olicollett

I was going to leave it until later when i did a full write up but I'll do a quick rundown here... Bouley was the 2*. I'd heard mixed reviews but it was the only 2/3* i could find where i could get a table and a jacket wasn't strictly necessary. It started off badly with an amuse of lime jelly, roquefort ice cream and mandarin. The ice cream was, quite honestly, awful. I think it's the first time i've not been able to finish a dish of that size! Everyone at the table were in agreement that it really did not work. Next up I had a reasonable shrimp and cod broth which was nice but overseasoned and then rack of lamb, which was superbly cooked but didn't do a lot for me flavour wise. The issue was more around everyone elses dishes. The tuna sashimi was not particularly interesting and the duck and pig dishes were not particularly special either. The chocolate souffle was, however, spectacular as was the creme brulee, but overall the food didn't blow any of us away. On top of that, and probably the worst part, the service was just stiff and at times haphazard, waiters looking confused, dishes coming out to the wrong people etc. nothing major but you'd expect near perfection at a 2 * restaurant, wouldn't you? None of the staff seemed to have any particular inclination to engage in conversation with any of us either. All this, and the restaurant wasn't that busy! In fairness, they did give us a couple of desserts for free after most of us were too full to eat a dessert, which is probably more to do with the portion sizes over there than anything because i'd hardly say the plates were licked clean! Anyway, I'll try and wrap this up, but my experiences at WD-50 and Perry St, the latter being for lunch were far superior in terms of the food and in many ways the service. The dishes at WD-50 were exciting and fresh, some of the best food I'd ever eaten and some of the dishes at Perry St were also superb. We all left both places wondering how on earth Bouley was regarded by the michelin inspectors to be a step up from them!

I was in New York for the past few days and visited one 2 * and 2 1* restaurants and I was shocked at just how poor the food at the 2 * was, especially compared to the other 2! The only way I could see that it got 2 *'s was because the cuisine was predominantly french, but other than the deserts and my main I don't think any of the food was worthy of 1 * let alone 2! I also wonder how a guide can be a standard across the world, when theres no way that the same inspectors can visit all the places in NYC/Tokyo/Europe etc???

Indeed, how many people eat at a 3* restaurant more than a couple of times a year? If at all? I can't believe many people in Paris go through all of the 3 *'s in their life time let alone in the space of a year or two! Reasonably priced, high quality food like that served at places like Arbutus, the olive branch and many other such places now springing up is, in my opinion what this country needs. I'm planning on a lot more trips to such places this year because theres so many out there to try!

Not sure i ever replied to this.. but I'm hoping Sat Bains gets 2*'s. My meal there last september was a fantastic experience.

You read my mind.. Just after I canceled I booked Perry St. Not long to go now.. can't wait!!

I rang back Jean Georges earlier about changing my lunch reservation from Nougatine to the main restaurant and they told me that the main restaurant is now closed for lunch on weekends which is a shame

I was trying the other day, called at 10am and i couldn't get through for 40mins!!! Insane. Glad its not just me though!

Yes, and you want to be dining in Jean-Georges for lunch, *not* Nougatine. Make sure to specify that you want the main dining room. ← I thought that lunch was only served in Nougatine?? That was the impression i got. Never mind!

Cheers Johnny, I'll try and drag some people down there! Just booked lunch at Jean Georges/Nougatine. I'm a bit confused though, how does it work, is there a Nougatine menu and a Jean Georges menu?

Do you mean Frank Bruni's favorite was Robert's? I'm not aware of Steingarten writing anything about Roberts. Can you post a link if he has? I'd recommend Craftsteak, Striphouse or Quality Meats, depending on what steakhouse characteristics are most important to you. If you give more information I can be more specific. Although I've had wonderful food at Le Bernadin, you should expect it to be quite stuffy. I'd very much recommend lunch at Jean Georges if possible. ← It was actually in Heston's first "perfection" book where he talks about going there with Steingarten. On the subject of steakhouses, really I was looking for the kind of place that worships beef! Dry-aged on the premises with a large variety of options. It would be good if there were non-meat options if we are brining along a vegetarian friend as well but we can always leave him behind if need be!! I've booked WD-50 and i'm going to give JG a call later (fingers crossed i can get a lunch booking, if not it looks like it'll be Perry St). I'll definately look into some sushi, are most of them OK to just walk in to without a reservation? That will definately help.

But is it as expensive as I've heard? It sounds like quite an experience..

Cheers for the reply, Boqueria looks like a lot of fun. Do you know what it's like booking places like Bern & Daniel?

I am looking for some suggestions for some restaurants to visit whilst i'm in NYC for a long weekend from 31st Jan. I'm going with 4 other friends and we're all up for visiting a few nice places whilst we're there. I was looking to visit a couple of really nice 2-3* places and some more casual places as well. Some of the places i had in mind were Le Bernardin, Daniel, WD-50. A recommendation for a good steak would be good too, I know Heston Blumenthal and Jeffery Steingarten's favourtie was in a strip club but i'm not sure the girl who is coming with us will appreciate that! Any recommendations welcome, and it would also be good if you could give me an idea of what it's like to book such places? I know a 3* restaurant over here would usually need around 2 months notice so I'm hoping I haven't left it too late! Ps. expect a full write up with pics of the trip!

You see, to me, the context in which the word was used did not suggest that he was using it to describe irish travellers, but instead with a meaning interchangeable with chav or whatever other words that are used nowadays. And no.

Great stuff. Probably the most interesting chef i've seen appear on a TV screen. I hope he decides to go back into the kitchen again after all these years!

Agreed. I'd much rather see such a program with some young, enthusiastic chef's who have kitchen experience. Dare i say it, I thought Jamie's kitchen was a much better concept in that respect.

Probably looking at september time I'm looking to spend because i was fortunate enough to get a voucher from work so i want to take full advantage!!!

Where would folks recommend for a dinner for two in london, on a high budget (upto around 300)? I was thinking of the tasting menu at petrus? I've heard vv good things.. i can't seem to find if they do paired wines with the tasting menu but i presume they do? How about le gavroche? Any suggestions are welcome!

Doggy bag?

blimey, best give this place a miss then.

That's because even if HB does employ the vocabulary of science, what he does is not reasoned and hence not scientific. ← Good point. Interesting that Heston did 6-8 months with MPW, thats certainly not something i had heard before!

Does he really believe what he's saying? He starts off going on about how important science is for cooking and how much its influenced his cooking, and later he talks about how he doesn't understand some of heston's scientific reasoning..

Twat. ← Bit harsh, Brian Sewell is a massive, pretentious twat, to compare him to other twats is somewhat offensive imo. I actually cannot read through Sewell's diatribe without closing the page after a brain melt. But anyway, he is an art critic after all. Quite what he is doing reviewing food is beyond me. edit: Has this chap ever eaten at a restaurant like this before? Besides, having a quick browse of their wine list of their website, i can a fair few bottles for under £50, so either the website is wrong or his definition of "least expensive" is somewhat misleading..

Good thinking.. i think 10g sugar + 125g cheese.. maybe more, too much cheese shouldn't hurt as you say, i could beat that seperately and then mix it in, shouldn't be a big problem!

I'm pretty gutted thinking about it.. i knew that the quantity of milk looked wrong and it didn't look right going in but by then it was too late anyway.. if i've had a mixture too thick like that before for baking i would sift in some cornflour to give it some body but thats not really an option i guess. I would usually add around 5 eggs to a mixture like that and bake it.. i'm seriously tempted to go down that route.. it's dangerous but.. well i don't have a lot of option, ice cream is a good idea but i was hoping to make a cake here!