Per Se

[Jaybert41]

So who was in charge of Per Se's kitchen last night? Jonathan was hanging out with me at the Children of Bellevue fundraiser.

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I'm not sure just how to take that?

It always bugs me when people act as though a particular chef is not in their very kitchen that anyone should somehow receive a vastly different meal. I think that what people so often fail to realize is that in high end professional kitchens (like Per Se) all of the cooks, their movements, their mise en place, their seasoning, their cooking, their plating are all so highly orchestrated that should one individual not happen to be there it doesn't change the fact. Sure, there is a personality element that a chef can contribute to a service or a menu but to suspect that the food would be held to any lesser standard is absolutely ridiculous. I understand that many people may have the attitude of letting things slide when the boss is away, but most of the people in these types of kitchens all want to be the boss someday so the thought of them operating at a lower standard of quality is highly unlikely. Sure, it is convenient and sometimes fun for us to poke fun at the fact that Thomas Keller, Alain Ducasse, Daniel Bouloud, and the like cannot all be in every one of their restaurant kitchens at the same time and that it may be a reason for a flawed meal. The people who work in these operations are professional through and through and I have the utmost confidence that the actual execution of a restaurant service varies very little from one night to the next, regardless of who is at the helm. I am so tired of the dart throwing at these types of chefs. Get over it already... These guys dont cook your food anyway.

[iheartoffal]

So who was in charge of Per Se's kitchen last night? Jonathan was hanging out with me at the Children of Bellevue fundraiser.

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I'm not sure just how to take that?

It always bugs me when people act as though a particular chef is not in their very kitchen that anyone should somehow receive a vastly different meal. I think that what people so often fail to realize is that in high end professional kitchens (like Per Se) all of the cooks, their movements, their mise en place, their seasoning, their cooking, their plating are all so highly orchestrated that should one individual not happen to be there it doesn't change the fact. Sure, there is a personality element that a chef can contribute to a service or a menu but to suspect that the food would be held to any lesser standard is absolutely ridiculous. I understand that many people may have the attitude of letting things slide when the boss is away, but most of the people in these types of kitchens all want to be the boss someday so the thought of them operating at a lower standard of quality is highly unlikely. Sure, it is convenient and sometimes fun for us to poke fun at the fact that Thomas Keller, Alain Ducasse, Daniel Bouloud, and the like cannot all be in every one of their restaurant kitchens at the same time and that it may be a reason for a flawed meal. The people who work in these operations are professional through and through and I have the utmost confidence that the actual execution of a restaurant service varies very little from one night to the next, regardless of who is at the helm. I am so tired of the dart throwing at these types of chefs. Get over it already... These guys dont cook your food anyway.

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but no one made the implication that there should be any cause for concern that Benno wasn't there...

So why the diatribe?

[rich]

So who was in charge of Per Se's kitchen last night? Jonathan was hanging out with me at the Children of Bellevue fundraiser.

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I'm not sure just how to take that?

It always bugs me when people act as though a particular chef is not in their very kitchen that anyone should somehow receive a vastly different meal. I think that what people so often fail to realize is that in high end professional kitchens (like Per Se) all of the cooks, their movements, their mise en place, their seasoning, their cooking, their plating are all so highly orchestrated that should one individual not happen to be there it doesn't change the fact. Sure, there is a personality element that a chef can contribute to a service or a menu but to suspect that the food would be held to any lesser standard is absolutely ridiculous. I understand that many people may have the attitude of letting things slide when the boss is away, but most of the people in these types of kitchens all want to be the boss someday so the thought of them operating at a lower standard of quality is highly unlikely. Sure, it is convenient and sometimes fun for us to poke fun at the fact that Thomas Keller, Alain Ducasse, Daniel Bouloud, and the like cannot all be in every one of their restaurant kitchens at the same time and that it may be a reason for a flawed meal. The people who work in these operations are professional through and through and I have the utmost confidence that the actual execution of a restaurant service varies very little from one night to the next, regardless of who is at the helm. I am so tired of the dart throwing at these types of chefs. Get over it already... These guys dont cook your food anyway.

