Jean Georges, August 6, 2007

Jean Georges

Sat at the bar. Ordered the prix fixe. Same drill as usual. Here's what I got...

Corn and lemongrass soup with peeky-toe crab, onions and lime

The best soup I've had here in several visits. Perfectly balanced. You could taste all of the individual ingredients separately and yet it all came together too. Delicious. Here's a before the pour and after...

Slow-baked salmon with charred poblano rice and a cucumber-pineapple broth. I was skeptical but, time and time again, I learn the lesson the hard way. Nothing to be skeptical about. This was terrific. The rice was al dente, a nice contrast to the super soft, almost velvety, salmon.

Blackberry panna cotta, lemon sorbet and freeze dried cherry something or other. This was just okay. The panna cotta was rubbery and not very good. It sat awkwardly atop blackberries sliced in half - a bit of a pedestrian application. The sorbet was good, if a bit too tart and the freeze-dried cherry thing was sort of weird. I appreciate the effort, and its flavor was good but the texture made me feel like I was eating a darker-tinted slice of insulation. Or kissing a muppet. Your call.
The bartender today was really nice. He was happy to discuss the dishes in detail, a surprising rarity at this place. I appreciated it and he genuinely seemed to enjoy his job. Overall, a solid lunch.