Jean Georges (Nougatine Room), July 13, 2007

Jean Georges

Bummer. The prix fixe menu was the same as it was last week. No matter, I'll dive into the right side of the menu today.

I could have simply ordered one entree or one appetizer and have been content, specifically the tuna tartare. I'd mentioned it in a recent post which acted as a bit of a crave inducer. So that was a given. But they also had soft shell crab on the menu as an appetizer.

The soft shell crab was deep fried in a tempura-style batter and was very nicely executed. Crunchy but not at all greasy and the tempura was nearly perfectly transparent. The crab was split in half and placed atop a salad of fresh peas and some crunchy greens in a mayo-based sauce. Delicious. This acted more like a sauce than a salad.

The tuna tartare was great as usual...though perhaps the thrill is slightly gone. The radish does indeed at an extra texture, but I think it needs what Masa (Allendale, not Time Warner) does - adds a crispy layer of fried panko between the tuna and avocado layers. Or what my friend Matt Pivnick of Key Ingredient does - add crispy soba noodles to it. Otherwise it becomes simply a delicious mush. I wouldn't exactly call this a mush, but I like when a stronger texture is added to it.

Side note: an amazingly annoying customer to my left today. Ack!