Maurice Graham Henry on French restaurants in New York
We
congratulate Chef Daniel Boulud and his second-to-none staff on having the
coveted four-star restaurant rating reaffirmed by the New York Times.
That said, there remains no doubt that the best restaurant in New York is
Per Se, Chef Thomas Keller's "American with French influences" masterpiece
on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center. Under Chef de Cuisine
Jonathan Benno, the restaurant keeps getting better and better since it
opened in the spring of 2004. Indeed, the very best meal I had in 2008 was at Per Se with my friend
and fellow restaurant critic Fabrice Chouty. As for French restaurant
openings in New York, certainly the most significant is the new
Bouley on Duane Street—just
opposite the original location. I've always loved David Bouley's
cooking. As for Benoit (the new Alain Ducasse bistro in the former LCB Brasserie space), we can no longer
recommend the restaurant due to the number of mediocre reviews.
Maurice Graham Henry
May 22, 2009

Le Bernardin in New York: the Luxeat Perspective
"I thought I should give a second chance to this 3 Michelin stars
seafood restaurant, even if my first time there was very disappointing.
I told to myself I would choose other dishes which would prove my
initial judgments were wrong. Unfortunately, after my dinner in Le
Bernardin last Friday, I stand for every word I said about this
restaurant before. Le Bernardin would never get even 2 Michelin stars if
it were located in France."
Per
Se: the review by Francis Bown
"There is no question that Thomas Keller is one of the most talented
Chefs in the world, nor that his restaurant in the Napa Valley, The French
Laundry, is one of the world’s best. But star Chefs have been known to
spread their talents too thinly. As I clambered out of the yellow cab on
Columbus Circle, I feared that his new venture – Per Se, in far away New
York – might not maintain the standards of the Californian original.
Friends, I need not have worried. Per Se is, without doubt, one of the
finest restaurants in the world."
Maurice Graham Henry reviews Jean Georges
"I am pleased to confirm
that yes, the ultimate '12' rating of this restaurant (the combined
total of 3 Michelin stars, 4 stars from The New York Times, and 5 stars
from the Mobil Travel Guide) is indeed well deserved. A total rating shared only with
Thomas Keller's per se across the street, it should only be
attained by those who consistently produce excellent to extraordinary
cooking in New York, French or otherwise. Jean Georges meets that
standard." 
Le Bernardin: reviewed by Francis Bown
"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."
Maurice
Graham Henry reviews Bouley
"A question that comes to mind when reflecting on
Bouley, the downtown New York successor of Bouley Bakery, is whether this
is really a French restaurant. If the associations one makes for such a
restaurant revolve around French Chefs, French wait staff, and menus
printed in French, then the answer is no. But when approached from a less
rigid vantage point, this is indeed a remarkable restaurant that
identifies itself as French (yes, we telephoned and confirmed this), with
a gracious wait staff serving contemporary French cuisine prepared under
the oversight of one of the great Chefs of the world, French or otherwise:
David Bouley."