The food was incredible, but I'll get to that in a minute. Before going I was overly concerned with what I perceived to be the etiquette that a place such as this demands. I made sure to be dressed right and tried to conduct myself in an equally appropriate manner.
Looks and money matter. Behaviour? Obviously not.
Close your eyes. Imagine that behind you there is an ongoing conversation how your friends boyfriend txt so and so, and then this happened, and then, like... fill in the blanks.
Now to your right? Table full of drunk obnoxious idiots talking about anything.
Where are you? Some might guess Applebee's, others Chili's perhaps or any other chain restaurant across America. But no. No. No. No. You are at Le Bernardin. I guess my naivety simple had me believing that people that eat like this regularly are simply not burdened by the same character defects that we, regular folk are. Suffice to say, it was proven to me that 'class' simply cannot be bought.
Thankfully, the food was so engrossing and fantastic that I was only distracted by these events between courses. During the meal all of my attention was focused on the beautiful piece of art that I was about to destroy :)
On to the main event.
My first impression of the location was muted class and elegance. Simple and effective decor. The staff was almost overbearing in their efforts to serve, but this is my low-brow impression since I am simply not used to having my chair pushed in, napkin folded/draped, table cleaned, etc at the local eatery.
Once I placed my order for the Le Bernardin tasting menu the procession of courses began.
I was first brought a crab napoleon. So, this was simply a spoonful of a fresh crab salad between paper thin layers of freshly fried potato chips. Crispy, cool and a great start to the meal. This was simply an amuse bouche.
The first course was a pounded yellowfin tuna draped over a toasted baguette with foie gras. This was then drizzled with olive oil and lemon, finally topped with freshly shaved chives. My strategy for each dish was to try each component separately and then put them all together for the real taste. Now, before I describe the taste, I realize how cheesy it is to use words like 'luxurious' or 'sublime' but I simply do not possess the vocabulary to convey the taste and experience of this food.
The tuna? Delicate to the point of being buttery. When combined with the baguette and foie gras it was the perfect blend of texture and flavour. The foie gras was excellent, definately liver-y but not overpowering. While the baguette provides the perfect backbone to shuttle the tuna from the plate to your mouth. This course was paired with a Botani Moscatel Seco from Spain. Fantastic.
Course #2 was a charred octopus with fermented black bean - pear vierge. This was served on an ink-miso vinaigrette. Now the vinaigrette was baked onto the dish which allowed you to vary the amount on each bite by having to rub it off with you octopus bites. I don't know about you, but I have come to expect squid or octopus to be chewy with a definite rubbery texture. This expectation has been shattered. Apparently when it's cooked RIGHT it is nothing like the average calamari plate that can be found in what I am going to guess 95% of America's restaurants serve. The octopus was almost pork-like. When combined with the ink and black bean there was a fabulous inky-briney quality to that I have never tasted before. Wine pairing was an African Sauvignon Blanc.
End of Part 1.
Intermission.
Intermission.
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