Le Bernardin

[ASM NY]

Ate there last night, the City Harvest menu was not being offered.

[Nathan]

Ate there last night, the City Harvest menu was not being offered.

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Its a lunch menu though

[alwang]

Any experiences with the current dinner tasting menus? The Chef's tasting is certainly not cheap, but it looks quite a bit more interesting: any thoughts on whether it's worthwhile?

[ASM NY]

Any experiences with the current dinner tasting menus?  The Chef's tasting is certainly not cheap, but it looks quite a bit more interesting: any thoughts on whether it's worthwhile?

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We ate there recently and debated whether to go with the Chef's tasting menu as well. In the end we opted for ordering a la carte since many of the items in the tasting menu were available a la carte and we could be more specific as to which ones to order. A la carte you order 3 dishes + dessert, so we opted for that and ordered an additional two dishes to try them out. It worked well for us, but I will not disagree with you. The Chef's menu does indeed look interesting.

[catsrus9]

I'm going to Le Bernardin for the first time this Saturday with my family (I have no idea how I haven't gotten here before). I'm probably going to be doing a la carte (I've spent way too much money on food lately). That being said, for those of you who have been before/recently, what dishes would you recommend from each course? Are there certain must haves? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Much obliged,

Charlie

[ulterior epicure]

I'm going to Le Bernardin for the first time this Saturday with my family (I have no idea how I haven't gotten here before). I'm probably going to be doing a la carte (I've spent way too much money on food lately). That being said, for those of you who have been before/recently, what dishes would you recommend from each course? Are there certain must haves? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Much obliged,

Charlie

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His "Sea Urchin - Caviar," for one, is a classic; it's always on the menu. Although the supplement price may not play well with your budgetary concerns.

[ulterior epicure]

I also recall langoustine ravioli sauced (table-side) with a foie gras demi-glace that made me cry. Don't know if that's still on the menu anymore.

[BryanZ]

People are all about the wagyu with escolar. Not sure if that's still on the menu too.

[alwang]

I had a solid but unspectacular dinner at Le Bernardin about two weeks ago. From what I recall, that night the sea urchin-caviar dish was not listed on the menu: I remember being surprised by that. I know for certain it wasn't included that night on the chef's tasting menu. My companion and I both had the prix fixe, so we tried a total of 6 dishes:

Tuna/foie appetizer: I think this dish suffers from presentation problems: I don't find the flat plating very attractive, but more importantly, the way it's layered with a thin slice of toast at the bottom doesn't make it very easy to eat. The flavors are good though.

Kanpachi tartare: This was one of my favorites. It's a small, intense bite, though the ginger-coriander flavors were masked by the wasabi and tobiko.

I can't for the life of me remember the middle two courses clearly: I know one of them was a langoustine dish, but I don't believe it's the one listed on the web site menu. Neither was particularly memorable.

The wagyu is served with tuna, and is pretty good. I know in other places they sometimes call escolar white tuna, but I don't believe that was the case here, as they have a separate menu item which is described as escolar. The meat and fish don't exactly work together in this dish, but each on its own is tasty enough. The fish was slightly overcooked by my tastes.

Masala-spiced bass with peking duck salad and cardamom broth. I didn't get the indian flavors at all from this dish: it was pretty dominated by the hoisin from the duck. I found that to generally be the case in our meal: what read on the menu as interesting flavor combinations ended up not being balanced all that well, and more subtle flavors were lost. It was still good, it just didn't taste as advertised.

[ulterior epicure]

I'm going to Le Bernardin for the first time this Saturday with my family (I have no idea how I haven't gotten here before). I'm probably going to be doing a la carte (I've spent way too much money on food lately). That being said, for those of you who have been before/recently, what dishes would you recommend from each course? Are there certain must haves? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Much obliged,

Charlie

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How was it?

Has anyone done the (big) chef's tasting menu, recently?

[catsrus9]

I'm going to Le Bernardin for the first time this Saturday with my family (I have no idea how I haven't gotten here before). I'm probably going to be doing a la carte (I've spent way too much money on food lately). That being said, for those of you who have been before/recently, what dishes would you recommend from each course? Are there certain must haves? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Much obliged,

Charlie

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How was it?

Has anyone done the (big) chef's tasting menu, recently?

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Sorry for the delay....it's been a busy few days back at school.

Le Bernardin was fantastic....we wound up deciding to do the Le Bernardin (smaller) tasting menu. All the dishes were flawlessly prepared (as expected), and incredibly delicious. Nonetheless, I still think I prefer other high-end restaurants in the city a good deal more. I definitely appreciate extraordinarily fresh seafood, but after 5 courses or delicately plated, tiny portions of fish/shellfish, I must admit, I was kind of craving some sort of meat . That' being said, I loved every course I had, and in particular, a dish of peekytoe crab tossed with butter in a light dijon emulsion was stunning. I could have eaten multiple plates of that one course.

