| Food Review of Jean Georges |
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There are two types of celebrity chef. The first owe their fame to mass appeal, The Food Network, a forcefully-promoted series of cookbooks (always promising simplicity), a catch phrase (“Bam,” “Kick it up a notch…”) and a commercially-available line of salad dressings branded with the chef’s smirking face implying a promise that you, too, can cook like a professional. The other type builds their fame within the industry, influencing their peers and evolving their craft both technically and conceptually. They are the subject of anecdotes of maniacal perfectionism, they too have a series of cookbooks (always promising gratification through effort) and they run a coveted restaurant where patrons squirm and drool in anticipation of their meal. Jean-George Vongerichten is unique in that he exists as both of these types and his eponymous restaurant in the Trump International Hotel is, appropriately, a destination for serious foodies and gawkers alike. The newly-renovated dining room, sleek in greys and purples, is Jetsons-esque. There is an air of relaxed precision both in the room and the manner in which one is brought into it. I am appropriately consonant in my black suit, but there is a part of me that wants to also wear something polyester and leisurely, perhaps lime-green. Water, cocktails, menu presentation—there is a perceptible rhythm to the actions of the service staff, and meals progress with fluid timing. Jean Georges’ menus are superb. His ability to manipulate too-common ingredients to create original, thoughtful, and playful dishes results in a challenging style. Often there are components that seem far out-of-place until, upon tasting, the connection is made clear (sea trout sashimi with trout eggs, lemon, dill, and horseradish, huh?). He brightens with acid-heavy and spicy elements, leaving few dishes without citrus, vinegar, wine, or chilies (sea urchin with jalapeno and yuzu; crab and mango with chili-champagne sabayon). His flavors are always loud and pronounced. The Chef’s sense of whimsy can lean towards obnoxious (homemade marshmallows cut to shape with surgical shears tableside) and nothing “classic” is presented unadulterated (French meat preparations juxtaposed against Asian sauces). For all of the apparent irreverence, the result is singular, assertive, wonderful food. This is true fusion cooking.
Reservations come easier than at certain other 4-star restaurants, the lunch prix-fixe menu is an unequaled bargain, and the wine list is heavy in trophy Burgundy (in a good way). A dinner at Jean Georges is a worthwhile experience for the haut-cuisine-savvy, the tourist, and for those who just want to watch A-list celebrities eat.
Jean Georges 1 Central Park West New York, NY, 10023 (212)299-3900
by Craig Schum
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