Jean Georges and Nougatine 2005 - 2008

[ulterior epicure]

oh, yes, thanks.

[rich]

I also suspect that if the identical restaurant opened today in another part of town, it would receive three stars.

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I agree Marc. As strict as he is about ambiance issues, I got the impression the wait staff "aloofness" came this close to blowing the fourth star. It's a good thing all the bathrooms were working.

[ckkgourmet]

I read Bruni's review quite differently than some others here. I did not feel that Bruni was tempted to take JG down a notch, but rather that he was attempting to find things to be critical about. That's why all his criticims sound almost trivial (something he himself says they are). I am somewhat sympathetic with his description of the desert presentation, for instance, but who would say that this is really a big deal? Bruni also discusses in contrite terms the way he misunderstood JG's orchestration of flavors, a misunderstanding he corrected when he accomodated himself to eating the dishes in the right way.

In every respect, I think we see here sheer admiration, even surprise, that JG has managed to keep things going so well. I'd also say that in my (considerable) experience at JG, consistency is hardly an issue, and certainly not the way I found it to be at Alain Ducasse in the pre-Esnault days (for the record, I now think ADNY is consistent and amazing).

I'd agree with one gripe, that being the aloofness of the staff. In particular, I find JG's hostesses to be ridiculously unresponsive in an occasionally borderline-offensive fashion. Their holier-than-thou demeanors are entirely inconsistent with the level of restaurant, but is perhaps inevitable if JG insists on hiring part-time models to greet his patrons. I'd rather have less eye candy up front and more friendliness.

Edited April 19, 2006 by ckkgourmet (log)

[ulterior epicure]

I'd agree with one gripe, that being the aloofness of the staff. In particular, I find JG's hostesses to be ridiculously unresponsive in an occasionally borderline-offensive fashion. Their holier-than-thou demeanors are entirely inconsistent with the level of restaurant, but is perhaps inevitable if JG insists on hiring part-time models to greet his patrons. I'd rather have less eye candy up front and more friendliness.

Ditto. My servers have all been nice enough... but not quite personable as I would have liked or expected... just short of "gracious." A little missive at points, but nothing, nothing egregious, to be sure. Just a minor flaw in my opinion.

However, the kitchen staff, from my experience, has been the paragon of hospitality, graciousness and humility... personable too!

u.e.

[ckkgourmet]

However, the kitchen staff, from my experience, has been the paragon of hospitality, graciousness and humility... personable too!

u.e.

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In this category we might include JG himself, who was busy visiting tables when I was at the restaurant last Friday for lunch.

[ulterior epicure]

However, the kitchen staff, from my experience, has been the paragon of hospitality, graciousness and humility... personable too!

u.e.

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In this category we might include JG himself, who was busy visiting tables when I was at the restaurant last Friday for lunch.

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Whole-heartedly agreed. What a humble and gracious man!

u.e.

[rich]

However, the kitchen staff, from my experience, has been the paragon of hospitality, graciousness and humility... personable too!

u.e.

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In this category we might include JG himself, who was busy visiting tables when I was at the restaurant last Friday for lunch.

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Whole-heartedly agreed. What a humble and gracious man!

u.e.

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St. Jean of Avignon

[ckkgourmet]

St. Jean of Avignon

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Who or what is St. Jean of Avignon? My Catholic Encyclopedia has no entry! Is it a cooking school? A joke? please help!

[Sneakeater]

Whole-heartedly agreed.  What a humble and gracious man!

u.e.

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What I don't get is if he's so humble and gracious -- and I agree, he was really nice the one time I met him -- why does he insist on hiring those snotnosed model wannabes to hostess his places?

I've loved many of JGV's places. But I've almost universally hated dealing with his very-front-of-the-room staff. (And don't get me started on his firm's reservations policy.)

Edited April 20, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[oakapple]

What I don't get is if he's so humble and gracious -- and I agree, he was really nice the one time I met him -- why does he insist on hiring those snotnosed model wannabes to hostess his places?

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Someone who heads up a large global empire may be too far removed from what is going on in the trenches. I am not defending it, merely observing that it can happen. I seriously doubt that Vongerichten ever told his staff to be snooty. One can only hope that Bruni's comment (and others like it) will provide a wake-up call.