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I was just being funny - didn't you notice the icon at the end? Actually I was praising Jonathan for being at the Children of Bellevue benefit, which in the real world is much more significant then being in the restaurant.

I actually try to avoid going to a restaurant when the "boss" is cooking. I think the food comes out better when the "celebrity chef" isn't in the house. Less pressure on the "real" cooks and the boss doesn't get in the way - just ask the crew at Babbo.

[jeunefilleparis]

I have a reservation for Per Se on May 17th. When I made the reservation, I mentioned that I was a vegetarian to make sure that they would do one veg. tasting menu and one non. What I was shocked to hear, though I guess I shouldn't have been, was that they cook the veg. tasting menu in animal stocks,( since i m used to veg. meals cooked in veg. broths) so she made a note that it had to be all vegetarian.

I m not sure how many people here have had the veg tasting menu and i m wondering how much of a difference in taste my meal will have being made without the normal stocks used. Considering the talent in the kitchen I m hoping to have a stellar meal regardless

Also, I am not a big drinker being on the little side, if i drink too much wine I ll basically get drunk. I know that restaurants obviously make a killing with wine/drink sales added to the price of the reg. cost of the meal, will they treat me differently if I am not ordering bottles of wine?

I m really looking forward to this meal, but it is definately a splurge. I m trying to to have high expectations, but its rather hard not to considering all the hype ( deserved or not) about Per Se.

any advice would be greatly appreciated!

thanks

lauren

[bilrus]

Having had the Vegetable (they do call it that, rather than Vegetarian) Tasting Menu, I'm sure it would be good using the vegetable stocks. I'm sur ethis isn't the first time they've had that request. Although, I'm also sure many vegetarians have happily eaten the Veg tasting menu without a second thought. FWIW - I thought the Veg menu was as good or better than the Chef's tasting menu.

[eje]

My wife, our friends from London, and myself had the 9 course chef's tasting menu at per se on the 12th to celebrate her birthday.

On a cost/benefit analysis, it was easily the most disappointing meal of our trip to NY, NY.

2 courses were very disappointing (Rubbery lobster and gristly lamb! We couldn't even cut the lobster with the supplied cutlery!) and several others didn't compare favourably with similar preparations of the same ingredients at other NY restaurants.

I will post the menu and a more detailed commentary when I finish it.

Erik

[Fat Guy]

Stinging review of Per Se by Jancis Robinson in the Financial Times, titled "Per Se - a case of emperor's new clothes?"

On the one hand, I think the review makes some fair points: the cultlike religiosity of Thomas Keller's fans has, I think, led to widespread overestimation of the capabilities of his restaurants. The notion that Thomas Keller is even a candidate for the title of world's best chef is, to me, risible, and given that every time I've eaten a Thomas Keller meal I've had not one, not two, but several sub-par dishes (as well as several superb ones) makes me shake my head whenever I read comments about people's allegedly "perfect" meals at French Laundry and Per Se.

On the other hand, sorry Jancis, but this is a sorry excuse for a restaurant review. It's petty ("At this supposed level of excellence and at these prices, attention to detail such as the state of the flowers is crucial"), mean-spirited ("we were to sit through a meal that on three separate occasions was to remind me of nothing more enjoyable than a funeral") and factually sloppy (e.g, it refers to "Thomas Brennan" of Picholine and Artisanal). There's an exhausting recitation of her customer complaint about a dish she didn't like, and how it was handled, which gives the whole thing an air of retaliation. And it is beneath any professional writer these days to trot out the emperor's-new-clothes overused metaphor (aka cliche) and use it as the linchpin of a restaurant review. Come on. Thomas Keller does deserve criticism, he's not perfect, I'm sure it's possible on occasion to get a mediocre meal at his restaurants (as it is at any restaurant in the world), and I think he's a bit overrated, but he operates two of the best restaurants in the United States and it's no longer an open question whether or not he's a talented chef and restaurateur.

[Bux]

Stinging review of Per Se by Jancis Robinson in the Financial Times, titled "Per Se - a case of emperor's new clothes?"

. . . .

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I am usually put off by those who invoke the "emperor's new clothes" defense. It's particualrly offensive to find a qualified expert in one field claim that she has seen the light the experts have missed in another field, even if a related one. Than again, I seem to see signs that the wine and food worlds are parting company.

