daniel - jean georges or...???? for me heeeeeeeeelp.

[marco73]

hello i'm marco ,in june i will be on holiday in nyc with my parents,and my wife so ...i want to to go to have a great restaurant experience for us ...
we will take prix fix menu 3 courses...ah , i will pay the bill for all
my parents never stayed in a starred michelin restaurant ,i 'm a gourmet !! i was in italy and europe
i search for a very good experience of meal and atmosfere
please help me for a choice !!
p.s sorry for my italian american language.....

[marco73]

BOULEY ???? i look this restaurant the hall is too charme and rewiews on tripadvisor and opentable are good, michelin give only one star ??
can you tell me somenthing more ???
the site is closed prix fixe ?? cost ?? food ????
thank's a lot

[Pookipichu]

Bouley is very expensive but I would suggest it over Daniel. The space is comfortable, charming, intimate, the service attentive.

There is an a la carte option in addition to 6 course tasting menu. The 6 course tasting menu is $175.

There are many seafood options and the flavors as is de rigeur have Asian touches. Particularly good is the porcini flan with black truffle dashi, it has generous, succulent chunks of fresh dungeness crab in an earthy and savory broth. The braised kobe beef cheeks are stellar and lacking some of the mustiness you can sometimes find in cheek meat. It's served on a bed of tiny pillowy gnocchi. Dayboat lobster is perfectly cooked and the honshemiji mushrooms are punchy with flavor. I could do with out the floral acid of passionfruit, but it works regardless. Lamb is perfectly cooked medium rare, without a trace of gaminess, also without a trace of sear. It seems to be cooked sous vide, there is an absolute eveness, but I prefer some char on my lamb. It is accompanied by beautiful sauces, a particularly savory olive sauce that coats tongue pleasantly. Wood smoked sardines are lovely and pungent with fish oils, not for everyone's taste. The uni with osetra caviar is all about the caviar as I've had better uni, but the caviar is sparkling in taste and pleasantly briny. Dessert is not particularly memorable, but I haven't been impressed by desserts at any number of 1-3 Michelin star restaurants. I would rather have a slice of high quality cake than the assortment of bars and parfaits that seem so popular of the moment.

Bouley has one of the largest selections of bread of any restaurant, you will be offered 8-10 different breads. You will not leave hungry.

[Cheeryvisage]

In terms of dessert, I do like their pear. It's called Hot Caramelized Anjou Pear on the menu. It has molten chocolate in the center of a dome formed by pear slices (http://flic.kr/p/a8uoCv).

[Pookipichu]

That looks gorgeous, but it wasn't on the menu during my visit, in its place was a strawberry parfait bar with marinated raspberries.

[Cheeryvisage]

Ah, I see. Their online menu must be outdated then because the pear still appears online. It's a shame the dessert's off the menu now. :(

[RGR]

Where are you seeing an online menu for Bouley? The David Bouley website has been "under development" for I don't know how long. Ridiculous! If you're referring to MenuPages, that's a "sample menu."

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com.

[Cheeryvisage]

Here: http://www.davidbouley.com.php5-21.df...

ETA: Ah, it says "sample menu" too. When I last dined there (Aug 2011), the menu at the restaurant was exactly the same as the online menu so I thought it was reliable. Apparently not, heh.

[kosmose7]

I had lunch at Bouley last week and they still had Anjou Pear. :)

[ellenost]

A sample menu is listed on the Bouley website. There may be changes to the actual menu, but the sample menu will give the OP a good idea of the type of cuisine. Just like EMP's sample menu on its website gives the reader an idea of the main ingredients in its cuisine.

Bouley has long been one of my most favorite restaurants anywhere! Food is delicious, room is gorgeous and service is very attentive. Some of my favorite dishes are the foie gras; the duck--one of the best duck dishes anywhere; the uni; the porcini flan; the lobster; and the chocolate souffle.

[RGR]

ellenost, When Bouley changes to a grid/single word menu, I'll accept a "sample menu." However, his menu style is like that at Daniel, Jean Georges, The Modern, etc. If they can manage to have current menus posted on their websites, there's no excuse for Bouley not doing the same. I considered going there for lunch next week but because I couldn't see an up-to-date menu, we're going to The Modern.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[ellenost]

Enjoy!

[RGR]

Thanks! :)

[steakrules85]

I totally agree regarding Bouley and posting the most up to date menu. No question, their food is incredible and I had one of the best meals I had there from top to bottom (food, service, atmosphere) anywhere. As you most likely already know, I think a restaurant should take enough pride in their business to at least provide a somewhat updated menu for their customers. That is a huge pet peeve of mine!

[Pookipichu]

The porcini flan is beyond words delicious.