Actually, one of the highlights of the evening was a Kracher Beerenausleses Zweigelt that we had with dessert. I'm very fond of the Kracher wines, but I had never had a red Beerenauslese. It was fantastic....sweet but perfectly balanced with a nice touch of spice so that it didn't overpower the desserts.....in particular it went fantastically with a chocolate-souflee-esque (im not sure what it actually was) dessert.

Although I don't personally know anyone who has done the chef's tasting menu, the table next to me was, and they seemed to be tremendously enjoying everything that was served to them.

[ulterior epicure]

I recently had a great meal at Le Bernardin. We ordered the Chef's Tasting and supplemented in an additional course. Here's an excerpt from my my blog.

Le Bernardin, a friend and I concluded, is one of those restaurants that, despite it’s acclaim and fame, one doesn’t necessarily crave or clamour for. It’s one of those restaurants that, when you are there, you wonder why you haven’t thought of it more fondly, and more often.

...

Otherwise, Le Bernardin executes everything with a rare brand of confidence that lulls diners into trusting trance. The food isn’t rapturous; one isn’t likely to experience a revelation and see the heavens part as I have at Jean Georges. It doesn’t inspire a table-top aria either, the way the food at Babbo might. Instead, the food at Le Bernardin is the type that’s apt to cause one to close one’s eyes and reprioritize life.

Case in point: the black bass tartare made me consider moving to a small fishing village on the Mediterranean. More like carpaccio than tartare, thin slices of raw bass were fanned out over the bottom of a shallow bowl anointed with just enough olive oil to give it all a silky coat. Kissed with citrus, the composition was topped with a confetti of chopped Kalamata olives, shaved fennel and chiffonade of basil and coriander (i.e. cilantro).

Although the pieces overlapped each other, they were cut in such a way so that no matter how I slipped my fish knife under the carpet of fish, a section, fitted perfectly to the contour of the knife, lifted. It was like magic.

That entire dish was magic, actually. I couldn’t tell you what I loved more - the silky, but almost waxy texture of the fish, or the conversation of flavors: tangy meets grassy, salty meets floral, all ricocheting off the clean, fresh bass as a sounding board. Or, perhaps it was the warm slices of toast, rewardingly crunchy on the outside with a thin, steamy layer on the inside, that provided just the right vehicle for the cool, supple tartare.

It’s one of those dishes that you’ll never forget and will always want to have when you return to the restaurant.

But, almost every dish at Le Bernardin is that way. There were two from my first meal at Le Bernardin that were so memorable that I called in advance of my latest meal to have them prepared. Apparently, neither had been on the menu since that first meal nearly four years ago.

The first was the “Sea Urchin-Caviar” dish of the aforementioned *squee* delight. The second involved two ravioli stuffed with diced shrimp, foie gras, and scallions in tissue-thin pasta. They seem denuded at first, presented alone on an expanse of china. But that’s quickly remedied by a generous table-side saucing of rich foie gras and black truffle demi glace.  That dish, which really is one of the most perfect combination of flavors and textures, will set you back a good ten minutes for each bite.

As for the rest of my latest dinner, I left it up to the chef to assemble the other courses for our tasting menu. With the exception of those two special request courses, the Kindai Maguro, which we supplemented mid-meal, and the desserts, which my friend and I chose, here is what the chef sent out:

Amuse Bouche

Black Bass

Sea Urchin-Caviar

Poached Halibut

Baked Lobster

Kindai Maguro

Shrimp and Foie Gras Ravioli

Fourme d’Ambert

Egg

Hazelnut

Carrot

Petits Fours

...

Service was excellent this time, even better than I had remembered from my previous visit.  Franck, our server was a veteren of the now-closed Alain Ducasse at the Essex House; he was both friendly and helpful. The wine service was especially pleasant.  It’s rare to find a wine steward so bubbly and comfortable.

The dining room, itself, even seemed to strike me as more pleasant than last time.  I remembered it to be somewhat impersonal, and heavily trafficked.  They still need to do a better job of re-directing the herd of diners heading to the private “Les Salons” to the separate entrance; instead, they stampeded through the dining room all night.  But overall, I found the dining room to be more familial and less frenetic this time.

While it’s not as sumptuous as Bouley or Daniel (which I find oppressively grande dame-ish), or as elegant as Jean Georges, or even as non-descriptively classy as L’Arnsbourg or per se, Le Bernardin has a simple, refined aesthetic that feels almost residential. I like it’s open airiness, even though the volume sometimes rises slightly above the norm.  There a slightly Old World charm to it; maybe it’s the colour of the varnish, or the Brittany-blue schmea.  Perhaps my favorite part of the decor is the ecclectic assortment of oil paintings, which range from feathery portraits (I love the portrait of Maguy and Gilbert La Coze’s grandfather which hangs in the bar) to breezy sea-side landscapes, silent still-lifes to eye-catching Fauvist-like caricatures.