"Unfortunately, for me and my bank balance- the bill for two was $580 with only two half bottles of wine and one glass of champagne . . . " Knowing Ms. Robinson's stature in the wine world, I'd not be surprised to learn $580 wasn't what she paid for a half bottle of wine. $580 is a meaingless number used for effect, not for information.

"Keller believes he can go one better and create composed cheese dishes that are more than the sum of their parts. He fails miserably." Having had any number of composed cheese courses at the nads of highly talented chefs in several countries, I've come to defend the anadorned classic cheese course. My sense here is that Ms. Robinson merely shares my prejudice. "Two small semi circles of a Loire goat's cheese with a beetroot vinaigrette prove conclusively why no-one has thought of this combination before." Here I am thinking I've had so many salads incorporating vinaigrette, beets and goat cheese that by now every chef has not only thought about the combination, but acted on upon those thoughts.

A comment such as "nothing sensible or sensitive, such as using different colour inks, has been incorporated into the menu to make it easy for the customer to read," makes very little sense as restaurant criticism. I wonder how many fine restaurants have had the good sense or sensitivity to incorporate different color inks into their menus. Nevertheless, I suspect that's the route one has to take when you're set on believing all of Keller's fans are totally mistaken and blind.

I was not as thrilled by my meal at Per Se as I was with my one meal at the French Lanundry. We thought the meal in NY started out with the same spirit, but later courses, although without fault, were perhaps without spark either. I'm also a few years more jaded. We've had a lot of fine meals since then. It was lunch and I can't comment on the lighting, but the service was up to par for a top flight restaurant in NY or Paris.

[raxelita]

Disturbing that after one visit she could determine that she saw through the wool while 90% of Kellers other patrons remain blind.

While the review makes some legitimate complaints, a few gripes really bothered me...

She was appalled by an apology intermezzo. Why would she have prefferred to just sit there while the meal was re-made? It was a kind (and customary) gesture, and these things are never expected to be the highlight of the meal.

She was incredulous of a slightly improvised take on a classic (walnut biscuits instead of just walnuts with the cheese course), but doesn't say there was anything wrong with it. And Kellers goat cheese/beet vinagrette combo fails miserably, but for no particular reason. It just didn't live up to the sum of its parts.

Is it just me or does it seem Robinson has an ax to grind?

[slkinsey]

Stinging review of Per Se by Jancis Robinson in the Financial Times, titled "Per Se - a case of emperor's new clothes?"

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For the sake of clarity, this is not a review by Jancis Robinson. It is a review by her husband, Nicholas Lander that is reproduced (presumably with permission) on Ms. Robinson's web site.

[iheartoffal]

For the sake of clarity, this is not a review by Jancis Robinson.  It is a review by her husband, Nicholas Lander that is reproduced (presumably with permission) on Ms. Robinson's web site.

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I was about to say, the review didn't sound AT ALL like something that Ms. Robinson would write.

I, too, found this review disturbing on a number of levels, and not even because I happened to enjoy my meal there. It came off more like a diatribe written by someone with little or no experience in the realm of fine dining. I'm suprised she let it be published on her site, as it will undoubtedly serve as more of an embarrasment to her than it ever could be to Per Se. While some of the criticisms are indeed valid, they are all undermined by the acerbic, ill-considered tone of the review.

Edited April 19, 2005 by iheartoffal (log)

[John Whiting]

Here's an interesting response to Per Se by a widely published and excellent food writer, Clarissa Hyman. It was published this month in the Guild of Food Writers Newsletter; I reproduce it here with her permission. (She might have titled it Per-Se-flage

A meal at Per Se, Thomas Keller’s acclaimed restaurant, was to be the gastronomic highlight of a recent trip to New York by Katherine Blakemore, Clarissa Hyman and Wendy Sweetser. Thanks to Katherine’s dogged persistence and endless phone calls, timing the two month advance booking with military precision, many confirmations and agreements as to party size, arrival time and cancellation charges, they managed to secure one of the hottest tickets in town (without string-pulling). Clarissa takes up the story:

Having survived trial by telephone, expectations were high. The crash when it came, therefore, was even more disappointing. Things began badly. Perhaps we didn’t quite look the part. Not sporting little black trouser suits or big Manhattan hair, our welcome was Woody Allen out of Jane Austen. “Ladies”, oozed the maitre d’, “This day is for you. Let us maximise your pleasure”. Oh heck. I’m all for enjoying a restaurant experience to the full, but I resent being told how much I’m going to enjoy it before even the first crumb passes my lips.

