Per Se

[bbq chef]

Has anybody been recently? I am going for a second time this coming Monday. I was wondering if anyone knew what might be on the current menus.

[oakapple]

Has anybody been recently?  I am going for a second time this coming Monday.  I was wondering if anyone knew what might be on the current menus.

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If the neighborhood isn't too far away, just pop upstairs and grab a menu. They're available to take with you right outside, and you don't even have to go in and ask for it.

[robert40]

Has anybody been recently?  I am going for a second time this coming Monday.  I was wondering if anyone knew what might be on the current menus.

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If the neighborhood isn't too far away, just pop upstairs and grab a menu. They're available to take with you right outside, and you don't even have to go in and ask for it.

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Also if your willing to go head to head with the phone lines again they will gladly fax you one. But realize other then the signature items the menu will likely be completely different by Monday.

[Lenski]

Has anybody been recently?  I am going for a second time this coming Monday.  I was wondering if anyone knew what might be on the current menus.

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If the neighborhood isn't too far away, just pop upstairs and grab a menu. They're available to take with you right outside, and you don't even have to go in and ask for it.

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Also if your willing to go head to head with the phone lines again they will gladly fax you one. But realize other then the signature items the menu will likely be completely different by Monday.

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Per Se/October 2006

Last week, I went to “Per Se” again. I can honestly say that it would have been a great meal had it been 1986…. One of my desserts was, believe it or not, crème brulée. I was terribly frustrated and, at approximately $900 plus for two people, very depressed.

The place still looks terrific and the staff is extremely cordial. Two staff members remembered me (I did not) even though I had not been there for a long time. It is always a nice touch. Chef Keller was on the premises, by the way. I also liked that the same table can share different menus since I am all for the communal experience. We went for the CTM (9 courses, with the “torchon” and the “lamb” as choices) and the seven course meal to sample as much as possible. We decided against the “truffle” option.

We decided to have the sommelier choose our wines and the choices were top-notch. If anyone interested in the details, please email me and I will give you the names.

The menus were:

CTM

Cauliflower “Panna Cotta”

“Torchon”

Crispy Skin Fillet of Royal Dorade

Scottish Langoustines "À [sic] la Plancha”

Rillettes of Hallow Farm’s Young Rabbit

“Selle d’Agneau Rôtie”

Cheese Plate (Meadow Creek Grayson)

Mango Sorbet

Chocolate S’Mores

“Mignardises”

Seven Course:

Sauteed Fla. Gulf Shrimp

“Tartare of Atlantic Bluefin tuna

Pan Roasted File of Pomfret

Rib-eye of Marcho Farm’s Nature Fed Veal

Formaggio di Fossa

Huckleberry Sorbet

Snickers Bar

Mignardises

Of the CTM, the only outstanding dish was the “Langoustines” and the broth that accompanied them, and surprisingly the veal and its very delicate ragout of black trumpet mushrooms. The “Torchon” was very sub-par and so was the “Agneau” and the “Royal Dorade.” Everything had a feeling of deja-vu, so old….so tired, like the Cauliflower PC…there is nothing new there and it was never an impressive dish.

The “Tuna Tartare” was not good at all. The combination of textures and flavors did not work at all (Horseradish, young beets, garden Tarragon and potato gaufrettes). Overall, if I had to find one adjective to summarize the whole meal would be "uninspired."

I know the desserts have been heavily criticized at “Per Se” and, given my recent experience, deservedly so. The sorbets were ok, but the “snickers bar” and the “smore’s” were nicely presented but terribly vulgar. They were just that a deconstructed “snickers bar” but not as tasty. The “smore’s” was a little better, just because of the more playful ingredients that go into its recipe. Then we got the “Crème b” which I think added insult to injury.

Last August, I went to “Jean Georges” which is not that different from “Per Se” in terms of culinary rhetoric or category and I would rate the former higher (although not a memorable experience either)…but at this level, I think ADNY is still the master, in my humble opinion. I still have not been to l'Atelier (in NY).

Sadly, I was very disappointed. Maybe it was an off day, but at those prices, and given the overall lack of quality and originality, I cannot recommend it. And, unless things change dramatically….

Any more information or detail that you might want or need….please ask.

[DutchMuse]

Thanks for your review; very informative and generally consistent with my impressions. It's been a good while now since I've been to Per Se, but I just burned out on it for I think two reasons:

1) The requisite "formula" of the 7 or 9 courses got a bit too--well, 'formula' for lack of a better word, for me. I wanted a variety in format, and they are just not set up to do that. Unlike the other Michelin 3 star restaurants in NYC. The 9 or 7 course menu is fine if you go once a year, but for a while, I was going once a month and it just got a bit old.

2) I finally concluded the food was more "technical" than inspired. Its wonderful cuisine, don't get me wrong. But it very technical. As a comparison, though the food at Eleven Madison doesn't aspire to equal the technical proficiency at Per Se, it is more "soulful". If Per Se could combine the inspired/heart-felt quality with the technical proficiency, then you'd have perfection.

