I had tried to get a table at Per Se during the few days I would be in the city, but they were booked so I decided to put myself on the waiting list. I did, however, get a table at Le Bernardin (another three star in NYC). Apparently, Per Se had started trying to contact me about an opening while I was still on the plane to NYC. Fortunately, I managed to get in touch with them before they gave the table to the next person. All of a sudden, I had two three-star restaurants to try within three days. Poor me (well, yes, from a financial perspective).
The restaurant is located on the 4th floor of Time Warner Building on Columbus Circle overlooking Central Park.
A quick note: the food descriptions are according to the menu. Do not ask me why they put all the french words in quotes.
Entrance
Lounge area, which you walk through to get to the seated section. Sorry some of the pictures are blurry...dark restaurants, no flash, and alcohol don’t mix well if your goal is sharp pictures (this was one of the last pictures I took that evening).
View over Columbus Circle and Central Park (from our table)
Nice fireplace
There was an elevated level behind us
Table Setting
Per Se offered two tasting menus, one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian. We took one of each in order to try it all. I will present the pictures chronologically, alternating between the two menus. When it is not obvious, I will indicate vegetarian menu (V) or non-vegetarian menu (NV).
There was a wine accompaniment menu, which I took. It started with Pierre Gimonnet, Blanc de Blancs, Cuis, 1er Cru.
(If a wine is not listed after one of my dishes, then it was accompanied by the same wine as the previous dish.)
Amuse Bouche (V, NV)
This was basically a high-class version of deep-fried cheese.
Amuse Bouche
The vegetarian cone on the left, my salmon tartar cone on the right.
Parsnip-Vanilla Soup - Saffron Poached Quince, Garden Tarragon and Tarragon-Infused Oil
"Oysters and Pearls" - "Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Sterling White Sturgeon Caviar
"Gâteau" of Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras - Pistachio "Génoise", Red Sensation Pears, Cipollini Onion Shoots, Frisée and Spiced Port Gelée with Toasted Brioche
Bert Simon, Riesling, Auslese, Goldkapsel, "Serrig Herrenberg", Saar, 1989
This was very good and the wine was amazing!
Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm - Grapefruit "Suprêmes", Heirloom Radishes and Pepper Cress with Black Winter Truffle "Gastrique"
This really belonged to my menu. You were supposed to choose between it, the foie gras, and the white truffle dishes (haha). But I refused to choose between the foie gras and the truffle dishes, so they brought out this dish so that my dad would not have to just sit and stare at me eating truffle risotto.
"Carnoroli Risotto Biologico" with White Truffles from Alba and "Castelmagno" Cheese
Technically I was supposed to choose between the foie gras and the truffle risotto, but I refused. I told them I wanted both. This dish did cost half as much as the rest of the menu, but the smell from the truffles was amazing (yes, those are all thin slices of white truffle on the top). I almost had my nose buried in the food half the time. The brought the truffle out in it's lined box and showed it to us before they sliced it.
Russet Potato Hash - Soft-Poached Quail Eggs, Creamed Arrowleaf Spinach and Red Wine Braised Salsify with Black Winter Truffle "Mousseline"
Gigha Island Halibut "à la Plancha" - Confit of Rose Finn Potatoes, Melted Savoy Cabbage and Pickled Pearl Onions with "Jus de Bas de Poitrine"
Montenidoli, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, "Carato", Tuscany, 2004
Musquée de Provence Pumpkin Pot Pie - Cape Cod Cranberries, Chestnuts and Brussels Sprouts with Chestnut "Velouté"
This was very good.
Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster - "Lentilles du Puy", Wilted Dandelion Greens and Globe Artichokes with Whole Grain Mustard Emulsion
Copain, Pinot Noir, "Tous Ensemble", Anderson Valley, 2006
This was very good even though I am not generally a huge fan of lentils.
Herb Roasted Trumpet Royale Mushrooms "Amandine" - Confit of Meyer Lemon, Haricots Verts and Petit Lettuce with Toasted Almond Purée
"Aiguillette" of Liberty Valley Pekin Duck Breast - Garnet Yam "Buttons", Cape Cod Cranberries, Crosnes and Sylvetta Leaves with Duck Jus
(One could also choose "Trippa Oreganata" - Braised Honeycomb Tripe with San Marzano Tomatoes and Oregano Breadcrumbs.)