The view, however, both soothed and elated. The restaurant has a skyline view of Central Park that only money can buy. The discreet, split-level interior is focused around the most sybaritic of urban luxuries, a wood-burning fire. Solemn teams of staff stalked the room Indian-file, feet perfectly synchronised as they offered three breads, two butters and one self-regarding attitude. Yet, despite the choreography, a sequence of service glitches spoilt the show.

The big question was whether to take the 9-course tasting or vegetable menu, or the 5-course set one: all $175. The menu promised the moon. It was almost painful, yet choose we must, even cheese and dessert. “The kitchen needs time to prepare” came the reverential reply.

Yes, there were flashes of brilliance. An Hawaiian palm heart salad sang with crisp vitality; signature salmon cones were truly witty; cauliflower ‘pannacotta’ with caviar was lushly creamy with a little salty punctuation; sturgeon and beets a classic, elegant pairing. And, of course, that view – a view that was always in your face, like the relays of waiters who constantly whisked away place settings, laying and relaying the table to keep the menu folk in crockery harmony with the tasters. Confused? Well, it was nothing as compared to the mystery of the vanishing squab pigeon. A magnificent bronzed bird presented as if from a conjurer’s hat, only to be spirited off to finally re-appear as two of the tiniest slivers of breast ever seen on a restaurant table without the aid of a microscope.

And therein lay some of the problem. At Per Se, less is less. Each menu was, essentially, a meal of canapés. Tiny, enamelled presentations that could only satisfy the hunger of a gnat. Worse, the size of each gilded dish undermined its appreciation. It’s hard to grasp the harmonic point of “nature-fed” veal with parsnips, Brussels sprouts and wild mushrooms (I précis) when you get but three leaves of sprouts or turbot with asparagus, chanterelles and béarnaise when the veg are micro-speckles, the sauce a smear and the fish the size of a goldfish. Even so, most dishes, vaunted for their esoteric ingredients, tasted frankly blah; fresh from air-freight, rather than the soil.

The construction of the meal also lacked balance – despite the tiresome parade of extras, belts were far from straining by the time desserts arrived. Far too many, all too sweet, then petit four chocolates followed by designer ones on a silver platter (root beer truffle, anyone?). A sugar-bloated, bottom-heavy meal, in more ways than one.

The final insult came on leaving. A minion scuttled after us asking if we’d taken the credit card Biro. Excuse me? Certainly not. Shome mistake, shurely, as the Eye would say. In any case, at that price they could have thrown in gold Mont Blancs. I repaired to the bathroom, sat indignantly on the throne brooding on the base allegation and looked up to see myself regally reflected in a full-length mirror. It kind of summed the whole thing up.

[rich]

I guess we can't keep ignoring the mounting less than stellar reviews. Something certainly appears amiss.

[slkinsey]

I find it interesting that, unless I am mistaken, most of these less than stellar reviews seem to have come from UK-based writers.

[John Whiting]

I find it interesting that, unless I am mistaken, most of these less than stellar reviews seem to have come from UK-based writers.

Oh, that's alright then.

[iheartoffal]

Seems like knocking Per Se is the new black.

[artisanbaker]

Per se just received the James Beard award Best New Restaurant!!

[John Whiting]

Per se just received the James Beard award Best New Restaurant!!

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Tells you all you need to know about New York!!

[bilrus]

Per se just received the James Beard award Best New Restaurant!!

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Despite the recent criticisms and the politics involved in the Beard Award process, it would have been a serious mistake if it hadn't won the award.

[eje]

Our Dinner at per se

April 12, 2005

My wife & I love eating out and have had tasting menus at many well-rated restaurants in San Francisco (where we live), Chicago, Seattle, London and Vancouver. We have had many wonderful experiences with them and were hoping this might be a new pinnacle to those experiences.

