NY trip report

[bgut1]

Lordy but this thread has me positively drooling and green and pissed off that I live SO far away from NY!

What gorgeous food you both have had placed in front of you, and the prices for your lunch...well Im bowled over. $28 for 2 courses then $12 each course after?

And freebie eggs and pineapples chucked in too?   lolol

If I could find the appropriate bowing down emoticon it would be here, a whole line of 'em.

Congratulations Lorna and Henry for sharing your wonderful photos, explanations, and love of the finer things in life with us. I cant wait until you post the next installment.

So. Are you awake already? 

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Sentiamo - What's worse is that I live so close to NYC (less than an hour) but rarely get the chance to go in. So close yet so far away.

Edited December 19, 2006 by bgut1 (log)

[Ling]

We were some of the first people into Room 4 Dessert on Friday night, at 7:30pm.

Will Goldfarb was in, and he was really friendly. We chatted a bit, then Bob (ex-Morimoto in Philly, soon to be staging at El Bulli) made our desserts.

BTW, did I mention Bob looks just like Justin Timberlake? And he does the most perfect quenelles. (Not that I noticed, or anything... )

Henry ordered the pom pom yeahs! (518). It was so good, I think I polished most of it off for him.

pomegranate spuma, cafe/chestnut puree, grapefruit pastis puree, coconut powder

It sounds like there's a lot going on, but the flavours balanced perfectly and the powder was an interesting contrast to the soft, custardy texture of the rest of the dessert. It is right up there on my Top 5 list for this trip!

I ordered the laissez pear, which was baked pears "Ducasse", pear barvarian cream, crispy pear skin, kaboucha squash cake and vanilla ice-cream.

It was presented on a long plate with each component in its separate bowl/plate.

Everything was very good, especially the ice-cream and the barvarian cream. The cake was re-heated, but was moist and not too sweet. None of the desserts were too sweet, actually. Excellent stuff!

Edited December 19, 2006 by Ling (log)

[hhlodesign]

We had an hour to kill between Room 4 Dessert and our reservation at Bouley. I suggested Danube because I have fond memories of the weinerschnitzel from a few years ago. In fact, the tasting menu I had 2 years ago was one of the best I've had in my life. Most memorable being the foie gras broule with sweet corn served with sauternes, ice wine, and tokai; and the weinerschnitzel of course.

Unfortunately, (and contrary to popular belief) we did not have the gastronomic stamina to do a tasting menu at Danube prior to our tasting menu at Bouley. I ordered a Danube cocktail. Champagne with elderflower syrup.

Shown here beautifully framed by miss Yee.

You can definitely taste the floral aroma, which was a perfect complement to the dry champagne.

Lorna's cocktail of choice just happened to be the signature weinerschnitzel.

This one was disappointing. The breading was soggy and oily. Like it had been left in the fryer too long. We didn't finish it, as we had bigger fish to fry at Bouley.

I hear Danube may have dropped a bit since Mario Lohninger left. Any truth to this?

[Ling]

I ordered a Danube cocktail. Champagne with elderflower syrup.

I enjoyed this a lot as well.

Lorna's cocktail of choice just happened to be the signature weinerschnitzel. 

Uhh...what can I say? I like meat. And Henry's been talking up that weinerschnitzel practically since the day I met him! Of course I had to order it! Too bad it was greasy/soggy. The potato salad was not bad. We ate like 3/4 of the weinerschnitzel...it was a very big portion.

[hhlodesign]

I'm not a fan of dessert, but I've heard such great things of what Will was doing that I was almost as excited as Lorna about this place.

I really liked the layout of the room. Very simple lines and minimal decor.

Will Goldfarb was in, and he was really friendly. We chatted a bit, then Bob (ex-Morimoto in Philly, soon to be staging at El Bulli) made our desserts.

Lorna forgot to mention that Will offered her a stage next time she got back to NY. I'm trying to convince her to go next year as I think its a great opportunity for her. Chime in please!

BTW, did I mention Bob looks just like Justin Timberlake? And he does the most perfect quenelles. (Not that I noticed, or anything... )

Bob's quenelles are the best I've seen. Taking into account his speed and fluidity of movement when making them. I was impressed.

