Dreams and nightmares in the Big Apple
The gourmet cuisine in New York is breathtakingly good and breathtakingly expensive. But in the test, one thing stands out: It helps if the renowned star chef occasionally stands at the stove themselves. On light and shadow on the Upper East Side.
Those who know my columns know that I prefer to write about truly good food rather than penning a harsh review. Today, I can combine both. Let's embark on a journey to the heart of the Big Apple, to the expensive, noisy, and wealthy Upper East Side.
Because to truly understand New York, one should visit Le Bernardin. Here, it is the canteen of those who live for speed, opulence, and decadence - stockbrokers, hedge fund managers, real estate sharks, and those who have become too rich too quickly. The line of Lamborghinis and G-classes outside the restaurant attests to this. Yet, it is not a soulless place, this Le Bernardin, not at all.
It is loud here, loud and hectic, with a constant coming and going, giving the refined German gourmet a taste of pulse. But then the food is served. And the pulse is immediately replaced by a great sense of happiness.
Éric Ripert is the chef here, and it's no wonder that in the Big Apple, it's still the French who cook the best. For almost 40 years, Érick has stood at the stove, and the restaurant, originally a Parisian institution, was moved to New York in 1986 - since then, it has been the only restaurant in the city to maintain a four-star rating from the New York Times without interruption.
This may also be due to the fact that since 1991, Érick has adhered to a golden rule of hospitality: whoever is a guest here also gets him. He has this one restaurant, and it is rumored in New York that it is the only place in the world that makes 30 million dollars in annual turnover. But whoever has been here knows: it is hard-earned and honest money.
Maritime Bliss
Personally, I don't know anyone in the world who currently handles fish and seafood as well as the kitchen crew at Le Bernardin. Here, product quality is paired with the perfection of preparation. The four-course choice menu or the eight-course menu consists exclusively of marine main products, which are distinguished in the categories Almost Raw (almost raw), Barely Touched (barely touched), and Lightly Cooked (lightly cooked or grilled). The names alone indicate how well Ripert succeeds in letting the exquisite products retain their character, not overpowering them or drowning them in a wall of aromas.
The raw sole, which Ripert cuts into thin slices and does not marinate as ceviche, but only brushes with brown butter, a few masterful mini croutons and capers - mon dieu, a dream. Red snapper, Montauk shrimp, striped bass, and the so simply yet perfectly cooked salmon with Ossietra caviar - it's not Champions League, it's the World Cup. Those who come here and don't like fish as the main course are offered alternatives, chicken, filet mignon, or a masterful truffle pasta with mushrooms, which finally tastes like truffles, dense and rich, as if the guest were sitting in the middle of the forest.
An Evening Like a Feast
And then there is a team that is as eager as it is on eye level, friendly and knowledgeable, as it can only be if the chef also stands in the kitchen almost daily, seeks out the best people, and fosters a team spirit.
Even the Head Sommelier is a Magician - a German-speaking one at that: Aldo Sohm is from Tyrol and was recently crowned the world's best sommelier. The Austrian has been here for 17 years, a humble yet entertaining man who listens carefully and then finds the truly perfect wine - not just for the menu, but also tailored to each guest. In our case, he presented a Chardonnay from Oregon by Evening Land Vineyards, a velvety yet powerful white wine that paired well with raw fish without oxidizing, yet was robust enough to stand up to turbot and pasta.
It's a feast, an evening at Le Bernardin. And even if it's noisy in the dining room, in the end, the guest becomes quiet and: very happy.
Time Travel
Ten blocks north, Upper East Side, everything is a bit more refined and even more affluent, if that's possible. Here, too, a Frenchman cooks: Daniel Boulud, who grew up on a farm in Lyon as a boy and is now, at 69, a millionaire entrepreneur - and a multitasker. He owns 15 restaurants, perhaps 16 by now, a handful in New York, one in Miami, Palm Beach, Canada, Singapore, the Bahamas, and Dubai. He still lives two floors above his flagship, Daniel, but is often not here.
And it's clear with every course: Everything seems to have been thought up years ago by the chef and now the young people in the kitchen have to follow the master's philosophy, even though they could certainly do more, the guest hopes. Because the whole menu is like a journey in a time machine - Back to the Eighties - a pretentious string of meaningless and sometimes even annoying combinations.
A Norwegian lobster comes with spotted sauces and foams, but the tapioca chips on top are damp, a nearly inexcusable mistake at this level. The plate with the salmon fillet looks laughable in its presentation. There's a fillet piece with a crust like it was seared by an elementary school student to surprise their parents, the gnocchi are pure tasteless dough and are presented in a grid with a green mousse that's too small to provide any flavor. Everything is so outdated that it's almost brazen.
Expensive Boredom
The tuna is properly seared, but the sprouted broccoli is baked in a crust, something you'd only find in wannabe-star addresses today. It all tastes like no one is standing at the pass to oversee the plates going into the dining room. There's a lack of rigor, clarity, finesse - and not just the bland farce on the dry chicken becomes a farce.
But the worst part: The team in the dining room wanders around joylessly and far too elegantly throughout the evening, as if they have to constantly apologize for the chef not being there. Headless, clueless, dull.
It's a harsh verdict, but even harsher is having to pay $334 for nine courses for such drivel. Lured by a big name that's now only found on Instagram and TV, not in the kitchen.
During our dining experience, we ventured further into the Upper East Side to visit another renowned establishment, Daniel. Known for its French cuisine, the restaurant is led by Daniel Boulud, a chef who grew up on a farm in Lyon and now runs numerous restaurants worldwide.
Despite Daniel's absence, the menu at Daniel feels like a trip back in time, reminiscent of the 1980s. While some dishes, like the seared tuna, are executed well, others, such as the salmon fillet presentation, fall short of expectations. The dish with the crusted broccoli and bland farce is a disappointment, and the overall service feels lackluster, detracting from the dining experience. Unfortunately, the price tag of $334 for nine courses seems too high for such uninspiring food.