I would add that the lovely models at Perry St were extremely gracious when I visited there, so we should be careful not to paint with too broad a brush.

[rich]

St. Jean of Avignon

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Who or what is St. Jean of Avignon? My Catholic Encyclopedia has no entry! Is it a cooking school? A joke? please help!

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Definitely not a joke!

[ckkgourmet]

St. Jean of Avignon

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Who or what is St. Jean of Avignon? My Catholic Encyclopedia has no entry! Is it a cooking school? A joke? please help!

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Definitely not a joke!

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Thus you leave me in the dark!

[rich]

St. Jean of Avignon

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Who or what is St. Jean of Avignon? My Catholic Encyclopedia has no entry! Is it a cooking school? A joke? please help!

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Definitely not a joke!

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Thus you leave me in the dark!

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Oh c'mon - a little research can be fun and good exercise for the gray matter.

Okay, okay - here's a hint. He's not an actual saint - a nickname given to him by Catholic Church members of the day, and descriptions of him used the same words you used for JGV. He has nothing to do with the DaVinci Code, but the subject matter is related and there is a food link as well.

[Sneakeater]

I would add that the lovely models at Perry St were extremely gracious when I visited there, so we should be careful not to paint with too broad a brush.

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Actually, it was the lovely models at Perry St. -- a restaurant I otherwise adore -- who I was particularly thinking about (since they're the ones I've most recently been dealing with).

Edited April 20, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)

[Bu Pun Su]

Well, it's kinda very when I put this review. I had a dinner here about a month ago, but better late than never, right?

Overally, I would say we had a good overall dinner experience there. I ordered JG's tasting menu. Though I do not find all of the dishes to be very great. For instance, I thought scallops were over-cooked and the turbot was not very fresh nevertheless the sauce that accompany those dishes are good.

The egg caviar and lobster tartine are among my fav. food for that night. The dessert, rather than JG's chocolate, I did not find the rest of them to be anything special. Somehow I could not help it but to compare to ADNY when I ate here, I guess it's the only other equivalent restaurant I've ever been.

For the wine, we had a very good Riesling in the beginning, but the red wine the sommelier recommended was horrible - tasted a bit like medicine. Earlier, he recommended us a 12000 USD bottle of red wine, we thought ... what the heck, I don't think we look like a people who would be able to afford such price.

http://andichahyadihermawan.blogs.friendst...s_new_york_spr/

Above are some of pictures. Unfortunately, many of them are low-quality. Either my camera is bad or I simply not good in taking pictures.

The dining room is nice with a very good view of the street. We've got plenty of places with the other people and made our converstation was very comfortable without bothering others. I also found the service to be very excellent. Pretty much only one captain overlooked our table but she was doing an awesome jobs. It's different than ADNY which is more formal and a bit snobby. However, both are very well done in different styles.

In the middle of the dinner, JG stopped by to our table. We really appreciated it. He's really a very nice and fun person to talk to. It's great to find the owner being available in the middle of the restaurant. Before going home, we were shown the tour of the kitchen even for the Trump's kitchen.

I would rate my experience here to be 92/100 - just 3 pts below my ADNY one. The only dinner aspect that JG is better than ADNY is obviously the value of money that you spent. I think that would be for now, feel free to ask questions. I could not promise to reply fast since I'm in the middle of Euro trip until early May. Thanks

[ckkgourmet]

Having had another lunch in the formal dining room, I would like to submit that it must be more than hearsay that lunch at JG is better than dinner--both in terms of consistency and the interest of the food. I have now discussed this matter with two other friends who have frequented JG at both lunch and dinner and they also confirm their impressions as being the same.

Again, our collective wisdom: lunch in the formal dining room is often > dinner

If anyone has an explanation for this, I'd love to hear it!

Edited April 22, 2006 by ckkgourmet (log)

[ulterior epicure]

Having had another lunch in the formal dining room, I would like to submit that it must be more than hearsay that lunch at JG is better than dinner--both in terms of consistency and the interest of the food. I have now discussed this matter with two other friends who have frequented JG at both lunch and dinner and they also confirm their impressions as being the same.