Finca Sandoval, Manchuela, Syrah, 2004
The strangely shaped white slices of something tasted very good. Apparently these slices were the “Crosnes”. According to the internet, crosnes are small, crisp, tan-skinned, white tubers in the mint family with a nutty, artichoke-like flavor.
"Salvatore Brooklyn Ricotta" Angolotti - Glazed Celeriac, Crosnes and Celery Branch with Black Winter Truffle Cream
Rib-Eye of Marcho Farm's Nature Fed Veal "Rôti à la Broche" - "Gnocchi Parisienne", Hen-of-the-Woods Mushroom, Sweet Carrots and Rainbow Swiss Chard with "Sauce Périgourdine"
The veal was very tender.
"Saint Tola" - Rainbow Swiss Chard, Sweet Peppers, Eggplant, Parsley Chips and Nicoise Olive with Red Pepper Syrup
My dad gave up before this dish came along. If I'd known there was another course here, I would've had them bring it to him anyway, so I'm kind of irritated about missing this one. I had them bring his desserts anyway so I could taste them. After all, I'd already paid for them!
Alternatively he could have had "Gorgonzola Cremificato" - "Sablé au Romarin", Michigan Sour Cherries, Hazelnuts and Pepper Cress with "Balsamico al Ciliegio" (I would have chosen this one...mmm, gorgonzola, sour cherries, and hazelnuts!)
Bonnie View Farm's "Coomersdale" (Cheese) - Celeriac "Bâtons", Young Beets and Flowering Quince with Petit Sorrel and Flowering Quince Butter (NV)
Foreau, Moelleux, "Domaine du Clos Naudin", Vouvray, 2002
This cheese was nothing special, but interestingly served with veggies. Minus points for no cheese tray.
Pink Champagne Granité - Passion Fruit Pudding (V)
Sorry, too dark and not enough contrast to get a focused picture.
Red Verjus Sorbet - Per Se Raisins, Grape Tuile and Gingerbread Crumble (NV)
Black Currant Cobbler - Butter "Croustillant", Black Currant Compote and Diane St. Clair's Buttermilk Sherbert (V)
"Pomme-Beurre Noisette" - "Confiture" of Granny Smith Apple, "Financier" and Tahitian Vanilla "Bavarois" with "Glace au Beurre Noisette" (NV)
(One could also choose "Banoffee" - Devil's Food Cake, Chocolate "Marquise" and Malt "Crémeux" with Banana-Crème Fraîche Sherbert, but I was too full to try both.)
Domaine des Schistes, "Solera", Rivesaltes, Roussillon
Bonus points for the birthday candle!
Mignardises
I'm ashamed to admit that I couldn't finish them. I'd forgotten to have my trou Normand!
Some extra candy in case we were still hungry. The dark chocolate truffle was very good and most of the wrapped candies ended up in our pockets.
They brought the bill before asking if there was anything else I wanted, which I did. At least they were classy enough to give me my Eau de Vie Poire Williams (Oregon, it was so-so) on the house.
Don’t forget to check out the restrooms (unfortunately I only got a picture of the women’s restroom this time).
Per Se has a nice atmosphere, but the staff didn’t quite have the knack of blending in with the woodwork. I found their constantly pointing out the local (American continent) origins of everything a bit pretentious, but perhaps they were just going with the latest trend in the culinary world. However, I do think it can go a bit far. Do I really need to know how many cows were on the farm which made the butter? Maybe NYC dwellers find the idea of cows and farms exotic (and the fact that there were “only nine cows” exclusive).
They do get kudos for remembering I was there to celebrate my birthday with my father (even though I had gotten a table after being on the waiting list). Our menus had “Happy Birthday Jana” printed at the top and I got a candle with my dessert.
I did not find Per Se quite up to par with the three-star restaurants I’ve eaten at in Europe. I would give it 2.5 stars (if such a rating existed). It is a good thing I have a reservation at Gordon Ramsay on December 9, so I can check if London meets my expectations or if I’ve just become jaded by my previous five visits to three-star restaurants.
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