Le Bernardin offers one of the most self-assured fine dining experiences I’ve ever had.  Again, it’s not a rocket; you won’t be catapulted out of your seat.  Neither is it a fist-pounding affair.  What you experience at Le Bernardin simply assures you that you’ve got both feet firmly planted on solid earth and makes you thrilled to know that you are there.

It takes one extraordinarily confident chef to serve a succession of unadorned pieces of seafood, drizzle some sauce around them, and charge $185.  But, it takes one insanely talented chef to make it a success. Chef Ripert has, with the legacy of Gilbert La Coze behind him, continued to please and impress by running the oldest of the five New York Times 4-star restaurants and one of only three Michelin 3-star restaurants in New York with tremendous grace and confidence.  I hope Le Bernardin lives to see my next visit

You can read the rest of my review and see the photos at the ulterior epicure.

[ulterior epicure]

I have been lectured one too many times by my New York friends that NOBODY in New York use restaurant websites. But, after a good long stretch of having one of the frumpiest fine dining restaurant websites, I really think that even you non-restaurant website-using New Yorkers will appreciate seeing Le Bernardin's new online digs.

[oakapple]

I have been lectured one too many times by my New York friends that NOBODY in New York use restaurant websites.  But, after a good long stretch of having one of the frumpiest fine dining restaurant websites, I really think that even you non-restaurant website-using New Yorkers will appreciate seeing Le Bernardin's new online digs.

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Thanks for the link. The old site was rather frumpy and was long overdue for a rehab. Your friends are wrong, by the way. I use restaurant websites all the time, and I doubt I'm the only one.

[ulterior epicure]

Your friends are wrong, by the way. I use restaurant websites all the time, and I doubt I'm the only one.

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Well, that's what I keep telling them. But, I'm not a New Yorker, so, who am I to say?

[jrichman]

Hi All,

Myself and my wife will be dining at Le Bernardin within the next month or so. I have looked at the menu online and have a few questions that I was hoping you could help me out with.

For me, I am probably going to get the chef's tasting menu, however my wife does not like all the items on the chef's or regular tasting menu and may go for the regular proce fixe dinner menu. So will they have a problem if I get the chef's tastign menu and my wife orders from the regular menu? Also as for the regular menu how does it work - how many selections do you get?

Thanks!

[sethd]

Hi All,

Myself and my wife will be dining at Le Bernardin within the next month or so.  I have looked at the menu online and have a few questions that I was hoping you could help me out with.

For me, I am probably going to get the chef's tasting menu, however my wife does not like all the items on the chef's or regular tasting menu and may go for the regular proce fixe dinner menu.  So will they have a problem if I get the chef's tastign menu and my wife orders from the regular menu?  Also as for the regular menu how does it work - how many selections do you get?

Thanks!

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For dinner, you get three savory course plus desert. They also have a superb cheese cart. You might ask before you arrive whether they will be willing to have one tasting and one regular menu at the table.

[BryanZ]

It seems highly unlikely that they'll let one order the chef's tasting and one the prix fixe.

[oakapple]

For me, I am probably going to get the chef's tasting menu, however my wife does not like all the items on the chef's or regular tasting menu and may go for the regular proce fixe dinner menu.  So will they have a problem if I get the chef's tastign menu and my wife orders from the regular menu?  Also as for the regular menu how does it work - how many selections do you get?

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Practically every restaurant insists that tasting menus are for the entire table. However, if there's something on the tasting menu you don't like, they'll allow reasonable substitutions. The regular menu is four courses prix fixe.

[robyn]

Both tasting menus on the website say "Per Table Only". I agree with Oakapple's idea about substitutions (assuming you don't agree to do the fixed price menu). Robyn

[Mussina]

Heading to Le Bernardin for lunch on Wednesday. Does anyone know how many courses the lunch prix fixe is and if one of those courses is dessert? I wonder (if one of the courses is dessert) if they would let you swap it out for a fish course?

Any suggestions for must-have dishes?

[BryanZ]

Lunch is three courses, inclusive of dessert. It seems highly unlikely that they'll let you swap in another savory for a dessert. Perhaps with a slight supplement this is possible, however.

Edited January 5, 2009 by BryanZ (log)

[ulterior epicure]

Any suggestions for must-have dishes?

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The Black Bass, if you enjoy raw seafood (and if it's available).

[sethd]

Any suggestions for must-have dishes?

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The Black Bass, if you enjoy raw seafood (and if it's available).

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The tuna with fois appetizer is superb.

[ulterior epicure]

Any suggestions for must-have dishes?

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The Black Bass, if you enjoy raw seafood (and if it's available).

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The tuna with fois appetizer is superb.

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Gah - that's one dish I still need to try. The recipe for it in "On The Line" seems relatively within reach of the avid home cook.