Jean Georges

http://www.jean-georgesrestaurant.com/jean-georges/

Scores: 3 M*/ 4 NYT

One of the good things about being on holiday is that you can have a relaxed lunch and in some cities this can also mean that you can take advantage of lunch deal.  On this trip to NYC I had booked lunch at Jean Georges, a place where I have had lunch before and think has one of best lunch deals anywhere in the world.  Jean Georges is the flagship restaurant from Jean George Vongerichten, who has many restaurants in the US and around the world, including Spice Market in London.  Jean Georges is one of only 4 restaurants in New York to hold both the top ratings from the Michelin guide and the New York Times.  On this very sunny afternoon the dining room was a very pleasant place to sit with plenty of natural light.

Canapés

The lunch deal here consists of two plates from the menu for $38, with additional at plates at $19 and then desserts at $12.  We ordered 3 starters and two mains from the extensive menu.  I actually also prefer the menu here at lunch as it features more dishes with Asian influences, whereas at dinner it is slightly more French focused. There is also a good sized selection of wines available by the glass or half glass which is ideal for sensible lunchtime drinking.

Yellowfin Tuna Ribbons, Avocado and Spicy Radish

Some canapés appeared to start; they were some seasonal greens with a wasabi pecan crust, celery root tempura with crispy mushroom and a taste of broccoli soup with mint crème fresh. These were all well-seasoned and very tasty.  The first starter is one the long standing dishes here- Yellowfin Tuna Ribbons, Avocado and Spicy Radish with a Ginger Marinade.  This is a very fresh, light summery dish, the fish was good quality and the radish and avocado were a good accompaniment – the whole thing was then bought together with a sweet and soy ginger sauce.

Hamachi Sashimi, Avocado, Yuzu and Radish

Hamachi Sashimi, Avocado, Yuzu and Radish was a not a dissimilar dish in terms of flavours and was also very good indeed.  Peekytoe Crab Dumplings with Celeriac-Meyer Lemon Tea were well made and contained a large amount of meaty crab.  The citrus tea’s broth was very tasty and complemented the dumplings well.

Black Sea Bass Crusted with Nuts and Seeds and Sweet and Sour Jus

Black Sea Bass Crusted with Nuts and Seeds and Sweet and Sour Jus was a fairly hearty main course, featuring a large piece of fish on top of quite a lot of vegetables surrounded by the jus.  The fish was excellently cooked and seasoned and the jus had lots of flavour.  Hake with Honshimeji Mushrooms, and Lemongrass Consommé was a great dish. The hake was well cooked and the mushrooms were wonderfully soft and full of subtle flavour.  Here the consommé was fantastic, full of spicy lemongrass and citrus notes but it did not overwhelm the other ingredients.

Hake with Honshimeji Mushrooms, and Lemongrass Consommé

The meal ended with a selection of petite fours and also some marshmallows that were cut table side.  This was a top drawer meal that was made even better by the sight of the check at the end.  At lunch it is possible to have 4 courses here for $69 and with plenty of choice for each one.  For this standard of cooking this is an absolute bargain.

4.5/ 5