Salmon Tartar Cones. Chef Keller's signature.

“Oysters and Pearls”. “Saboyan” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Russian Sevruga Caviar. This was my wife's favorite course. It is in essence an oyster stew garnished with caviar. The addition of Tapioca “Pearls” is an amusing idea. I've been playing around with tapioca pearls at home, and it was interesting to enjoy them here in a savory course.

“Puree” of California white Asparagus Soup. Black Truffle “Croutons”, Green Asparagus and poached quail egg. The quail egg was a nice touch; but, on the whole the soup seemed under seasoned, with the cream playing a much larger flavor part than the asparagus. It also did not compare favorably to a very similar presentation at Gramercy Tavern two nights earlier.

(Other choice: Terrine of Hudson Valley Moulard Duck “Foie Gras”. Granny Smith Apple “Gelee”, Celery Branch, Pickled Red Onion and Toasted “Brioche”.)

We were also presented with bread and butter at this point. There were three types formed into miniature loaves, a batard, a potato beer bread, and one other. Honestly, I wasn't over impressed with the two I tried. They were fine; but, not outstanding. On the whole, I prefer bread baked in larger loaves and cut or broken, so you can savor all the textures and smells, not just the crust.

Herb Roasted Columbia River Sturgeon. “Confit” of Yukon Gold Potatoes, Spring Garlic, Sorrel Shoots and “Sauce a l'Oseille”. I think I enjoyed this course the most. A delicious rectangle of sturgeon was balanced delicately on the few perfect cubes of potato “confit”.

Nova Scotia Lobster “Cuit Sous Vide”. English Peas, California Morel Mushrooms, and Applewood Smoked Bacon Emulsion. For some reason there was a long delay before this course arrived at our table. It really sounded great when the server described it. Unfortunately, either I don't understand what they were trying to accomplish with the Lobster or it was not prepared correctly. We were served this course with a fork and a regular table knife. None of us could completely cut through the lobster meat with the knife. Just weird to be sawing away with a dull knife on a piece of meat that is prepared in a way that is supposed to make it more tender. My wife had a vision of having her lobster fly across the room when trying to saw away at it. Should the waitstaff have noticed that this dish was overcooked as we all sat sawing away at it? At this point, the bubble of eating at Per Se had burst. We should have sent this course back. However, the idea of sending a plate back at Per Se was too daunting for people intent on celebrating

“Aguillette” of Liberty Valley Pekin Duck Breast. “Confiture” of Kumquat, Glazed Pearl Onions, Wilted Mizuna, and Caramelized Onion Vinaigrette. A single strip of Duck Breast, with an artful scattering of vegetables. I also enjoyed this course. Though, I am a sucker for Kumquats.

Rib-Eye of Elysian Fields Farm Lamb “En Persillade”. “Cassoulet” of Spring Pole Beans and “Haricots Verts” with Thyme-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Most of us enjoyed this one as well, though we were starting to get a bit full. Unfortunately, my wife's piece of Lamb had a rather large piece of gristle hiding inside. If a customer only gets a pinky size nugget, it's kind of a lapse if she can't eat half. She left the gristle on the plate to no comment from the waitstaff.

Ibores. “Puree” of Haas Avocado, Marcona Almond “Tuile”, Roasted Sweet Peppers and Cilantro Shoots. I was amused to see the “smear” garnishing technique I've seen in pictures from WD-50 used here with the Avocado “Puree”. The cheese was a nice tart goat cheese from Spain.

Honestly, by this point, we were all full to bursting. I don't know if they were rushing courses to our table; but, most of us were groaning when the desserts started arriving.

Banana Sorbet. Goma “Nougatine” and Soy Caramel “Foam”. My wife described this as a vaguely banana tasting blob with some sugary sesame bits. Which I guess tells you where we were at at this point in the meal.

Huckleberry Pot de crème and Vanilla Bean crème Brule. The men were served the Pot de crème and the women were served the Brule. I thought the Pot de crème was quite nice. Amusingly, earlier in the evening, I had brought up how I had read on eGullet that at Masa's in San Francisco, for the tasting menu, men and women are served different dishes. Everyone at the table seemed to agree that this would lead to nothing but marital discord. And, indeed, the women coveted our Pot de crème.

