLS’s autumn menu began with ‘egg toast’ which had thin slices of toasted bread, sous vide’d egg yolks, topped with a ton of caviar.  My bite was pretty salty, even in light of what I had…

My first course on the regular Jean Georges menu, titled simply ‘egg caviar’ was served in an egg, reminiscent of the egg from Le Bernardin.  But first bite and I was overwhelmed with salt; I’m no stranger to caviar, and in fact love salt as well, but I just felt overwhelmed with this dish.  Even after I tried DLS’s, which was also pretty salty… we both agreed that this was unnecessarily and overwhelmingly salty. 

The menu has since changed, so I’m unable to give an exact description, but I believe these were scallops in a green apple and pomegranate sauce of sorts.  The scallops were either raw or barely cooked, and fabulous, with a slight sweetness from the sauce.  I enjoyed my bite very much!  (seasonal menu)

Sea scallops, caramelized cauliflower with a caper raising emulsion… quite tasty, with perfectly cooked scallops, and cauliflower that’d been perfectly caramelized on one side to develop all the sugars, delicious. 

From the autumn tasting menu: semolina gnocchi and black winter truffle; literally the pillowy-est gnocchi either of us had ever had, it barely tasted like gnocchi but instead like clouds, just puffs that were barely there.  It was almost disconcerting to think of this as gnocchi. 

JG’s menu: young garlic soup with thyme and sauteed frog’s legs; the soup itself was magnificent in its garlic fragrance.  I really enjoyed it, though I did think at one point that it would make a fabulous sauce for pasta or some other carby item.  As for the frog’s legs, I was encouraged to use my fingers and dip the frog in the soup (I was assured that rose water would be brought for me to rinse my fingers afterwards), which I did; frog tastes like a very mild white meat chicken to me, and this was no different.  Dipped in the soup, it simply served as another vehicle to ingest the delicious soup.  I shared with DLS, of course, and was amused to note that two bowls of rose water were brought over for us to each rinse our hands, with the server smilingly telling us, “I noticed you were sharing, so I brought over another bowl for [DLS] to rinse as well.”  Thoughtful, observant and not intrusive.  I can get behind that. 

From the autumn menu: crispy skin black sea bass, roasted brussels sprouts, and spiced red apple jus: very tender and tasty, though not particularly a stand out. 

From the JG menu: turbot with chateau chalon sauce; I don’t know exactly what sauce that is (and I’m sure I can Google it), but I wanted to lick my plate clean.  The turbot was firm, a very dense meat, and it was topped with a really nice mix of zucchini and tomatoes… but the sauce, oh the sauce, it pulled everything together, just delicious. 

From the autumn menu: poached lobster, saffron tapioca and Gewurztraminer foam: I don’t remember trying this, actually, but DLS said that the foam and tapioca wasn’t that good but the lobster was lobster, and good as far as that goes. 

From the JG menu: I was probably too busy eating this, lobster tartine, fenugreek and lemongrass broth, pea shoots.  Perfectly cooked, with a delicate yet flavorful broth… I’m not even sure I shared any of this. 

From the autumn menu: I don’t think this is on the menu anymore, but I believe it was venison with grilled endive.  Very meaty and cooked exactly right… not gamey… a good end to the savory portion of the menu. 

The JG menu: broiled squab, onion compote, corn pancake with foie gras: I recall this being really difficult to eat, as I struggled to cut the squab into bite size pieces… a combination of too much to drink and just the awkward shape of the bird makes this a dish I barely touched… though I liked the corn pancake with the foie gras. 

Then, the reason we were there: dessert!  The autumn menu came with the above: pomegranate sorbet, sweet potato souffle, cranberry parfait, and a white wine tart.  The item in the back right – the top part was lovely, like a toasted marshmallow.  The others were just… mmm.  Not particularly amazing in my opinion. 

The JG menu came with the chocolate dessert: roasted white chocolate sponge, chocolate peanut butter ganache, a bitter chocolate sorbet, and…

JG’s chocolate cake.  With all this fanfare, you’d think I was about to tell you how amazing it all was… nope.  The desserts were all the weakest part of the meal, and actually quite disappointing.  I don’t know what it was – did I expect more?  I just wasn’t too impressed and both of us literally left most of each dessert on the table.  Meh. 

Lovely macarons graced our table a few minutes later. 

Signature house made vanilla marshmallows, which were lovely as usual – not sticky, and just puffs of sweetened air, really. 