Henry ordered the pom pom yeahs! (518). It was so good, I think I polished most of it off for him.

pomegranate spuma, cafe/chestnut puree, grapefruit pastis puree, coconut powder

It sounds like there's a lot going on, but the flavours balanced perfectly and the powder was an interesting contrast to the soft, custardy texture of the rest of the dessert. It is right up there on my Top 5 list for this trip!

I really enjoyed this. The coconut powder was the most interesting aspect for me. When tried alone, it was extremely dry and dried out my mouth. But when scooped with everything else in the glass, it worked as a perfect foil for the tart and luxurious pomegranate foam.

I ordered the laissez pear, which was baked pears "Ducasse", pear barvarian cream, crispy pear skin, kaboucha squash cake and vanilla ice-cream.

It was presented on a long plate with each component in its separate bowl/plate.

Everything was very good, especially the ice-cream and the barvarian cream. The cake was re-heated, but was moist and not too sweet. None of the desserts were too sweet, actually. Excellent stuff!

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I didn't get to try much of this. Just a bite of the kubocha cake actually (very moist and delicious.) I took two bites of my pomegranate foam, looked over, and saw an empty plate with Ling smiling like the Cheshire cat.

Will and Bob are really nice guys and have one hell of an establishment. They even won over a non-dessert fan. Good luck to Bob at El Bulli!

Edited December 19, 2006 by hhlodesign (log)

[Ling]

I took two bites of my pomegranate foam, looked over, and saw an empty plate with Ling smiling like the Cheshire cat. 

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I don't mess with tradition...you know you only get 1-2 bites max of each dessert, and then the rest is mine anyway.

[Sneakeater]

I hear Danube may have dropped a bit since Mario Lohninger left. Any truth to this?

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More than a bit.

[Sneakeater]

Bob (. . . soon to be staging at El Bulli)

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Lulu will be crestfallen.

[Ling]

We met up with Daniel and Alicia again on Friday night for dinner at Bouley.

(Sorry about the pics--we had a 10pm reservation and the room is very dim. I didn't use a flash.)

amuse bouche trio

grapefruit sorbet and foam, sweet corn tuile with black truffle, hamachi cornet

phyllo shrimp, squid, scallop, "ocean sea broth"

Says Daniel, "This 'ocean sea broth' tastes suspiciously like butter and parsley!" The seafood was very good and not over-cooked--it was one of my favourite courses.

braised yellowtail, melon foam, honshimeji mushrooms, ginger sauce

The fish was cooked all the way through, so it wasn't as moist as it could have been. The sauce was quite subtle and delicious.

poached lobster, Vidalia onion, red pepper sauce, passionfruit and yellow bell pepper sauce, and praline nut sauce

This dish had so many things going on but each flavour complimented one another so well. The 'praline sauce' (thick and nutty, no sugar really detected) tied it all together and made the lobster really stand out from all the other lobster dishes I've eaten in the past. This was probably my favourite dish on this trip.

rack of lamb, fingerling potato puree, black truffle gnocchi, Langres cheese sauce, artichoke puree

Just classic, good food. Gnocchi was nice and light.

baby pig, noodles

This was the one course that I didn't particularly care for. Kind of bland, and the noodles were mushy.

mango sorbet, anise fennel gelee, meringue foam, fennel pollen

a cow's milk from Switzerland (sorry, couldn't catch the name), petit Livarot, gorgonzola picante, Monk's Head (in the shape of a flower)

I liked all the cheeses except for the cow's milk--too mild. I don't recall having the Monk's Head cheese before, so that was different. The tip of the cheese (the outer portion of the flower) is quite mild, but the middle (the base of the flower) is very pungent. Good stuff.

This was a favourite at the table--Concord grape and fromage blanc sorbet, peach and ginger sauce

chocolate sorbet, maple ice-cream, vanilla ice-cream, and Valrhona chocolate souffle

The texture of the chocolate sorbet was the best, while the ice-creams had a few ice crystals. The souffle was very good--still soft and runny in the center.

(The restaurant was empty except for our table at this point, so the flash came on!)

They also give you a small lemon pound cake from Bouley bakery when you leave. This was the first time I've received a baked good meant to be enjoyed the next morning upon departure--I thought this was more a European tradition? It was a pleasant surprise. Anyway, the cake was quite good, but the soaking syrup could've used a bit more lemon juice...it was really sweet.

