Supposedly the “French Laundry of the East,” Per Se, opened with a bang, being Thomas Keller’s first three Michelin star restaurant. Though it still holds three stars, most critics and everyday people believe it’s way past its prime. This was my experience.
Firstly I’ll simply start off by saying that the Salmon Cornette and Hen Egg Custard were perfect 10/10 bites for me. I’m not really going to go into these signatures (and Oysters and Pearls) since they’ve been reviewed endlessly at TFL/Per Se, but make no mistake, they truly are perfect!
Oysters and Pearls 10/10: Once again, a perfect signature. It was better than I could have ever imagined. Easily in the top 10 dishes of all time!
Hudon Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras (Parsnip Cream, Salad Leaves) 8/10: Done quite well. The foie gras itself was great and was poached to perfection, though the accouterments were underwhelming. The parsnip cream and salad leaves didn’t really add anything to the dish besides a weird tangy flavor.
Pacific Yellow Tartare (Belgian Endive Salad, Compressed Thompson Grapes, Cutting Celery, White Verjus Gastrique) 7/10: A poorly constructed dish. The tartare was great, but the sides were poor choices. There were too many different flavors, and everything besides the tartare seemed like it had been added to the dish quite randomly.
Sweet Butter Poached Nova Scotia Lobster (Creamed Sunchoke Purée, Sunchoke “Barbajuan”) 9/10: Practically perfect! This was the best lobster I’ve ever eaten, though the dish once again deserved better sides. The barbajuan did add a nice crispiness to the dish.
Carnaroli Risotto Biologico (Organic Acquerello Rice, Root Vegetable Cream) 7/10: This dish was nice, but underwhelming given its supplement price. It was fine, but definitely not worth an extra $135. It wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to the white truffle risottos I’ve had at Da Vittorio and Enoteca Pinchiorri. The risotto was a bit too mushy, and the sauce was horribly bland.
Charcoal Grilled Japanese Wagyu (Turnip Cake, Crispy Cipollini Onion, Watercress) 9/10: One of the best Wagyu steaks I’ve ever had! The people who think it’s easy to do are crazy IMO. Wagyu lacks tons of flavor itself, but the charcoal really added a certain depth to what would have been just plain fattiness and richness. It was served with a mixture of different salts, and they, especially some of the smoked ones, perfectly complemented the steak. The sides, once again, are what brings down this dish slightly. I would have loved a potato-something side and none of the sides they did give complemented the dish in any meaningful way.
Gougère (Cave Aged Comté, Preserved Black Winter Truffle) 10/10: Another dish, that, in my opinion, is in the league as the cornette, egg custard, and oysters and pearls, being one of Keller’s signature dishes that never leaves the menu, but is often forgotten. For me, this palate cleanser was incredible! It includes cow’s and milk’s milk cheese and is a textural masterpiece. The black truffle is tastefully used and adds superbly to the dish. One of the best palate cleansers ever! Don’t get me wrong, I would have preferred a traditional cheese trolley, but this is hardly much worse.
Desserts (Chocolate Pot de Crème, Caramel Apple Mousse, Cookie Dough Ice Cream, Mini Doughnuts, Frozen Cappuccino Semifredo) 6/10: Quantity over quality. All the desserts had very little flavor and were too sweet. The pot de crème had no chocolate flavor and tasted like nothing, really. The caramel apple mousse was too sweet and needed a lot of freshness, brightness, and acidity. The cookie dough ice cream was also too sweet and was a very heavy choice. I hated the fact that every dessert was soft/mushy/creamy. I would have liked a solid dessert, like a nice cake or tartlet. Quite frankly, I could have much better renditions of the same desserts at home. I definitely did like the donuts and frozen cappuccino semifredo though.
Food Cost – $900 after tip; Value For Money – 0/5; Overall Rating – 3.5/5; My Michelin Rating – 2*; Would I Recommend – No. Quite frankly, Per Se has fallen a ridiculous amount since its heyday. The dishes were boring, with horrible sides, and the meal was just too expensive for me to think anyone should go to this place. You’ll find better classic/French cuisine at most acclaimed bistros in the city, and I highly recommend Benoit by Alain Ducasse. How this restaurant has three stars when its far worse than Jean-Georges, Gabriel Kreuther, and The Modern is beyond me!
by Gastronaut1900
5 Comments
Ate here 10 years ago and it honestly doesn’t look very different. Seems like they haven’t kept up with the times. Not that it looks bad or anything, but not very creative and seems a bit boring as you said.
do they offer bonbons at the end?
Im glad you at least enjoyed the food. I have a friend that makes me come to this place like 3-4 times a year and I have never fucking liked anything
It kills me that some of y’all think these reviews aren’t entirely made up.
Literally one of the worst scoring systems I’ve ever read. “7/10 poorly constructed” what the fuck.