Pomegranate and spiced apple jellies, along with jasmine, coconut, praline and hazelnut chocolates – I definitely didn’t touch the coconut one.  Then, as the check was paid, our server came over with a small bag containing a small box of chocolates “for the lady to enjoy later” – ha, cute. 

I was wholly disappointed that dessert – the sole reason for this particular visit – was such a letdown.  Overall, though, I enjoyed the majority of our meal, even with a few dishes I’d rather forget.  A few notes, though – now that I’ve gone to three of the top restaurants in the city, and in such quick succession, I do note that Jean Georges was easily the ‘worst’ – that isn’t to say it’s bad, not at all, but relative to Le B and Daniel, I would say it would rank 3rd.  It felt slightly less posh/luxe than the other two as well; we had one server for pouring wine, explaining our dishes, and at one point he even served the bread as well – and I hope it’s abundantly clear that I’m not all “I need a team of servers for a table of two” but rather that relative to the other places, it’s something that might be expected at such a place.  Other than that, though, service was impeccable per expectations, and we had a lovely time. 

Yvo says: The food here was excellent, solidly above average, and though I didn’t like everything I ate, I still had a wonderful experience (and again, sincerest thanks to DLS!).  However, given the choice of any of the top Michelin restaurants I’ve visited now (if you include Eleven Madison Park, which I visited when it had only 1 Michelin star), Jean Georges would be last on the list.  Any of the other places would be recommended over JG for a special occasion, though it was definitely way cheaper than Le Bernardin and Daniel, so that may be something to consider.  Special occasion dining on a smaller budget for sure. 
recommended, but if I had to only pick one expensive fancy pants dinner for the year, this wouldn’t be it

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Post tags: DLS, Jean Georges, Michelin stars

What girl could say no to that? 

So on an unseasonably warm, late November evening, I visited Le Bernardin for what can only be described as a blurred magical night.  Blurry mostly because of all the alcohol consumed, but also because it was just… incredible.  I felt like a princess – though we easily sat at the ‘worst’ table in the house, it was perfect.  Upon sitting, I noticed a stool for my purse was already in place.  Our service was impeccable, with multiple servers appearing and disappearing seamlessly – bread, wine, food, to explain our food, to give us whatever we needed – everything was flawless.  Eric Ripert even wandered the dining room for a few minutes, before vanishing back into the kitchen.  Towards the end of the night, tennis pro John McEnroe walked through the doors to join a large table in the center of the dining room. 

True to form, though, the night started off with an error on my part: after perusing the cocktail list, I didn’t see anything to my liking.  I decided to request a drink be made for me – something I knew I’d enjoy – and asked the server if I could have prosecco (one of my absolute favorite things to drink) topped with St. Germain.  The server smilingly said this would not be a problem to bring me champagne topped with St. Germain; I quickly agreed.  Because… who goes to one of the top French restaurants in the city and asks for Italian sparkling wine?  Apparently, this girl… but he never made me feel stupid, it was done politely and in such a way that I didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable at all. 

DLS decided we should get the Le Bernardin tasting menu, along with a wine pairing to split (he doesn’t drink much, and I’ve been trying to cut back on my alcohol intake as well). 

First, though, before anything: our amuse bouche.  From left to right, tuna tartare with a soy/miso reduction and a potato crisp; a lovely bite with the perfect combination of textures and a lightly sweet taste.  Smoked salmon, pumpernickel, dill and honey mustard: I wouldn’t have thought honey mustard would work well with smoked salmon, and at one point the taste almost overwhelmed, but the overall effect was quite tasty and I thought “Why don’t I eat more smoked salmon with honey mustard?”  The last, for some reason I neglected to write down, but I recall it was lobster chunks in a foam… and I definitely laughingly pondered, “Who but Le B would have lobster in the amuse bouche?”  Not a chunk or two, mind you, but a good amount of lobster… very tasty and sweet, and a nice hint at what was to come. 

Do note that Le B is fish-focused, so keep that in mind when you’re deciding who should be your dining companion.  Our first course was the only course that contained a non-fish protein: the ‘caviar-wagyu’ course, Nebraska Wagyu beef topped with langoustine and osetra caviar tartare, served with a black pepper vodka creme fraiche, and pomme gaufrette.  The wine pairing was a 1998 Dom Ruinart.  I absolutely loved the champagne’s fizziness with the saltiness of the caviar, the meatiness of the wagyu and the ocean taste of the langoustines.  The delicate fried waffle potatoes was perfect with the creme fraiche, the tartare… both DLS and I commented on the perfection of this course, and I think it’s safe to say this was easily one of our favorites of the night.  An excellent start, to be sure. 

