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."