[From the 9/11/23 newsletter]
Last night I went with my parents to Le Bernardin, not only one of the city’s great restaurants, but one of the world’s.
It’s funny that my parents, who prize value and lack of pretentiousness, like Le Bernardin so much (it’s not only expensive, but very formal) but we all contain multitudes. And there’s something undeniable about this food which is so exquisitely, painstakingly presented. Here’s my appetizer of tuna with uni.
If you gave me all tools and ingredients to make this, it would take me years to figure out. Same for this seafood medley which included geoduck (pronounced “gooey duck”):
The sauce in there was almost like pork ramen, but clarified. And then my entree, the halibut, came with a “summer chowder” which was more like a green elixir that I could’ve drank with a straw.
The desserts are little works of art: check out my corn millefuille.
Le Bernardin is one of those restaurants where people say “I had to get a slice of pizza afterwards I was so hungry!” But in 2023, eating light at a fancy meal feels more rewarding than going home feeling like you swallowed a bowling ball. And if that’s what you want, there’s always Le Carmine’s just a few blocks south.
Le Bernardin / 155 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019 / (212) 554-1515
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