*I am not quite so talented to remember all of this, nor be able to take notes throughout the entire night while drinking the lion’s share of the wine pairings; it’s listed on the website, thankfully. 

The tuna course: ultra rare yellowfin tuna atop a spiced dashi gelee with green pepper corn & Iberico chutney, paired with Chablis, Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Savary, Burgundy 2009.  It may not be exactly clear, but the bottom part – the gelee – is, well, a gelee, or a gel that melted easily in our mouths, dissolving like so much soup, with a ton of umami from the dashi, and an excellent foil for the super tender fish.  I even though the dashi gelee was a touch too overpowering, and ate only about half of it with my fish, though DLS was fascinated by the gelee and ate all of it.  Yum! 

At this point, I’d had enough to drink that as this was placed in front of me and sauced tableside, I squealed loudly, “It’s a smiley face!” – ah, children; oh, did I not mention that we were easily the youngest diners in the restaurant by about 20 years? – lobster course: butter poached lobster tail with spiced celeriac, finished with an Earl Grey citrus sauce, paired with Yuki no Bosha, Yamahai Junmai, Akita.  Those last six words translate to: sake, of which I’m not a fan (I find it exceedingly harsh on my throat, more often than not, and this wasn’t much of an exception), so at least the alcohol consumption ceased during this course.  The Earl Grey was extremely faint in the sauce, but that suited me fine as the tea has lost favor with me in recent years, but the lobster was cooked perfectly… more so than the butter poached lobster I’d had just a few weeks prior.  I would have happily sopped up the sauce with bread had I chosen to continue my bread service. 

Speaking of which – though I neglected to take photographs – I did try the brioche that some have claimed is simply amazing, another mark of Laiskonis’s genius, but found it… okay.  It could be that brioche in general is just OK to me, but I don’t think that’s the case.  It was good, but I was not blown away by it.  Yet another truth: to each his/her own. 

Codfish: baked cod, artichoke barigoule; Perigord truffle butter.  Paired with Chassagne Montrachet, Premiere Cru Les Caillerets, Marc Colin 2006.  The slices of artichoke surrounding were incredibly intense in flavor, while the cod was delicate, and just that shade of fully cooked – super moist, tender, and just incredible.  I sincerely apologize to all those who read Feisty Foodie for detailed descriptions on dishes that they may never have the chance to taste, but incredible is just the word that keeps coming to mind.  This fish dish just made me wonder why, when I make cod at home, it doesn’t come out this amazing.  Gently cooked, its own fresh flavor speaking for itself, along with intense artichokes and truffle butter… just wow. 

Hiramasa: lacquered hiramasa, chayote squash, finished tableside with a sofrito broth.  Paired with Barolo, Mirafiore, Piedmont, Italy 2007.  This dish was surprisingly bold in flavor, but paired with the Barolo, it was excellent.  I loved the movement from lighter fishes, lighter dishes to a sudden strong dish – lovely.  The meaty fish wasn’t overwhelmed here at all, either. 

Black bass: crispy black bass, pickled cucumbers, topping a black garlic-Persian lime sauce (with a piece of black garlic on the side).  Paired with a Syrah, Copain, Tous Ensemble, Anderson Valley, California 2009.  I remember breaking into this piece of fish – through the crisp skin on top, to the dense flesh underneath, and just marveling in how delicious it was.  The pickles were a nice acidic bite contrasting against the richness of the fish and the sauce.  So good. 

Suddenly, it was time for dessert.  Our first dessert: pineapple; roasted pineapple, rosemary ice cream, sesame tuile, paired with Torrontes sparkling, Deseado Familia Schroeder, Patagonia.  The sparkling was a lovely complement to this incredible dessert.  Those who know me know that I love sesame, and I don’t like fruit except plain – as nature intended, really – but the combination of textures here, the headiness of the rosemary ice cream, crunchiness of the tuile… oh my, I know for sure I whispered (or I thought I was whispering, anyway – it was a LOT of wine later) to DLS, as I scraped my plate clean, that this was amazing.  The genius behind the dessert was not lost on me, and the intense sweetness of the roasted pineapple, the creamy coldness of the ice cream along with its herbaceous flavor, then the crunch of the tuile… oh my stars, I was in heaven.  You know when you eat something you didn’t think you’d like, but wind up loving it?  Take that feeling and multiply it by a thousand.