We had a great time at dinner--it took just over 3 hours. The food was very good on the whole (with the exception of the baby pig), and the lobster dish was fantastic. (And of course, the company was fantastic as well!)

Edited December 19, 2006 by Ling (log)

[hhlodesign]

I first went to Bouley 2 yeas ago, and tell many people to this day, about the aroma of apples as one steps into the front door. I was happy to see that this was unchanged!

grapefruit sorbet and foam, sweet corn tuile with black truffle, hamachi cornet

This was an amuse bouche bombardment! The three items arrived not at the same time, but one after another, instantaneously. No later than 2 seconds after I finished my tuile (great!), the cornet was placed in front of me followed closely by the grapefruit three ways (my favorite.) I couldn't help but think that this was a purposeful assault on the senses, and a stupendous way to start a meal.

phyllo shrimp, squid, scallop, "ocean sea broth"

Every item in this dish was perfectly cooked. The scallop was my favorite.

braised yellowtail, melon foam, honshimeji mushrooms, ginger sauce

My second favorite dish of the night. The yellowtail was nice, but it ws the other flavors that made this dish for me. Melon, ginger, and mushrooms? Who would have thunk it?

poached lobster, Vidalia onion, red pepper sauce, passionfruit and yellow bell pepper sauce, and praline nut sauce

My favorite dish of the evening! Again, so many things happening on the plate, but they all enhanced each other.

rack of lamb, fingerling potato puree, black truffle gnocchi, Langres cheese sauce, artichoke puree

Perfectly cooked lamb (Medium rare!) and quite possibly the best preparation of potatoes ever. I ws also a big fan of the artichoke puree.

baby pig, noodles

Never had baby pig before. I think most of us werre pretty full by now. The meat had a distinct bitter, offal like, taste to it. Indifferent to this one.

mango sorbet, anise fennel gelee, meringue foam, fennel pollen

I don't quite remember much about this one.

a cow's milk from Switzerland (sorry, couldn't catch the name), petit Livarot, gorgonzola picante, Monk's Head (in the shape of a flower)

The gorg and Livarot were my favorites.

This was a favourite at the table--Concord grape and fromage blanc sorbet, peach and ginger sauce

Mmmmmmmmmm, and so beatifully presented. Reminded my of my childhood. Drinking grape juice in front of the TV on Saturday mornings.

chocolate sorbet, maple ice-cream, vanilla ice-cream, and chocolate souffle

Not much interesting happing for me in this dish.

All in all, we had a lovely dinner. The only miss for me was the baby pig. Service was, again, top notch. Eric, our table captain, was a friend of a friend (William Belickis of Mistral in Seattle) and treated us very well. It was great to spend another evening with Daniel and Alicia. It was only after Lorna tapped me to point out that we were the only ones left and the staff was standing around waiting for us, that I realized that we needed to go. My mouth was thinking Momofuku Noodle Bar, but my stomach was vehemently againist it.

[Ling]

BTW, the Bouley meal was the only meal during our trip when I felt like I couldn't fit in one more bite. I was actually kind of scared my dress would burst at the seams during dessert.

Edited December 19, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Ling]

The next morning, we headed off to...

A friend told us to get the celery soda...it was interesting...

pickles

We tipped the guy $2 and asked for "fatty". He got a fresh one for us and the meat was definitely what we asked for...

(We were both picking off the meat before I remembered to take a picture...oops!)

a slightly smaller than usual pastrami on rye

I liked this a lot, but I haven't had much (any?) good pastrami before, so I have nothing to compare it to.

Edited December 20, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Ling]

Kee's was apparently out of chocolates by the time we got there (1pm Saturday)!

So we headed off to Jacques Torres.

They certainly go all out for Christmas!

some of the chocolates

croissants--plain, almond, chocolate

I chose my favourite--almond. It was disappointing--overbaked to the point of being very dry and crunchy almost all the way through. There was some chocolate inside as well. Probably one of the worst almond croissants I've eaten in a long time.

I picked up these chocolates...

...plus a small box of the filled chocolates. I chose some of the signature stuff (like the "Wicked", and some that looked more interesting to me, like a red wine one, fresh ginger, a homemade peanut butter/hazelnut one, and a seasonal egg nog chocolate.)