By the way, I thought the wine pairings they did were always wonderful; now THAT is inspired. I'm a bit of an oenophile and always enjoyed the pairings. The wine staff and I used to have fun--they would hide the bottle for each course and we would have to try to guess what it was! It was lots of fun and most enjoyable. I had heard they stopped the pairings (it used to be you could give them a budget and they'd select pairings based on your budget but someone recently told me they had stopped doing this. I'm not sure).

Creme brulee?????

Edited October 23, 2006 by DutchMuse (log)

[BryanZ]

Probably served along with the largely traditional mignardises that inlcluded, at one point, pot au creme. Creme brulee wouldn't be much of a stretch.

[Lenski]

Thanks for your review; very informative and generally consistent with my impressions. It's been a good while now since I've been to Per Se, but I just burned out on it for I think two reasons:

1) The requisite "formula" of the 7 or 9 courses got a bit too--well, 'formula' for lack of a better word, for me.  I wanted a variety in format, and they are just not set up to do that. Unlike the other Michelin 3 star restaurants in NYC.  The 9 or 7 course menu is fine if you go once a year, but for a while, I was going once a month and it just got a bit old.

2) I finally concluded the food was more "technical" than inspired. Its wonderful cuisine, don't get me wrong. But it very technical.  As a comparison, though the food at Eleven Madison doesn't aspire to equal the technical proficiency at Per Se, it is more "soulful". If Per Se could combine the inspired/heart-felt quality with the technical proficiency, then you'd have perfection.

By the way, I thought the wine pairings they did were always wonderful; now THAT is inspired. I'm a bit of an oenophile and always enjoyed the pairings. The wine staff and I used to have fun--they would hide the bottle for each course and we would have to try to guess what it was!  It was lots of fun and most enjoyable.  I had heard they stopped the pairings (it used to be you could give them a budget and they'd select pairings based on your budget but someone recently told me they had stopped doing this.  I'm not sure).

Creme brulee?????

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Hey DutchMuse.

There were no wine pairings per se (pardon the pun). We started with a glass of "blanc de blancs" as I tend to do and then we had a couple of glasses (a Riesling and something else) and then two small bottles of a wine and a red (very expensive, by the way).

L.

[ASM NY]

I had a similar reaction on my second visit to Per Se. I was fascinated the first time, but not as impressed the second. I got the feeling that even though the food was perfectly executed, it lacked some of the creativity that some of the FL dishes they originally brought over had.

[Kiz]

I see prices are jumping again ... as if Jan 10 it'll be up to $250 per person.

[rich]

I see prices are jumping again ... as if Jan 10 it'll be up to $250 per person.

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The rent's going up and the 22% service charge isn't working for the waiters since it's shared by BOH personel.

By next year it will be $300 and after that they will only accept reservations from baseball players with guaranteed multi-year contracts.

[Nathan]

I wonder if we could start selling futures on meals at Per Se.

I'm offering to sell a meal in 2009 for $350.

[bleachboy]

Make fun of Per Se all you like, but the food and wine I consumed there just about a month ago was among the best I've ever had. Better than Daniel. Better than Le Bernadin. It was awesome.

[rich]

Make fun of Per Se all you like

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Okay, we will.

[Fat Guy]

By industry standards $250 seems about right for the meal and experience you get at Per Se. The restaurant was an inexplicable bargain when it opened, and has now adjusted up closer to what it's worth, i.e., same as Ducasse. So now, if you want a bargain, walk across the street to Jean Georges where the dinner tasting menu is $125 -- half the price for seven eighths of the experience -- and lunch can be had for like forty bucks.

[rich]

By industry standards $250 seems about right for the meal and experience you get at Per Se. The restaurant was an inexplicable bargain when it opened, and has now adjusted up closer to what it's worth, i.e., same as Ducasse. So now, if you want a bargain, walk across the street to Jean Georges where the dinner tasting menu is $125 -- half the price for seven eighths of the experience -- and lunch can be had for like forty bucks.

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nine eighths

[ulterior epicure]

By industry standards $250 seems about right for the meal and experience you get at Per Se. The restaurant was an inexplicable bargain when it opened, and has now adjusted up closer to what it's worth, i.e., same as Ducasse. So now, if you want a bargain, walk across the street to Jean Georges where the dinner tasting menu is $125 -- half the price for seven eighths of the experience -- and lunch can be had for like forty bucks.

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nine eighths

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... I wasn't going to say it... but thanks rich, now I don't have to.

[BryanZ]

Blowout meal at Per Se tonight with the g/f. We do one blowout a year--last year was a night in Chicago for the Tour at Alinea--so we thought we'd do Per Se, as the g/f has never been to a NYT four-star/Michelin three-star for dinner. The experience was a great one, but the food wasn't completely mind blowing. Every course was very tasty and perfectly executed, but it lacked the soul and personality (dare I say, point of view) of my meal at Eleven Madison Park from the night before. Per Se was far and away the better experience when the space, service, elegance, and overall quality are accounted for, but underdog EMP's highs were as high, if not higher, than Per Se's.