[RGR]

I hated the porcini flan. A good example of one of my favorite expressions: "Chacon à son goût."

http://thewizardofoz.wordpress.com

[BrettLove]

Convenu. I was graciously offered (and accepted! -ed.) a complimentary flan (augmenting an already bargain priced lunch), but didn't have the heart (nor lack of grace, I suppose, eh-hem) to tell my fawning server that it just "didn't work for me" when enthusiastically prompted. I have no control to compare to, but the "flan" itself had effectively melted into the cauldron of murky, overpowering, black "dashi"; I wondered if they offered "failed" renditions of this dish as "gifts"/"comps" to select guests (does the "flan" usually come "set", or is it supposed to be more of a "flan-y swirl"?). I enjoy each of the listed components, but the overall dish that I received was just "too much", killing any chance of crab flavor and reminding me a bit of inexpensive truffle oil. Needless to say, it would have been a disappointment to me had I paid for it. The rest of my lunch (squash/chest(?)nut veloutè, tuna[s] carpaccio, wild mushroom & truffle "forager's plate", kumkwat duck) was fantastic however. I would return for the bread service alone (a "pre-bread-service" of a mini flaxseed baguette & something else that escapes me preceeded the cart itself, which I believe was carrying a (baker's?) dozen of myriad loaves. Fabulous.

[marco73]

thank's for yours reply... look them ..i tihk that perse is too expensive, emp may be better for meal ,but...the restaurant for me haven't charme is too cold ,like for a business lunch...
i think i will go to Gean g. wich have a 3 courses menu + dessert for 108 $
i hope to have a great experience....

[nmprisons]

You should enjoy Jean Georges.

It is worth noting that the 4 course menu at Eleven Madison Park is only $125 (plus drinks, tax, and tip) and so similarly priced. The inside of the restaurant is not cold at all. In fact, it has less of a corporate feel than Jean Georges.

Either way, enjoy!

[DKennyC]

You should really consider Blue Hill NYC. If it's good enough for the Obama's... I had the chef's tasting last week - amazing pork entree of Pork 4 ways, Tenderloin, Loin, Shoulder and Jowl. Killer!

Very comfortable atmosphere, great service. Space is a little tight but, as they say, it's NYC! I agree with nmprisons about EMC - it would seem stuffy with those incredibly high ceilings but it really isn't. Lots of natural light during the day. I love that some of the cooks present some courses - they look a little uncomfortable but know everything about the preparation if you ask.

I'd rather ABC Kitchen than JG - why is everyone stuck on 4Star (NYTimes) restaurants?

[marco73]

thank's very much ,i look some reviews so i think for EMP for food, Daniel i think is amazing ,but i was in paris and i have home in cote d'azur near nice ,so the french touch i know so well..... and i search for something different...
per se ...the menu is about 200 and the courses are fixed ,we haven't choice,
very important for me (at this level) is the resident chef !! at the restaurant i look for somethig different in the food, when i eat i don't tell GOOD but WOW !!!
a question for the bill.... for ex at EMP 125 $ + wine + 20 % correct ??

[Pan]

Also keep in mind that all meals are taxed. Sales tax in New York City is 8.875%.

nmprisons mentioned Kyo Ya. If you haven't had really good Japanese kaiseki before, go. I had one of my best meals there, and the whole experience was extremely pleasant. It is definitely not French nor Italian. But if you do go, make sure to have kaiseki, a traditional tasting menu. That way, you will get the chef's most special dishes of the day, some of which are not on their regular menu. And they have great sakes to drink with your meal.

[nmprisons]

Hi, Marco.

There are a number of good options in NYC, though the best of them will be booking up rapidly, unless your trip is in late June. Here are a couple of suggestions.

I much prefer both Eleven Madison Park and Per Se to either Daniel or Jean Georges. Both of those fully book a month in advance and so you would have to be coming in mid or late June to get a reservation.

Other places you might consider include Corton, The Modern, Kyo Ya, Picholine, and WD-50. Check out their websites to get a feel for the menus and ambiance, as they all are pretty different from one another. Otherwise, enjoy your trip!

[foodwhisperer]

nmprisons I like all of your choices. However, I do like Jean Georges the best. I went to Jean Georges in March and booked it 2 days before. So sometimes you can get lucky and get a reservation anywhere on fairly short notice.

[nmprisons]

I realize that my paragraph wasn't too clear. EMP and Per Se book up when the reservation books open, Jean Georges and Daniel do not, so you are totally right to say you can sometimes luck into a last minute reservation at Jean Georges, which I prefer to Daniel.

[marco73]

another question.... how i calculate the tip ?? add to prix fixe menu ??

[nmprisons]

Tip is included at Per Se. For nearly every other restaurant in NYC, 20% of the bill is standard. Some tip before tax, while others tip on the tax. Some tip a smaller percentage for alcohol, others do not.