I've since eaten about 3/4 of the box, and they are pretty good for the most part, but not as tasty as the ones from La Maison du Chocolat.

I said hi to Jacques and asked him to take a picture with me.

[Ling]

I forget if this is Rocco's, or the Italian bakery next door on Bleeker Street.

Inside Rocco's...

I forget what the ones on the left are, but the ones on the right look like babas au rhum.

left--some laminated dough filled with buttercream, right--"French Lulus", which are pate choux filled with buttercream, covered in more cream, and then rolled in some sort of graham-cookie crumb (?)

rows and rows of cakes

you can see the lobster tails, strawberry shortcake, eclairs, and napoleons in this pic

tarts

cookies by the pound

I got 2 full-size cannoli, a mini lobster tail (not that mini at all!), and a mini French Lulu. The cannoli was so good--I have been craving them since Saturday! I think these are the first good cannoli I've ever eaten. They fill the shells right when you order them. I ate them right after paying to ensure maximum freshness. The lobster tail was also very good, the French Lulu was kinda "meh"...

Edited December 20, 2006 by Ling (log)

[alanamoana]

hey ling,

check out the chocolate bars when you open them. i bought several when i was there last and all of them had tons of bloom. also, i got an assortment of ganaches as well and most of them were sort of "eh". disappointing, considering the source. maybe this is what happens when one gets too big.

from what i understand, all of the enrobed ganaches are made at the brooklyn shop. the manhattan shop makes all the "non-skilled" things like panned nuts, chocolate covered cheerios, etc.

it is a pretty impressive shop though, isn't it (i mean the kitchen, not the store).

[Ling]

Yes, the kitchen was cool! I opened 2 of the bars out of curiousity after reading your post, and there's no bloom but there are lots of bubbles and bumps on the back of each bar...not very attractive.

Too bad about the box of chocolates--I had high hopes! I actually much prefer the taste of the chocolates we got after lunch at Jean Georges.

[Ling]

Amy's Bread

We got a baguette and a "Tangy Sourdough" loaf for the plane. The baguette was nice; I didn't particularly care for the sourdough. Forgot to take a picture of our purchases, though.

Murray's Cheese shop

We stopped in for some meat to make sandwiches on the plane. Also picked up some of the Parm puffs you see in the foreground--they were quite tasty.

This place was a zoo on Saturday afternoon! Looked like they had a great selection of cheese. I regret not getting some--our initial thought was that our seatmates wouldn't appreciate the smell on the plane, but I guess we could've eaten it at home. Ah well.

And so, this concludes our rather ambitious 66 hours in NY. Thanks for reading along.

[alanamoana]

well, i for one am exhausted by your trip! i don't think i have ever done that much in 66 hours in new york...when i lived there! but i guess that's the luxury (or demand, depending on how you look at it) of being a tourist.

thanks henry and ling for a look into your great adventure!

p.s. when are we going to see 66 hours in paris?!

[hhlodesign]

I liked this a lot, but I haven't had much (any?) good pastrami before, so I have nothing to compare it to.

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The Katz's "experience" is one of a kind. The ticket at the door, the smells, the countermen, the taste at the counter, the buzz from the room, the security gaurds at the door; it all adds up to singular adventure which can't be replicated anywhere.

The pastrami I felt was very good, but not great. Juicy and tender, yes. However, maybe a bit undersalted. It might be my west coast prejudices, but I think Langer's in LA makes a better pastrami on rye. Sorry

Thanks for reading along. Either Paris or Vegas next.

[pups224]

BTW, the Bouley meal was the only meal during our trip when I felt like I couldn't fit in one more bite. I was actually kind of scared my dress would burst at the seams during dessert. 

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Thank you both for this wonderful thread. Which restaurant did you find the food better, Bouley or Jean-Georges??

[hhlodesign]

BTW, the Bouley meal was the only meal during our trip when I felt like I couldn't fit in one more bite. I was actually kind of scared my dress would burst at the seams during dessert. 

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Thank you both for this wonderful thread. Which restaurant did you find the food better, Bouley or Jean-Georges??

