Le Bernardin, NYC

Last week we went back to the country's best fish / seafood restaurant, Le Bernardin in New York City. Unlike the previous times we've been, we did not opt for the chef's tasting menu but instead all tried the prix fix four course menu. Being five of us it meant we could cover almost the entire menu.

Since the last time we were there with Susan & Rich, the restaurant has gone through a pretty major renovation. It now has a larger bar area with lounge seating for a more casual dining option. The decor is a bit lighter overall than it was with honey colored wood accents and a giant painting of the ocean covering an entire wall.

We were seated at a table that was likely for four people that they managed to get a fifth chair around. It didn't look like it would be comfortable but we fit pretty well and never felt cramped. Except perhaps Alan who got the middle seat on the sofa.

To start off our evening they brought a trio of amuse bouche:

From the left, a salmon "roll"; tuna tartare on Parmesan crisp; lobster bisque. The salmon bite was nice - the tuna was great and the bisque was excellent!

For our first course which we selected off the Almost Raw portion of the menu:

Hamachi “Sashimi”; Sea Beans and Daikon, Black Garlic-Ponzu Sauce. Octavio ordered this; it was extraordinary, fresh fish dressed perfectly in the ponzu sauce. I loved this dish and could have eaten all of it.

Fluke “Sashimi”; Micro Watercress, Baby Carrots Ginger-Citron Vinaigrette. Alan's fluke was also spectacular. Fluke has such a gorgeous flavor raw and the citrus preparation allowed the more pronounced taste of the sea to come out.

Single Variety or Assortment of Oysters (Six Pieces). I went with the oysters after having a tough time picking... but thought, if I'm going raw let me select one of my most favorite raw foods. These were six different types of oysters from mostly the Atlantic. It wasn't as special or different as the rest of the appetizers but I really love oysters - great course.

Layers of Thinly Pounded Yellowfin Tuna, Foie Gras and Toasted Baguette, Chives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This was the selection by Nick's business school friend, Nick who joined us for this dinner. A carpaccio of tuna, basically with crumbled foie gras all over. I don't remember bothering with the toasted baguette when trying this. Look at it - just beautiful and wow, what a taste!!

Thinly Shaved Geoduck Clam and Osetra Caviar,Wasabi-Citrus Mousseline. The final dish of the first course was Nick's giant clam. We've tried giant clam before- it's more of an acquired taste than anything else on the menu. A slight chewiness and a distinctive "fishy" taste, it needs to be sliced very thin and served with something that can stand up to the flavor profile without getting lost. The accompaniment of caviar and wasabi were a great pairing. I don't recall enjoying giant clam nearly this much in the past. Excellent!

On to our second course - this time from the "barely touched" section of the menu.

Surf & Turf Roasted Bone Marrow; Sea Urchin, Fleur de Sel. Both Nick and Octavio ordered this dish served with toast points for smearing the urchin and marrow on. I liked it - very different take on serving sea urchin that traditionally comes to you in the hollowed out urchin shell. Good but it didn't blow me away.

Langoustine with sea foam, bacon(?) and greens. Alan's choice of langoustine was a good one. The pieces were much closer to the consistency of lobster than usual (often they come off as big, plain shrimp). The flavor was mild and delicate with a decidedly French twist.

Peekytoe Crab “Choux Farcis”; Chili-Crab Broth. In case you didn't know this - peekytoe crab is one of my all time favorite things on this planet. I am in love with the peekytoe salad that Daniel Boulud serves at his namesake restaurant. Seeing it on this menu was too hard to pass up. The preparation was unexpected in the broth of chili and crab with the leaves of brussels sprouts covering even more crab. I really liked this dish though it didn't stand out to the rest of the party as a favorite of the evening.

Ultra Rare Seared Tuna; Marinated Fennel, Basil and Capers. Nick's second serving of tuna was a whooper with the seared fish being covered by almost a salsa of fennel, basil and capers. The brine from the capers set off the tuna resulting in a lovely dish that you'd like to have twice as much of.

For our third course off the lightly cooked section of the menu:

Poached Skate and Warm Oysters, Brussels Sprouts-Bacon Mignonette, Dijon Mustard Sherry Emulsion. Skate is a polarizing fish - even when cooked it has a fatty, mushy texture that can throw people off. If you are familiar with it and love sushi anyways, it is unique, delicate and very decadent in the mouth. I thought this was a standout dish with incredible flavor. The sauce added complexity and saltiness to round it out.

Baked Red Snapper in “Citrus-Rosemary Papillote” Preserved Lemon-Mashed Potatoes, Natural Jus. This is a perfect illustration of why Le Bernardin is the only restaurant in New York City to have received a four star rating from the New York Times for more than twenty consecutive years as well as being the only one to have garnered three Michelin stars in 2005 (the debut year for the US) and every year after. This dish Alan chose was heaven - you just can't prepare fish any better than this in the light citrus sauce. And whoever thought to combine lemon with mashed potatoes was a culinary genius. Amazing!

Maine Lobster; Light Potato Gnocchi Braised Pearl Onions. Yeah, I went with the lobster. Sometimes I just can't pass up on the shellfish. This gorgeous course with the tail meat deconstructed into slices and rebuilt was excellent. The secret to lobster is to have it be cooked to just opaque so the flavor is there and it takes on that delicate nature while still tasting like lobster. I loved this dish. Serving gnocchi on the side was just the cream on top!

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs; Winter Vegetables,Wild Mushrooms, Parsnip Purée. Nick was the only one to go off the beaten path and order something not from the sea. The short rib was so good - fork tender, obviously cooked forever to get it to have that much infused flavor. The wine reduction sauce is a classic pairing that will never go out of style. This was a standout dish.

Crispy Black Bass; Roasted Shishitos and Acorn Squash “Ceviche”, Peruvian Chicha Sauce. And the final dish was Nick's crispy black bass...wow! Amazing. The skin was fantastic - you could just eat that all night.

And for dessert...

Madagascan Chocolate Ganache, Candied Peanuts, Popcorn Ice Cream

Hazelnut, Madagascar Vanilla, Chocolate, Vietnamese Cinnamon ice creams

Dark Chocolate Cremeux, Kirsch Bavaroise, Belgian Kriek Beer Sorbet

Assortment of Cheeses "4 pieces" with apricot compote and toast points.

Earl Grey Mousseline, Orange Purée, Blood Orange Sorbet (no picture)

Petit fours

Throughout this dinner was champagne and wine:

• Marie Courtin NV Resonance Extra Brut
• Peter Michael Sauvignon Blanc L'Apres-Midi 2011
• Aby Harris Anthill Pinot Noir 2010

I don't remember having the Anthill before but really liked it and the Marie Courtin was really good for a non-vintage - something you can drink a lot of and not have heart palpatations when you see the price.

Le Bernardin is one of the best restaurants in the country, no doubt about it. If you love eating things that come out of the water, this is your Nirvana. I thought our dinner was one of the best of 2012 but by not having the chef's tasting menu and by going with an early seating when you know they are going to turn your table takes a little off an otherwise exceptional experience. Service was flawless and the ambiance lends to a romantic or special occassion. I hope you get a chance to go!

Zagat: 29-28-29

Michelin: 3 Stars

Jenn's Rating: 96