Chocolate olive oil: Dominican chocolate ganache, toasted bread, Marcona almond, olive oil ice cream, paired with Passito de Pantelleria – Sangue d’Oro, Sicily, Italy 2009.  The crunchy Marcona almond was an excellent foil for texture against an otherwise mostly-soft dessert, though that toasted bread was pure genius as well.  I can honestly say I understand why Michael Laiskonis receives so much praise, and that all of his accolades are well-deserved. 

A small dish of further treats appeared: from left to right, salted caramel, strawberry macaron, cannele, and a vanilla cream puff.  DLS declined, so I tried each one in turn and found them all delightful, well-executed, and very tasty. 

When I realized the meal was ending, I immediately told DLS we couldn’t leave without trying the Egg.  Laiskonis’s signature – and of which I’m sure he tires – I’d heard such incredible things, I couldn’t walk out without having this.  A few bites served within an egg shell- but what bites! milk chocolate pot de creme, caramel foam, maple syrup, and ‘a grain of salt’ – when it arrived, I could swear I was trembling with excitement.  I’d remembered that I was here for dessert, and dessert I would have: one bite, and DLS agreed that it would have been a complete shame to miss out on this.  (Don’t you love validation?)  Treading that precarious balance between savory and sweet, each bite was a complete dessert in one: never too sweet, never salty, just right, with creaminess mixing with airiness mixing with… love.  That’s all you can say to describe this.  Love.  Absolute, pure, unadulterated, unconditional, all-consuming love. 

A few notes on my overall experience: while I had an absolutely incredible dinner, and every note was hit when it comes to what one might expect at this price point, at this level of restaurant reputation, and there was not a single moment when I was unhappy… something sets Le B apart from Daniel (on that night, the only other three Michelin starred dinner I’d had).  While I desperately wanted to pen another love letter to Le B the way I had to Daniel – and deservedly so, because I absolutely loved my experience at Le B, without a question – I couldn’t.  It all comes down to, somewhat ironically, the lighting… Yes, my photos are leaps and bounds better at Le B than they were at Daniel (due in no small part to the camera I used, and post-processing, but also because of the light)… but the brighter light left the restaurant feeling less romantic, less hushed, less austere.  While at Daniel, the atmosphere almost bordered on uncomfortable for me – as I’m not accustomed to such posh luxury – it also created an air of foreboding, an almost hushed respect for the institution in which one was about to dine… and Le B… it felt more like an upscale restaurant but not super old school, super fancy pants.  Maybe it’s just me, but that definitely helped guide my expectations of the night, and the overall feeling as I walked away that night. 

Another note: while this might seem like an awful lot of food, I actually did not feel uncomfortably full by the end of the night.  I assure you that I ate every last delicious morsel from each dish, drank a lot of wine, had at least one piece of bread, but I still managed to walk away comfortably (and then get on the subway to drink more while watching the Giants/Saints game).  I don’t know if that’s a testament to my ability to eat lots of seafood/fish without getting very full, the lack of red meat, the lack of carbs, or just the excellent menu planning by Ripert, but I was satisfied and full without being uncomfortable.  I was very pleased. 

Finally, sincerest thanks from the bottom of my heart to DLS, for making this night possible, for making this night what it was, for indulging my whim, and for being the friend you’ve been to me and continue to be.  I don’t have to tell you that you’re awesome, because you’re just going to say “I know” – and you’re still not cool enough to pull it off the way Han does Thank you!!! 

Yvo says: As I said at the end of my post about Daniel, this is not how I eat all the time.  I am incredibly fortunate to have been able to experience this… but I have to say that if you can, this is definitely an experience I highly recommend.  The food was all delicious, to a level I can’t even describe properly (apologies again!), while the service and experience overall is just impeccable to the point that if you have this opportunity… you should seize it.  Just amazing, incredible, awesome.  Love.
highly recommended at least once in your life… if you can

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2012. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: DLS, michelin, tasting menu

First order of business: sparkling.  I wanted a sparkling rose, and there was only one on the list, so we got this one.  I enjoyed it even though Sarah didn’t seem to as I found it bright, bubbly and fun! I like bubbly a lot though and am hard pressed to find one I don’t like (except when they’re bone dry, then I tend to not appreciate them as much). 

And then for the main attraction: escargots! Garlicky, buttery, morsels of snail drowning in butter with herbs and topped with crusty toast bits. I like escargots but these had something… that I didn’t like all that much.  One of the herbs in there just didn’t sit well with my tongue, but that’s a personal preference… Sarah enjoyed them a lot. They were cooked properly, just that one herb… ah well.