Again, our collective wisdom: lunch in the formal dining room is often > dinner

If anyone has an explanation for this, I'd love to hear it!

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Hi ckkgourmet.

Okay, I'm going to have to ask you to elaborate on this... what, exactly, did you find better? The food, the service, the atmosphere, all the foregoing in concert....??

This may seem like a silly thing to say, but honestly, I found the service and the food comparable at both dinner and lunch (admittedly, I've only done one of each)... however, I think what made my lunch so much more memorable was the generous natural light pouring through the restaurant's windows... it really brought levity to the occasion. I've heard the terrace (Nougatine) is terribly pleasant on nice days.

Hmmm... I think this is a phenomenon that is common at a lot of restos I've talked with people about - that is, either lunch or dinner is usually better than the other.

u.e.

Edited April 22, 2006 by ulterior epicure (log)

[rich]

Again, our collective wisdom: lunch in the formal dining room is often > dinner

If anyone has an explanation for this, I'd love to hear it!

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It's a known fact the chef is a morning person - peters out after 5pm.

[ckkgourmet]

Again, our collective wisdom: lunch in the formal dining room is often > dinner

If anyone has an explanation for this, I'd love to hear it!

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It's a known fact the chef is a morning person - peters out after 5pm.

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This would definitively settle the matter, then, if the chef was "known" to be more on the ball during the morning than in the evening!

To answer u.e.'s request for specifics though. I have simply had many more superb lunches than dinners. By this I primarily mean that I had better execution of individual dishes in the afternoon than in the evening. Things almost always come together at lunch. In fact, I would say I have never had a disappointing lunch at JG's, whereas I have had 1 or 2 disappointing dinners. Perhaps the chef's tasting menu does not inspire the same care as the mix-and-matchiness of the lunch menu? Someone may indeed be getting tired in the kitchen by evening.

In any case, I don't think for me it was just the light!

[ckkgourmet]

I would also add that I enjoy the mix and match aspect of the lunch menu--and the price! But I wouldn't say that those factors outweigh the quality difference that I perceive in preparation there at lunch versus dinner. Lunch is overall better, in my experience.

[BryanZ]

In my experience you lose out on some of the tableside preparations at lunch when compared to dinner. Also, the rooms seems more airy and casual during the day but more sleek at night. It really just depends on your preferences.

I've also find service to be tighter at night and more casual (in the not as good way) during the day. The prices, even with the recent increase, are still a great deal for lunch.

[ulterior epicure]

What are some dishes that are prepared table-side at dinner? I don't remember any on our tasting menu at dinner that involved table-side prep.

Agree with the lighter v. sleeker description... and yes, the lunch menu price is really a great deal!

u.e.

[gaf]

Grown Up New York City Entry #95 Jean Georges

If asked to design a New York restaurant that represents all the best of high-end dining, I would surely be accused of plagiarism. I would have created Jean Georges. Although not a restaurant of perfection (more later), Jean Georges does so much so well, and does so with panache, enticement, geniality and a marriage of classicism and fusion. This is a restaurant that deserves all the stars that twinkle over Columbus Circle.

What is perhaps most notable about the cuisine of Jean-Georges Vongerichten - the man has a hyphen, his restaurant doesn't - is that its mark is the synthesis and intensification of contemporary styles. This is not a cuisine of extremes: of purity, of experimentation, of minimalism, or of flavor contrasts. Rather it is a cuisine of the dish, a cuisine that takes flavor and visual appeal as the essence of dining, bowing sometimes towards minimalism (the turbot), at other times to molecularism (carrot soup with passion fruit foam), occasionally nodding to Asian fusion (broiled squab in a light and lively five spice sauce), and at still other times to a cuisine that plays with tough and overwhelming flavors (bitter caramel custard with grapefruit confit). Not Bouley, Ducasse, or Keller, Vongerichten (and his chef de cuisine Mark Lapico) reads them all. Perhaps his preference for synthesis will limit his influence: we have mini-Waters, Bouleys, Adrias, or Trotters, but at this moment, in this town, there is no one whom I would trust more to conceive my dinner. That Jean-Georges lords over an empire of many cuisines is alternatively impressive and troubling, as he flits from the simple and happy elegance of Perry Street, to the creative bistro JoJo, to the grim Spice Market.

