Location: New York, NYLast Visited: June, 2007
Mobil Rating: 5/5
Michelin Rating: 3/3
My Rating: 5/10
Website: visit site
For our sixth wedding anniversary we went on a weekend getaway to New York, where we had a chance to eat at Per Se, the 5 Mobil star and 3 Michelin star restaurant owned by Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame. Thomas Keller spends little time here now, however, and affairs are managed by chef de cuisine Jonathan Benno. The restaurant is located in the Time Warner Center and features great views overlooking Central Park. The dining room itself is spacious and elegant. We had a great start to our meal with a delicious cheddar cheese puff with Mornay sauce inside, followed by a perfect miniature cone filled with smoked salmon and crème fraîche.
Our first course was "Oysters and Pearls", the star dish of the evening, a little "treasure" bowl of tapioca sabayon with oysters and black caviar. This dish was just wonderful. We also really liked all the breads and a special butter mixed with fleur de sel. Next, we had a Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm and an excellent Terrine of Hudson Valley Duck Foie Gras with special California strawberries and toasted brioche. We also really enjoyed the Herb Roasted Maine Sea Scallop with artichokes, russet potato coins, and black winter truffle sauce. Unfortunately, the fish and meat courses that followed were disappointing.
The grilled tuna with vegetables was a little bit fatty and sadly bland. Similarly the "cervelle de veau" and the braised pork belly were tasty but not the best dishes we have had. The main course of Spring Lamb was not at all impressive. All we could taste on the rack of lamb was pepper, while the lamb itself was a bit tough. The cheese course was also not very enjoyable, consisting of a single piece of sharp pecorino cheese without any delicacy or variety.
All the deserts, however, were really good. We enjoyed the wild blackberry sorbet served with thyme foam, and a deconstructed "Snickers Bar" was excellent with subtle flavors that had been missing from the middle dishes. We also enjoyed some special yogurt and shortbread cookies, along with a miniature crème brûlée and house-made flavored chocolates. The whole meal only lasted about three and a half hours as the service was rushed by an energetic though not quite sophisticated young staff. Overall, we had a nice dinner but Per Se does not get our highest rating.
