Scoops du Jour: Le Bernardin

Some friends of mine have dined at some pretty amazing restaurants lately (ones that I drema of going to) and have had the generoosity to write reviews for this site. Today I'm posting Adam Miller's review of one of his favorite restaurants, Le Bernardin.

Fish Lover’s Heaven

By

Adam Miller

My parents introduced me to fine dining at a very young age. I went to Bouley for the first time in 1991 when I was eight years old. It was the best restaurant in the City (if not the country). Everything from the beautiful, understated décor to the perfect service and immaculate food was incredible. However, with the announcement of its closing, I went on a search for my soon-to-be new favorite restaurant. If there’s one thing Bouley opened my eyes to, it was seafood. And ever since the original Bouley on Duane Street closed in 1996, I have been the biggest advocate for Le Bernardin, the top (seafood) restaurant in New York.

Le Bernardin is one of the few (if not the only) restaurants in New York City to have always received four stars from The New York Times. As it is written every time the review comes out: It is harder to maintain four stars than to earn four stars a single time. If there is one restaurant that everyone should visit in New York, it is Le Bernardin. It is the single finest dining experience around.

As one may deduce, I have been going to Le Bernardin for at least twelve years. What makes the restaurant so incredible is not just the incredible food, the unwavering service, or the beautiful, wood-paneled room; it is also the variety of food and the warmth of the experience. For such a big restaurant with such a great variety of seafood, it is an extremely intimate restaurant. The beautiful bouquets of flowers dominate the interior of the room as the soft palette of the paintings line the walls. It truly is an unrivaled dining room.

Eric Ripert, the executive chef and part owner, however dominates from the inside. At one time, the restaurant had a window which allowed the diners to look into the perfectly pristine kitchen and watch the chefs paint the ginger lime mayonnaise onto the thinly pounded tuna carpaccio. That window no longer exists, but the quality of the food does. I have dined at Le Bernardin more times than I can remember over the last thirteen years and there several dishes which I will never forget (and continue to populate the menu). The thinly pounded raw tuna over a crispy baguette and foie gras covered in chives and olive oil is a great way to start the meal – the dish is refreshing and the crispiness of the baguette with the foie gras is an excellent complement to the tenderness of the tuna. Other great starters include the tasting of fluke, served four different ways as well as the kanpachi tartare (a Japanese yellowtail) served with wasabi tobiko and crisp toast. Other signature dishes include the baby barbecued eels, the spiny lobster carpaccio, the sea urchin risotto with toasted nori, and the Pizza Bernardin – a crispy phylo dough topped with a spicy tomato sauce, perfectly cooked tender shrimp, and some basil. While the pizza is no longer served, it (like old staples) can be specially ordered when the reservation is booked.

Several entrees also stand out. The “surf and turf” comprised of Hawaiian escolar and 4 ounces of kobe beef, accompanied by a brown butter emulsion, a piece of kimchee flavored lettuce, asian pear, and butternut squash is one of my favorite dishes at any restaurant ever. I also have taken a strong liking to the monkfish served “Gaudi” style as Chef Ripert dons up the fish with some spicy chorizo and patatas bravas.

The desserts have also changed over the years. Sometimes the simplicity of the fruit cup accompanied by champagne and mixed berry sorbet strikes my fancy. Other times, I get sucked up in the passion fruit tart enrobed in white chocolate and served with mandarin sorbet. There is also the mainstay – a chocolate tarte oozing with fudge and topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. There are also lighter desserts: a citrus/rhubarb tart, a yuzu millefeuille, or an always stellar selection of sorbets.

There is very little to dislike about Le Bernardin and a whole lot to love. Although the menu may be somewhat limiting due to the lack of meat options (there are only 3 non-fish dishes on the menu), it never disappoints. It has always received four stars from The Times, and it continues to seem justified.