The Times recently announced that architecture is the art that we fight over, and diners do have their preferences. I found the red dungeon of Bouley taxing; Daniel, elegant but stagy; and Alain Ducasse, monarchical. Excluding the magical and mad Mombar, the Egyptian café in Astoria, a paradise of outsider art, the clean squared design of Jean Georges - by way of über-designer Adam Tihany - is perhaps my favorite dining space. With its creams, whites, grays, and tans, this is a space that doesn't distract from the food, but every so often one gasps at its placid sophistication. The large picture windows that look out over Columbus Circle made the room feel warm with spring.

Our service was not only flawless, but filled with charm. (My foremost gripe resulted from the staff's startling generosity). I was particularly gratified by the sommelier's suggestion of wine selections, fining a perfect (and reasonably priced) Chateauneuf du Pape in some basement warren.

We began with a trio of astonishing amuses. A splendid sashimi of salmon toro (what would surely be otoro at a sushi bar) with an olive oil gelee and crunchy soy was as luxuriant as one could imagine a fish, but with sufficient ornamentation that one knew this was not the Tsujiki fish market.

Nudging the salmon, was a small spoon, a ticking flavor bomb: a cute and juicy strawberry slice with a bit of dill and a smear of Roquefort cheese. I would not have imagined that the combination of bleu and berry would have been as evocative as it became, but I will make the trek to Fairway to attempt an impossible re-creation.

We save the best for last, a dish that should have been a travesty, a calamity, a sick joke. Here was essence of carrot soup with tarragon and passion fruit foam. When life passes in front of my lips, a few gustatory memories will remain. This will be one of them. (A strawberry soup from Nougatine will be another). Chef Vongericten or his executive chef were inspired to combine the airy passion fruit with the rich solidity of carrot puree to demonstrate their talent to recognize a compelling synergy.

At Jean Georges, diners choose between two tasting menus - his classic dishes and (in May) a spring menu - or a four course prix fixe. We were tempted by some prix fixe dishes, but, as we were Jean Georges virgins we decided to assay his classic seductions, a menu that, we were told, has continuously been offered since the opening.

We began with one of the dishes for which Jean Georges is best known: a witty roe conceit. Eggs on egg. In a scooped out brown egg shell, the chef partially cooks the yolk, covers it with a vodka creme fraiche and stuffs the cooked egg white back, and covers the opening with eggs from California farm-raised sturgeon (an Osetra-like caviar). If not the most dramatic taste of the evening, the dish was a triumph of Faberge indulgence wed to gustatory theory. Here was a reconstruction of a caviar repast but with such flair that one had to love the man.

Scallops with Caramelized Cauliflower and Caper-Raisin Emulsion left one crying for more. This dish played on essences. The pair of scallops were perfectly presented with a floret of cauliflower on top, surrounded by a pool of deep, biting caper-raisin emulsion. We wondered whether that exotic bite was from curry or from mustard, to be told that it was vinegar that revealed the flavors.

The Young Garlic Soup with Thyme and Sauteed Frog's Legs was the least compelling main dish. The combination of the garlic with curly cress, chive blossoms, tarragon, and chicken stock was harsh, particularly the mix of garlic and a somewhat salty stock. Others at my table vouched for its quality, but I felt the flavors lacked harmony.

Jean Georges' Turbot with Chateau Chalon Sauce showed that a dish of essences could be startling and revealing. Here was a triangular filet napped by a better than perfect sauce: caramelized carrots to the highest power. On top of the mild turbot sat a pointillist line of micro-cubed tomato and zucchini. As pretty as a postcard and with better mouthfeel than chewed cardboard. A miminalist classic.

Lobster Tartine with Lemongrass and Fenugreek Broth and Pea Shoots was brilliant in its fusion. I adored the broth with its heady Orientalist fantasy. This appeared a simple dish on the plate, but its complexity was revealed on the tongue, and in shades of green and red (echoing the turbot's garnish), the tartine stood out visually as well as through the aroma that Jean-Georges so loves.

