Foodie Chat (9): Petrossian

NYC Summer Restaurant Week is back. Restaurant week is always a good chance to try out new places. Although you may not get the best dishes from the restaurant, you do get a sense of its general style and flavor. When you return to the same restaurant for their restaurant week specials, it may be a sign that you've been in the city for too long. This is exactly what happened to us this week. My BFF and I returned to Petrossian for their $38 restaurant week dinner menu, the same $48 prix fixe dinner menu they offer throughout the year.

Caviar is the staple here. So we both ordered the Transmontanus USA Farmed Caviar for $12 extra. The caviar came in a tiny tin with a piece of fluffy blini and crème frâiche. The natural sweetness of the blini, the smoothness of the creme blended exquisitely with the caviar. It tasted neither too salty nor overly fishy.

For the entree, my BFF originally wanted to order the steak. I persuaded her to have the Sturgeon ($8 extra) instead. Often referred to as "primitive fishes", sturgeon (鲟) is one of the oldest species among all fishes. Their morphological characters, such as elongated bodies and lack of scales, have remained relatively unchanged since the earliest fossil record. Sturgeons are also harvested for their roe. Because they are slow-growing and mature very late in life, most species of sturgeons are currently at the edge of extinction. You may call me environmentally irresponsible, but my philosophy is: if we kill a sturgeon to get its roe and make caviar, it only makes sense that we also eat its flesh. Anyway, if you are like me and curious about sturgeon, Petrossian is one of the few restaurants that serves sturgeon and it knows how to cook it. I had it last time when I visited Petrossian. It had a very distinct texture -- firm, but not overly chewy. My BFF also loved it.

I ordered Mackerel for a change. The presentation was impeccable (shown in the picture). A piece of grilled fish sat on top of tender mushrooms and baby spinach. Scallions and carrot slices added more springy colors to the plate. The fish was tender and delicate, the sauce was light and flavorful, and the sliced ginger had an extra kick that aroused all my taste buds. It was a beautiful course from all aspects.

You may skip the dessert. Nothing to write home about. Do have a sip of espresso though. As a French restaurant, Petrossian respects coffee. Wine is also reasonably priced.

Housed in the historic Alwyn Court Building, Petrossian is lavishly decorated with crystals, bronze sculptures, china, and chandelier, all harmonizing to create an old-school upscale ambiance. However the service was not in par with its food and decor. I had no complaint of our waitress, but a tad of warmth and smile would have made us happier.

Address: 182 West 58th Street, New York, NY
Telephone:  212 245 2214

Foodie Chat (2): L'Ecole

Exquisite French meal does not have to break your bank. Arguably one of the five most renowned French restaurants in NYC, L'Ecole offers high-end French dining experience at totally affordable price. It serves prix-fixe lunch and dinner all year around. Menu changes frequently, and the only thing remains unchanged is that you will be surprised with delight. :)

Located at the border of SoHo and Chinatown, L'Ecole is the teaching restaurant of International Culinary Center, previously known as French Culinary Institute, which explains why L'Ecole serves mostly classic French recipes. In L'Ecole, the kitchen is the student chefs' classroom, and the plate is their homework. That's the reason why you can have high-end fine dining at such good prices. What you pay is volatility. Unlucky ones may get sub par homework occasionally, but usually the food is really good.

Here is my review of some dishes on their 2013/2014 Winter Curriculum.

Country Pate is classic. Truffle and pistachios add sophisticated rich flavor. One of the best pate appetizers you may find in New York.

Brussels Sprouts Salad is innovative, a happy marriage between French fine cuisine and Spanish tradition. Besides a couple of halved and charred ones, Brussels sprouts are shredded into hair-thin strings. That airy fluffy yellow-green lump is just delightful to look at. When you stab into that lump, you will find boquerones and paper-thin parmigiano-reggiano slices. The fresh bitter-sweetness of Brussels sprouts, the sourness saltiness and fishiness of boquerones, and the cheesy aroma of parmigiano-reggiano make this salad as refreshing as a summer breeze from Spanish Riviera.

Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Winter Vegetables is tender and moist. Classic red wine shallot sauce and winter vegetables are flavorful. Another French classic.

Pan-Seared Wild Black Bass is cooked perfectly. The flesh melts in your mouth. And I drained every drop of the miso-ginger consomme that comes with it. Absolutely delicious. Baby bok choy and shiitake mushrooms added some Asian touch to the dish.

Chestnut Cake has the right amount of sweetness, rich chestnut flavor, and creamy texture. It easily makes the best dessert I've had this winter. The sorbet that comes with the cake is too sweet for me though.

The service in L'Ecole is spot-on. Quick and neat. You also get complimentary appetizer bites and cookie samples. We got dulcetto bars that won the ICC's 2013 Cookie Olympics. Haha, that was hilarious. We didn't even know there was a Cookie Olympics!

Rumor says that, if you are lucky, you may see legendary chefs like Jacques Pepin and Alain Sailhac walking down the hall in their uniforms or asking diners for feedback. I'm not that lucky. The only two celebrity chefs I've met in my life so far are Jean-Georges Vongerichten in Perry St and a much less famous (but a much younger and better-looking) Vikas Khanna in Junoon. Cooking is both an art and a science. I'm always grateful when I finish a good meal. L'Ecole is where the future top chefs are trained, and I'm glad to share part of their experience and homework. :)

Foodie Chat (1): Bar Boulud

It's restaurant week again, folks. You don't always get the best dishes on the restaurant week prix fixe menu, but it's still a good excuse to meet up with your friends over a good meal. Last night, we went to Bar Boulud and ordered from its $38 restaurant week menu.

Bar Boulud is a chic and casual French bistro owed by Daniel Boulud, one of the most celebrated chefs in NYC. Upon entrance, you will see arched cavern-like space furnished with blonde-wood booths and a big communal table, promising an intimate and personal experience at the first glance.

We arrived early and sat at the bar. To my big surprise, we didn't get any service for a good 5-10 minutes, the longest wait I've ever had in any Daniel Boulud franchise. We asked the lady at the door to ring us whenever a table opened up, and she never did. After sitting at the bar, eyeing all the empty tables and gradually burning out our patience, we asked an waitress if we could get a table. And we got it in two minutes... OK, I knew this was a casual restaurant and I should not expect the same "kind" of service as in Boulud Sud, but, given the price tag, I felt truly entitled to service of the same "level"!

Since we are at the price tag, Bar Boulud have an impressively deep wine list that goes all the way up to the north of $3,000 / bottle (I didn't flip through the whole list... no, I mean "the whole dictionary"... of course). Unfortunately they do not offer half bottles or quartinos that wine lovers are so crazy about. So we decided to go by glass. We started with something light and fruity, and moved on to Syrah that had a little more body as the meal came. Wines were good, but they could have poured a little more.

OK. Enough complaints. Here comes the best part: the food.

Bar Boulud knows how to serve simple food to its simple perfection. The pate was impeccable. The duck confit was crispy and tender. I was not a big fan of its chocolate tart, but it was not the end of the world. All my grudges were soon washed down by the fantastic food, fine wine, and bubbly conversation. I had a good time!

Overall, I would give a 3.5/5.0 to Bar Boulud. Food was great, but its service was definitely not in par with its less casual siblings. Its casual ambiance was deadly charming and could have made it an ideal  romantic dating spot, provided their service was upgraded from coach to first-class cabin. Till that day, I strongly suggest you avoid the risk and take your date to Boulud Sud, which is only blocks away.