If our next number of anniversary dinners were as good as our last two, Kristen and I
are in for a serious treat for years.
After going to Alinea last year, we notched another 3 Michelin star this
year. In New York for a wedding, we had
one free lunch slot available, which we spent at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s
eponymous flagship restaurant, Jean Georges.
Walking into the Trump International a few minutes before
our 11:45 lunch reservation, it was only a
short wait until we were led to our two top in the back of the second
dining room. Jean Georges is perhaps the
best value among the 3 starred restaurant in the States, offering a two course
menu for $38, with an option to add on extra courses at $19 apiece. After agonizing over the decisions on what to
get, Kristen decided to get two courses, and I chose to add on a third course. Given a number of seafood courses, I also
chose to drink a Riesling, 2008 Dr. F. Weins-Prum Graacher Himmelreich.
Bread service at Jean Georges came in the form of four
offerings: wheat sourdough, sesame, Swedish rye, and a ciabatta roll. Following the bread, a trio of amuses were
served to us. Starting at the bottom was
a fluke carpaccio, topped with pickled rhubarb and a black truffle vinaigrette. The waiter told us it was black truffle, but
I believe he was mistaken and it was a black pepper vinaigrette. The fish was clearly fresh of high quality,
but the pickled rhubarb was far too strong for the milder fish and was all I
could taste. Continuing clockwise, the
next bite was an oyster cracker filled with champagne mango goat cheese. This was a delightful taste, creamy and
crisp. The last amuse was a almond and
spring garlic gazpacho, which was suitably garlicky but not overpowering.
The first courses arrived next in the form of a parsnip soup
and crispy crab. The hot parsnip soup
was poured tableside over a cold coconut cream mousse and lime foam. This was a example of simplicity at its
finest. There were only three
components, combining sweet, tart, and savory flavors in each bite. Was it worth $19? Not sure, but I can’t think of a
better soup I've ever ordered. Kristen’s
first course was a take on a crab cake.
A cylinder of crab, devoid of filler, was coated with panko and fried,
and topped with a variety of fruits, including cantaloupe, pineapple ribbons, avocado,
and passion fruit. The cake was very rich from the crab, while the
fruits lightened things up. Hidden underneath
the fruit was a pink peppercorn mustard, which reminded me of Chinese mustard. It matched well with the other components and also cut the richness of the crab as well.
My add-on course came next, which was seared sea scallops
and caramelized cauliflower with a caper-raisin emulsion. This is a signature dish of Jean-Georges, and
I can see why. The scallops were nicely
cooked, still rare on the interior. The
cauliflower was deeply caramelized (look at the perfect browning!), but just before one would consider them to
be starting to be burnt. I wasn’t sure
initially about the caper-raisin emulsion, but found it to be a harmonious fit,
matching the scallop’s sweetness and brininess.
Since I was the only one to receive the second course, the
waitstaff thoughtfully brought Kristen an extra plate, allowing us to easily
share the course.
For the final savory course, I ordered another Jean Georges signature,
the Black Sea Bass Crusted with Nuts and Seeds, served in a sweet and sour
broth. The bass was moist and the crust
added a earthy, nutty dimension to the fish.
The fish sat atop tomatoes, potatoes, edamame, and pearl onions. I was advised to eat the fish with a spoon,
to take in the fish simultaneously with the broth. The range of flavors in the dish was extraordinary,
with tartness coming from the tomatoes and broth, the latter likely emulsified
with what I assume was a pound of butter. This was my favorite dish that we had.
Kristen chose the Wagyu Beef Tenderloin served with Gorgonzola
Puffs, and a pickled ramp fondue. The
cool ramp fondue was poured over the beef tableside, which sat atop a spring
onion puree. The beef was cooked medium
rare, but was slightly tougher than expected. We both enjoyed our Wagyu tenderloin
at Cut in Las Vegas better, as it didn't have quite the same unctuousness. I didn’t
have any complaints with the accompaniments.
While we still enjoyed the beef and is still one of the better beef
dishes that I’ve had, it wasn’t as exciting or delicious as the black bass dish,
even though it carried a hefty supplement fee with it.
Both of us fully sated, we decided to split one
dessert. Desserts at Jean Georges are
multiple compositions on one plate. For
lunch, two variations are offered based on a single theme, while four are on a
single plate for dinner. We settled on
the Carmel dessert after briefly considering the chocolate. On the
left side of the plate was a sticky toffee cake with young coconut sorbet and tamarind
caramel. The toffee cake was sweet,
buttery, and moist, and the coconut sorbet helped temper the richness of the
cake. The second dessert was Caramelized Pineapple
with Carrot Cake and Molasses. This side
seemed a bit unfinished when compared to its counterpart. It just seemed like some fruit and cake bits
were thrown on a plate together. The
dots of cream cheese frosting were delicious, though.
To finish the afternoon meal, our servers brought us the
mignardises: a quartet of chocolates,
sesame macarons, and vanilla marshmallows.
Our favorite of the four chocolates was the peanut butter and jelly.
The service at Jean Georges was at a very high level. Water was never more than half empty before
being refilled. After each course,
plates were removed in unison and the table was crumbed. Each time we needed to leave the table, as we
started to get up, a member of the waitstaff appeared just in time to slide out
our table for more room to stand and to refold our napkins for when we came
back. Pacing was also perfectly timed, never waiting
too long for the next course while never feeling rushed.
We enjoyed every minute of our 2 hour lunch and would
recommend it to anyone. It is a
fantastic deal to dine at lunch at Jean Georges. Even though it is a splurge restaurant, and we just ate here, it will be on my short list of restaurants to visit the
next time I find myself in New York.
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