It is getting repetitive to remark how blessed are these dishes, but the broiled squab, onion compote, corn pancake with foie gras was a fitting pre-dessert close (no palate cleanser is served). The foie gras atop the johnnycake wasn't necessary, the pancake was simply too exquisite. This was another dish in which Chef Vongerichten relied on his Asian spicekit, adding a five spice jus, a wedge of preserved Meyer lemon, and a dusting of five spice powder. Unlike the turbot which played with minimalism, this was a dish of complexity, lushness, and surprise.

Dessert at Jean-Georges under the guidance of Chef Patissier Johnny Iuzzini requires that the diner selects a quartet of choices (the same forced choice as evident at Room 4 Dessert): a tasting menu within a tasting menu. Tonight we could select among Citrus, Chocolate, Rhubarb, and Exotic Fruit and be served a plate divided into quadrants. I selected the first and was pleased I did. Of the quartet, my preference was Bitter Caramel Custard with Grapefruit Confit. What a brave corps of cooks to advertise their gall. Bitter tastes are underutilized, but not here. This dessert combined quinine tang with the sharpness of grapefruit. Bitter on bitter with enough acid and sugar to make the dish sublime.

The blood orange sorbet with tarragon jus used the herb in a way that would have been unimaginable moments before serving. The simple combination of savors was profound, revealing a chef who knows his way in the physic garden.

The kumquat strudel with chartreuse ice cream made fine use of an underappreciated citrus. Why wife's parental homestead was favored with a kumquat tree, and we would often snack on these potent orange marbles. Tonight I skipped down memory lane. The ice cream was flavored with Chartreuse liqueur, but rather than the bright expected yellow-green hue, the custard was a pale cream, possibly flavored by Yellow Chartreuse.

The fourth dessert was a Creme Fraiche Cheesecake with Meyer Lemon Jam. It was tasty, but not superior to a slice from S&S or Junior's.

When presented with the dessert list, a companion sighed, "I wish we could have all sixteen dishes." To our surprise - and at first to our pleasure - our server brought out the quartet of Exotic Fruit desserts. This was Jean Georges' undoing. Only one of these desserts was a pleasing treat, and one was roadkill. Who would have guessed that such things might have been hidden in the recesses of Vongerichten's kitchen? I approve the Passion Fruit-Mint Sorbet with Coconut and Petit Beurre. Flambee Banana with Crispy Phyllo was pleasant although not startling. The chef's Grilled Golden Pineapple with Cumin Meringue, Curry, and Cilantro had too much exotic spice for a dessert treat. And then there was Chilled Mango Lhassi with Tropical Fruits and Carrot Froth. For our amuse we were served a divine Carrot Soup with Passion Fruit foam. This dessert was the starter's Bizarro Double. It was nasty. How could tastes and textures (thick and rough) create an axis of evil? Fortunately petit macaroons quickly effaced that malevolent memory. Perhaps at that time of the night, it was us or the disposal. I vote for the plumbing. But let us not hold such munificence against a restaurant too ready to please.

Jean Georges does what four-star dining must do, dispense joy: the pleasure of being there, of seeing that, of being treated so, and of eating much. Given its success, diners might regret that Chef Vongerichten has chosen to spend less time in his kitchens. He is an endowed professor who chose to be a Dean. Such colleagues create the conditions for others to excel, but one wonders what might result if they were back in the lab. Having chosen the Jean Georges classic menu, the quality of current innovations in the kitchen remain to be tested. Can genius be franchised? Perhaps, but one rather wishes that it need not be. Still, even without Chef Vongerichten behind the kitchen door, Jean Georges the restaurant is purring and grinning. When the cat is away, these mice play as if they are kittens.

Jean Georges

1 Central Park West (at 60th Street)

Manhattan (Columbus Circle)

212-299-3900

My Webpage: Vealcheeks

[oakapple]

bitter caramel custard with grapefruit confit

I'm showing my ignorance, but I thought "confit" meant "cooked in its own fat." There is no fat in grapefruit, so what does "grapefruit confit" mean?

[Sneakeater]

Over the past year, I've had several tomato confits and at leas a few lemon or onion confits.

That said, I have no idea what they mean.

Edited May 25, 2006 by Sneakeater (log)