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I would have like to be able to compare tasting menu to tasting menu. However, since I can't; I found each dish at JG to be exceptional, while Bouley had one dish that missed, and a few dishes that were merely good. However, The best dish I had from both places came from Bouley, the Lobster dish. JG seemed to have better consistencey across the board, while Bouley had higher highs.

I forgot to list my final top 10:

1. Three Terrine Bahn Mi - Momofuku Ssam bar

2. Lobster, Vidalia Onions, red pepper, passion fruit, yellow pepper sauces- Bouley

3. Scallops, cauliflower, caper raisin emulsion - Jean Georges

4. Pork belly buns - Momofuku Ssam Bar

5. Corned Duck on toasted Rye - WD-50

6. Egg, Caviar - Jean Georges

7. White bean porcchini cappuccino - Gordon Ramsey

8. Concorde Grape, Framage Blanc - Bouley

9. Roasted Lamb Loin with Beets and Onions - Gordon Ramsey

10. Beet ravioli with butter sauce - Daniel and Alicia's

Honorable mention:

Hanger Steak Ssam - Momofuku Ssam Bar

French Roll - Sullivan Street bakery via Jean Georges

Edited December 21, 2006 by hhlodesign (log)

[Sentiamo]

I've had a great time tagging along with you both these last couple of days, the food and company has been the best and it hasn't cost me a cent!

This really has been a wonderful thread and has strengthened my resolve to visit NYC next time I am in the States.

Next March we are fortunate to have Rob Kaufelt from Murrays Cheese Shop come to Savour New Zealand and hold a workshop. That will be interesting. (Also have Nancy Oakes and Bruce Aidells from SF.) I see in one of your gorgeous photos a great wheel of Humboldt Fog. It is American produced is it not? Amazed at the price!! Heard an awful lot about this cheese lately and Im not sure if we import any here, must go check.

Congratulations Henry and Lorna, you sure are a match made in Heaven!

[Ling]

A few last pics...

the teeny tiny macaroons at Jean Georges

lemon pound cake from Bouley bakery

a few of the chocolates from Jacques Torres (left and center) and la Maison du Chocolat (right)

[Ling]

TOP TEN

Some rather difficult decisions--we ate so many good dishes, and it is hard to compare sweet and savoury. But here is the list of foods that made me smile the most when I tasted them.

1. Bouley--lobster with Vidalia onion, red pepper sauce, passionfruit/yellow pepper sauce, praline nut sauce

2. Room 4 Dessert--pomegranate spuma, cafe/chestnut puree, grapefruit pastis puree, coconut powder

3. Jean Georges--hamachi carpaccio, pink grapefruit sorbet, cilantro-chili seasoning

4. Jean Georges--scallops, caramelized cauliflower, caper-raisin emulsion

5. Momofuku Ssam--three terrine sandwich

6. Jean Georges--Earl Grey/lemongrass sorbet, dehydrated grapefuit, lime curd

7. Gordon Ramsey--chocolate cremeux, raspberry, sable, ice-cream, tuile, cocoa nib

8. Gordon Ramsey--porcini veloute with chicken tortelloni

9. Bouley--Concord grape and fromage blanc sorbet, ginger and peach sauce

10. Bouley--rack of lamb, fingerling potato puree, black truffle gnocchi, Langres cheese sauce, artichoke puree

Honourable mentions:

-Rocco's cannoli

-Daniel and Alica's beet ravioli and frozen egg nog souffle

-French roll from Sullivan Street bakery

-caramelized mousse chocolate from La Maison du Chocolate

-a sour Chartreuse cocktail and the Champagne Apricoto from Pegu Club

Edited December 21, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Ling]

Sentiamo: I like Humboldt Fog very much. Enjoy your time with the expert!

alanamoana: We should start up a collection for 66 hours in Paris.

Thank you both for this wonderful thread. Which restaurant did you find the food better, Bouley or Jean-Georges??

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I enjoyed the food at both, and as Henry mentioned, it is hard to compare a lunch (simpler preparations, less expensive) to a tasting menu at dinner. I also agree with what he said that the Jean Georges lunch dishes seemed to be consistency very good, while Bouley had an excellent dish and some merely good ones.

If you can send me a plane ticket and pay for a tasting menu at Jean Georges, I will be happy to give you a more detailed response comparing the merits of both restaurants.