Tentation au Chocolat, Noisette et Lait. Milk Chocolate “Cremeux”, Hazelenut “Streusel” with Condensed Milk Sorbet, “Pain au Lait” Sauce and Sweet and Salty Hazelnuts. The frozen desserts were shaped into Quenelles on either side of the plate, with two streaks of “sauce” down the middle. My wife liked this course a lot. I love the combination of Hazelnuts and chocolate; but didn't think it compared favorably to similar chocolate and nut desserts we'd had earlier in the week at Gramercy Tavern or Babbo.

Chocolates. A gold plate was brought to our table and we were allowed to choose a single chocolate from a selection of 4 or 5. They were fine chocolates; but, I don't really understand what they added to the meal. Some talk of Monty Python's Mr. Creosote sketch at the table.

Mignardises. I did try one of the jellies; but, none of us could face anything else on the tray of lovely looking cookies and treats.

After receiving the bill, just in case the previous 5 dessert courses hadn't pushed us over the edge into diabetic coma, we were all presented with a souvenir bag of French style Macaroons.

My wife compared the experience to paying for front row seats at a rock concert, only to catch the band on an off night. I'm sure per se is capable of better; but, the night we were there, it didn't happen.

Personally, I was disappointed with the almost uniformly dark flavor palette of the courses in the tasting menu. There were lots of “Spring” ingredients in the "side dishes"; but, all were prepared in what I would call a “Winter” manner. Confit, confiture, cassoulet, with bacon emulsion... I think this is why we felt so stuffed. If one of the middle courses had had some more pronounced fruit flavors, or if the sorbet course had been more sparkling and served mid-way, it would certainly have felt less like a trudge through a “museum of meats”.

Since getting home, we have been going over the experience frequently. Our real complaint is that nothing stands out in our mind as truly exceptional. We have had many amazing culinary experiences in our life. Preparations that have made us see ingredients in a new light or stand as singlular examples of “how something should taste”. Foie Gras terrine at Jardinaire, Scallops at Passione, Fresh Oysters at the SF Farmer's Market, even Octopus at Babbo earlier in the week. To me, none of the dishes we had at per se rose to that exceptional level and several fell below. I know restaurants aren't perfect, and every night isn't ideal; but, when you are playing at the level and the price of per se, it is disappointing to me, as a fan of great restaurants and food, that our entire group came away feeling let down.

Edited May 8, 2005 by eje (log)

[bilrus]

I'm becoming more and more discouraged with every report like this that I read. It is disappointing that a restaurant where I had such a stellar meal early in its life seems to be coming up wanting so often lately.

Has anyone had the lobster prepared this way at Per Se or French Laundry when it wasn't just a little chewy?

[iheartoffal]

We had the "Mac 'n' Cheese" preparation of the lobster with our dinner and the lobster was quite tender. I don't get it...in nearly 90% of the reviews of Per Se that I've read the past year there's a mention of tough lobster; and in nearly half of those, people say they can't even cut into them with the provided cutlery. Surely Per Se must be aware that many people have experienced this problem. Perhaps they're treating like the over-salting problem and chalking it up all up to a problem on the diner's end.

[Todd36]

Our lobster was chewy. By the way, as one of the first people to write that Per Se did not appear to be what it was cracked up to be, and for my honesty (and perhaps my taste buds), I was rewarded with quite a few posts questioing whether I had even eaten at Per Se, I'm wondering why no one is saying "gee, Todd Might have been right."

[iheartoffal]

Our lobster was chewy.  By the way, as one of the first people to write that Per Se did not appear to be what it was cracked up to be, and for my honesty (and perhaps my taste buds), I was rewarded with quite a few posts questioing whether I had even eaten at Per Se, I'm wondering why no one is saying "gee, Todd Might have been right."

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Congratulations, buddy! You might have been right!

[docsconz]

It does appear as if Per se is laboring under a spate of negative reviews, one of the first of which was Todd's. The reviews are very much unlike my experience there last year. This is perplexing. The only explanation I can think of is that they are trying to cut corners to save money and it is showing. A shame if this is more than a blip.