Here's the menu:

Service was as good as one can expect. Totally attentive, friendly, smooth, relatable yet refined. Overall, I still prefer restaurants where I can interact with one server in a more casual, friendly fashion, but for its type Per Se's service can't really be beat. Our meal was paced quite quickly--we were done in about 2.5 hours--but we eat quickly and don't really linger. I thought some courses came out slightly too quickly, and the fish course was actually served too hot for the g/f, but I'd rather have even, quick pacing than than wait around for interminable and variable amounts of time. Per Se is able to put out dishes so fluidly because of its relatively small size and few choices. Interestingly, however, I saw a couple otherwise identical dishes go out on different china with different platings. The components were the exact same but they were definitely arranged differently. This was puzzling.

The Oysters and Pearls is such a classic dish and was, predictably, a highlight of the evening. Creaminess, saltiness, and brininess are rarely matched so well.

We did both the heirloom beets and the foie between us. The beets were as good as can be expected though not transcendent. A great example of a beet dish but not necessarily more; I would've like some cheese to give it more body. The foie was very, very tasty and more "meaty" than any other torchon/terrine I've had. It seemed to really taste of duck/duck fat. I'm not sure if this had to do with the quality of the foie or the preparation. The apple chutney was actually a highlight of the night for its texture and convincing use of winter-y spices. The texture was like a firmer version of the salmon cornets and rather than using acidity or bitterness to counter the foie, it used nutmeg/cinnamon/clove notes. We got the nice but kind of strange "brioche turn" and thoroughly enjoyed the dish, but I don't think it was worth the $40 surcharge.

The Loup de Mer was actualy quite similar to the snapper dish I had at EMP the night before. This was a lighter, more acidic take that was very Jean-Georges-esque. I may have enjoyed the EMP version slightly more for its addition of sweetness, but this was the more elegant dish. The vegetables added the slightest bit of crunch and as the perfectly cooked fish yielded some of its fat and juices it really balanced the acidic lemon vierge sauce. This dish grew on me as I worked through it, and I was sad to see it go.

The sea scallop was pretty huge and had a great, dark crust on it, though I couldn't pick up on any herbal notes in the scallop itself. I really, really enjoyed the progression across the plate from subtle, vegetal, salty celery coulis to sweet and root-y tender celeriac, to rich and satisfying mushroom puree. Between this mushroom puree and Chef Kahn's mushroom caramel I've got a whole ton of umami I can unleash in new ways in my own dishes.

My favorite part of this dish was the yam puree. More than any other component of the entire night, this tasted exactly how it should have and was a prime example of "yam." To me, this focus is a very Keller trait. The duck itself was damn tasty and I can't say anything negative about the rich duck jus. In the meat courses especially, Keller/Benno's kitchen has talent for creating extremely rich, sop-worthy animal-based sauces.

The rack of lamb was another great example of a typical fine-dining lamb dish executed extremely well. The garlic and tomatoes adding enough sweet alium notes and acid to balance the rich lamb and jus. Another sop-worthy course.

Although I really enjoyed both the duck and lamb dishes, the proteins themselves did not particularly amaze me. These dishes were prime examples of strong technical cooking driven by great ingredients and conceived under a watchful eye. Everything tasted as if it belonged together, but the dishes did not at all venture out on a limb. As I have alluded to and others have noted, I find that Per Se is great for an occasional top-notch meal but the cuisine is reluctant to push the boundaries like that at other, "lesser," restaurants. I'm not sure if this is a knock at Per Se or just simply a reflection of how my own tastes have changed. Two years ago I was enlightened by a meal at Per Se that ultimately led to my current fascination with modern cooking. Today, I loved the experience but wasn't moved holistically by the food. Certain elements were special and eye-opening, but there is more exciting cooking going on throughout New York. I don't know, however, if a better overall restaurant experience exists in the city. Perhaps if we could get Chefs Humm and Liebrandt to team up in Per Se's space with its staff. I'll let Chef Achatz continue ripping up Chicago; the Second City has to have somehting going for it.

The cheese, desserts, mignardises followed and were enjoyable but not revelatory. The quality and quantity of post-savory offerings is unmatched at anywhere I've ever been, but at that point in the meal it seemed like too much. I felt this on my previous visit, too. We were too full for coffee and kind of nibbled at the offerings while letting the food, wine, and view sink in.

[Swicks]

EMP and PS back to back?!?!? Wow, Merry Christmas indeed.

[DutchMuse]

The experience was a great one, but the food wasn't completely mind blowing. Every course was very tasty and perfectly executed, but it lacked the soul and personality (dare I say, point of view) of my meal at Eleven Madison Park from the night before. Per Se was far and away the better experience when the space, service, elegance, and overall quality are accounted for, but underdog EMP's highs were as high, if not higher, than Per Se's.

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Interesting that you say this as it mirrors EXACTLY my experience. I've always thought Per Se's cuisine was very technical and precise but lacked a sense of soul, which is everpresent at EMP under Chef Humm. We're certainly on the same wavelength!

[docsconz]

For continued discussion on Per Se in 2007 see here.