Luxeat

Jean Georges

Jean Georges (3*) 1 Central Park West, New York - 212 299-3900

Chef: Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Ambiance and service: "Manhattan chic" ,professional yet invisible service.

Food?  Well,I've written about Jean Georges before - i am still puzzled how come it has such high ratings everywhere. It is among "30 most Important U.S. restaurants" in OAD guide, 28 /30 in Zagat,is among The Worlds 50 Best and it has 3 Michelin stars. 3 Michelin stars literally mean "worth a special" journey. Yes, for me Jean Georges is worth a special journey from downtown Manhattan, but not from further.

Soto

I am jealous of all the great sushi restaurants you can find in Manhattan. In that sense, Europe is sad (i know, i am repeating myself ;)) - the fish quality is  bad most of the times , the sushi masters (or those pretending to be sushi masters) don't slice fish as carefully and the big cities are infested with sushi belts chains that mostly serve farmed salmon and some kind of tuna on balls of cold,boiled rice. Anyway, Manhattan has Sushi Yasuda,Kuruma Zushi ,Masa, Masa Bar (the list could go on) and now Soto ( 357 6th avenue, Manhattan, tel. 212 414 3088) . As far as i understand this place was opened in 2007 by a Japanese chef Sotohiro Kosugi who before that worked in Atlanta for ten years.

Katz's Delicatessen

Katz's Delicatessen is not only a pastrami institution, it's part of New York history. If you visit New York, you must go there the same as you must eat a buttery croissant when in Paris or a spicy currywurst when in Berlin. The question is, is it worth a return?  Yesterday it was my first time in Katz's and i must say i was disappointed. I ordered the famous pastrami sandwich with some pickles on the side. First, it is extremely impractical to eat, so you end up eating the pastrami slices with fingers. Second,the bread becomes soggy very quickly.(and who likes soggy bread?) Finally, i think Katz's pastrami is only good when it's warm, as when it gets cold, it becomes tasteless. I know many people looove Katz's Delicatessen, but  for me this Lower East Side "institution" is not worth a return.

My latest New York obsession

Steamed pork buns with hoisin,cucumbers and scallions from Momofuku SSam bar and Momofuku Noodle bar . I don't have enough words to describe the brilliance of the combination of  delicate steamed buns,juicy ,but crispy at the same time pork, scallions, slices of cucumber and spicy hoisin sauce. On Tuesday i had one (two buns in one serving) at Momofuku SSam bar, yesterday - at the Noodle bar, will i be able to stop?

Kyo Ya, New York

I wish i went to Kyo Ya (94 East 7th str. tel. 212 982 4140) before diving into the mysterious kaiseki experience in Kikunoi , Kyoto last spring. Maybe i would have enjoyed Kikunoi more. Degustating kaiseki dinner without certain preparation and knowledge is the same as going to a 3 Michelin stars restaurant for the first time. And i guess this is what happened to me in Kikunoi.
Kyo Ya is something in between the very traditional kaiseki and the Japanese food we are used to. Not forgetting the perfect Japanese ingredients and kaiseki aesthetics of course. When eating in Kyo Ya  or Sugiyama ,or other kaiseki restaurants you just comprehend how versatile,rich and deep kaiseki and Japanese cuisine in general is.

Kyo Ya has 29/30 in Zagat (More than Per Se or any other restaurant in Manhattan- it is not the first time i see Zagat doing such bold moves :)). I don't know if i would place Kyo Ya higher than Per Se, but surely i would rate Kyo Ya as one of the best and most memorable restaurats in NY.

Per Se

Per Se is by far the best restaurant i have ever been in the USA.It is worth every high rating it has- whether it is 3 Michelin stars or 28/30 in Zagat.The view of the Columbus Circle was stunning , the people working there knowledgeable and extremely professional, and most of all, the food was phenomenal.

Without doubt,Thomas Keller has a place among the greatest. One surely needs a talent to create such a divine experience.

Update from New York

My trip to New York has been very exciting so far - i met wonderful people and ate/going to eat in some of my "dream" restaurants I've always wanted to go(i will post about them soon).
One of the most mind blowing discovery is the toro tartare,osetra caviar,crême fraîche,wasabi, dashi soy at Morimoto restaurant.

Morrocan tuna tartare( DB Bistro Moderne)

Speaking of something delicious,the "Morrocan tuna tartare,cucumber raita, chickpeas, harissa" i had for lunch in DB Bistro Moderne few days ago was mouth watering. A perfect combinations of Morrocan and Indian flavors.

Jean Georges

The three Michelin stars Jean Georges was the most boring and "factory like" gastronomic restaurant i have ever dined. It doesn't come any  close to the three or even two Michelin stars"institutions" in France and in Europe while in New York i could name at least five gastronomic restaurants that are much better than the main restaurant of Jean Georges Vongerichten.

Bouley

It is not a secret that some of the best chefs on the planet are "French trained".Their work in gastronomic restaurants in France brings valuable experience for their careers.That highly influences not only their techniques and style of cooking, but also what cuisine they cook.Not surprise- usually French.Today i  had a look at the top restaurants in London in Zagat guide  and the best restaurants in London are French. In Manhattan is the same,in the main German cities is the same,in Moscow , so is in many other metropolises. Most of the chefs who have ever worked in France want to recreate what they saw there.I don't say thats its bad,French food is my favorite, but i do prefer to eat it in France. And sometimes its a pity not to concentrate more on the traditional cuisine of that particular country. At least for me when I visit a city I want to try the local food or something where local ingredients are not disregarded.