Hungry ordered a salad as well – but I’ll let her chime in with her thoughts.

Sarah also ordered a salad – her thoughts can be found here. 

Yvo says: Where perhaps I didn’t enjoy the escargots as much as I could have, I’d still totally like to go back for some more duck prosciutto and some of their other wonderful dishes!  You could do far worse for a cute French bistro – I think this would be the perfect place for a first date as well!  Yum.
recommended, though I personally would not order the escargots again

© Feisty Foodie for The Feisty Foodie, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: escargots, sparkling wine

We were given a small bag with a map and a “Cafés do Brasil” lapel pin. All of the regions are primarily located in the southeastern part of Brazil. One of our hosts informed us that we would starting with a lighter roasted coffee and be working our way up to a stronger flavored brew.

The first coffee we tried was from Mogiana in the São Paulo state. It was described as “balanced body and acidity with excellent natural sweetness with a hint of cocoa flavor.” This was indeed very mildly flavored coffee. I wasn’t a fan as I prefer dark roast.

The second coffee was from Cerrado in the Minas Gerais state. It was described as “full body with intense aroma varying from caramel to nutty, light citric acidity. Light touch of orange and sweet flavor with a long-lasting chocolate aftertaste.” This read like a wine description, which made sense as coffee is just as dependent on where it is grown as grapes are for wine. With wine and coffee alike, I go by one rule: If it tastes good, drink it. I don’t get too involved in trying to pick out flavors. However, with this brew I did notice the lingering aftertaste.

The third coffee was from Planalto in the Bahia state. It was described as “perfect balance of body and acidity, natural sweetness, bringing out overtones of citrus above its rich, caramel-chocolate base. Excellent as a breakfast brew.” This coffee was more my style as it had a much richer flavor than the previous two.

Our hosts suggested we add a little bit of sugar to our samples. I usually drink my coffee black, but was willing to try it. The sugar helped transform the coffee nicely, but I’ll still drink it without.

After all of this coffee, my stomach was begging for some food. At first, the menu seemed to indicate we would have a choice of two dishes. It turned out we would be served BOTH!

First up was Pain Perdu with fresh berries and maple syrup. This was paired with the Cerrado coffee. On its own the French toast was quite sweet, but the coffee did an excellent job of cutting down the sugar. I don’t eat French toast too often, so this was a welcomed treat.

Next up was an omelette. The menu said we would be described it as “jambon et fromage Provecale. Goat cheese bail, tomato, olives served with Brazilian sausage “Linguica.” As you can see, we were not served what was described. It was a simple cheese omelette with one slice of bacon and mediocre home fries. While the omelette was cooked well, we were pretty disappointed since we had higher expectations from the menu. We were also given some more Planalto coffee.

I don’t know exactly how much coffee I drank, but I was pretty shaky the rest of the day. haha.

Cafés do Brasil week is going on now until Saturday November 19th. Check out this website for a list of participating restaurants and stores.

Thank you to our hosts for teaching us about Brazilian coffee and a nice brunch. I’ll be on the lookout for some of the darker roasts available from Brazil.

Please note that everything was courtesy of BSF and ApexBrasil. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor was I obliged in any way to post about the food and drink, positively or otherwise. This is my own opinion and I feel it was unbiased; you are free to take from this what you will.

© TT for The Feisty Foodie, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: coffee

CT and I were both pretty full, so only her Mom got a crepe. She decided on a banana nutella crepe. I believe it was less than $6. They also offer a variety of savory crepes too.

The guy(there was another worker, not the girl in the above pic) behind the counter didn’t mind me taking a few pictures as he worked. He did a pretty good job with it. I made crepes once in cooking class and it definitely takes a lot of practice.

As you can see, the crepe was nicely browned so it would hold up with the ingredients. It was 100x better than the sad, soggy crepe at Lina Frey.

There must have been at least one whole banana used, if not more.

Alas, the finished product. CT’s Mom was quite happy with the crepe. The fillings were nicely spread throughout, so each bite would be a tasty one.

CT says: As full as I was, I of course had to take a bite. It was really delicious! I appreciated seeing all the fresh fruit they used and the banana was perfectly ripe, without being mushy. And the nutella just oozed out perfectly. I’ll have to go back just for the crepe one day soon.

All in all, Crepe Monster makes a good crepe. It is located on the 3rd floor of Food Gallery 32 away from all of the other stalls, so don’t forget about it. I need to return with an appetite so I can have a crepe of my own.

© TT for The Feisty Foodie, 2011. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: crepes, K-town