A
paradox, a paradox, a most ingenious paradox. We fans of Gilbert &
Sullivan (from whose Pirates of Penzance I shamelessly steal my
opening sentence) love a paradox, do we not? So here is one. To find the
best fish in New York, you need to seek out a Cistercian monk. Now the
Cistercians, as we know, have always been famous for the austerity of
their living arrangements. So what is going on? Let me take you to the
12 th century. St Bernard of Clairvaux has just founded a branch of the
Cistercian order, and folk start to call its members by his name –
Bernardines. Back we come nine hundred years, and our scene moves to
Manhattan, and to West 51 st Street. I am here to visit a famous
gastronomic temple. I look up at its sign and there is the explanation
of our paradox: it says, Le Bernardin.
Inside, to greet me, is the great
lady who chose the name. Maguy Le Coze was born in Brittany, her
grandfather a fisherman and her parents the proprietors of a small
restaurant and inn. As a young lady she moved to Paris and opened a
restaurant – the first Le Bernardin – with her brother, the Chef
Gilbert. Soon two Michelin stars twinkled overhead. In 1986 they moved
to New York and soon replicated their Parisian success.
Gilbert died in 1994, and now Maguy
Le Coze owns Le Bernardin with the brilliant gentleman who commands the
kitchen, Eric Ripert. Chef Ripert also hails from France – from Antibes
– so the French credentials of this establishment are impeccable.
Lots of warm colours and a high,
beamed roof make this a welcoming dining room. I settled back in a brown
leather armchair at a large round table and surveyed the chamber. Oil
paintings (French, 19 th century, I would judge), giant potted palms and
lots of contented fellow diners made this a happy scene. Good Spiegelau
glasses, finest Bernardau crockery (in white and pale blue) and the
careful attentions of the waiters, in dark suits, dark shirts and
striped ties, filled me with high expectations about the meal ahead.
I
was not disappointed. Mr Ripert is, quite simply, a genius with fish. If
you are in pursuit of piscine perfection, a visit to Le Bernardin should
be at the top of your priorities. It is not so much that his ingredients
are of the very highest quality (although they are); it is that he
displays such inventive honesty in the handling of them. Subtle and
captivating, the combinations of flavours and textures he sends from his
kitchen are thrilling. Take what was the highlight of my meal, described
on the menu thus: “Barely cooked Bay Scallops on Black Trumpet Duxelle,
Champagne-Shallot Butter Sauce”. This was a miracle of balance and
refinement – rich, yet ethereally light – each element there for a
purpose and each contributing to a glorious whole. Every mouthful was a
joy.
Note the ‘barely cooked’. The
sections of the carte (4 courses are $92 – I chose five) have the
following headings: Almost Raw, Barely Touched, Lightly Cooked and On
Request – the last being a sop to those carnivores who simply must have
meat at every meal. From the first, I chose thin layers of yellowfin
tuna on top of a toasted baguette laid with terrine of foie gras, with
shaved chives and olive oil. Under-stated and delicious. Then, after the
scallops, I went for poached lobster, enlivened in a most captivating
manner by a tiny mango salad. Delicate monkfish had been pan roasted and
came with a casserole with morels and asparagus. My excellent pudding
was pear, poached in red wine, with spiced caramel parfait and a citrus
reduction. Six and eight course tasting menus are also available at $125
and $150.
With such exquisite food, you will
want some exquisite wines, and the list offers them. DRC Montrachet is
here, if you like the finest white burgundy and you have $2,900 for the
1997 or £3,200 for the 1992. If you can arrange your dishes for some
red, there are gems aplenty. From Australia, 1998 Henschke Hill of Grace
is $700. From Italy, 1998 Sassicaia is $360 and – particularly good
value – the lovely 1997 vintage of Luce is offered by the magnum at
$200. And, for fans of claret, 1988 Pétrus is $1,600, 1982 Cheval Blanc
is $2,000 and 1970 Latour is $1,100.
I stayed with white for my two
bottles. An Alsatian riesling Grand Cru (Schlossberg, Paul Blanck, 2001
- $80) had petrol aromas to its freshness and was quite stunning with
the scallops. My chardonnay, from the northern coast of California (Mer
Soleil, Santa Lucia Highlands, 2001 - $95), was well-structured, with a
slightly burnt nose.
Thus the name of Le Bernardin gives
us our ingenious paradox: the very finest haute cuisine at the sign of
the abstemious monk. If you want to eat some of the greatest fish dishes
in the world, you should certainly pay this particular Cistercian a
visit.
LE BERNARDIN
155 West 51st Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues), New York,
NY 10019, U.S.A.
Telephone +1 212 554 1515
Fax +1 212 554 1100
www.le-bernardin.com
Closed: Saturday lunch, Sunday
© 2005 Francis Bown. Used by
permission. All rights reserved. For reviews of hotels and
restaurants across the world, visit
www.BownsBest.com
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