The menu has starters and mains that are "almost raw", "barely touched", and "lightly cooked". Since it was lunch, I opted for the prix-fixe menu, which if you think about it, is a really good deal. The amuse bouche was Le Bernardin's signature salmon rillette, toast rounds, and salted butter (of course).
To start, I decided to go with the 'almost raw' tuna dish. Sounds simple, no? This wasn't your run of the mill sashimi plate. Layers of thinly pounded yellowfin tuna were artfully arranged on top of toasted baguette and foie gras. The dish was garnished with extra virgin olive oil and shaved chives.
After I polished off my tuna, the plate was quickly removed and my main course arrived. I had the striped bass (poached) served with wild mushrooms and baby turnips in a rich Peking duck broth. The broth didn't strike me as being specifically "Peking" (perhaps I needed some hoisin sauce and scallions), but it did have a rich duck taste.
To round off the meal, I ordered the Dominican chocolate ganache, toasted bread, Marcona almond and olive oil ice cream. I was very intrigued by the olive oil icecream. It was vanilla with a hint of olive oil and balanced with the nuttiness of the almonds and richness of the ganache.
Last, but definitely not least, I was served a warm basket of fresh mini financiers and madeleines. And yes, I finished off each and every one of those suckers.
The wondrous thing about Michelin starred restaurants is that you never really have to look far for the waitstaff. At Le Bernardin, the menagerie of waitstaff was no different, and did not hesitate to refill my water, or scrape the table of what little crumbs I left.
155 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10019
Tel: 212 554 1108
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