Dining at Le Bernadin Prive

It's been ages since I've dined at Le Bernadin, but every time I've been there I've had a superior dining experience. So when I was invited to a private luncheon in  Le Bernadin's private dining venue, Privé, I had to find out if the catering would be as good as the restaurant's standards. It is. 

During this plated luncheon, the original first course to be served was a Seafood Truffle Pasta (with Crab, Scallop, Lobster, Tagliatelle, Black Truffle Emulsion). Unfortunately, I am allergic to seafood. As a substitute,. I was served a salad. I know, it sounds like, "eh". But NO! This salad was amazing! Fresh vegetables and spinach doused in what tasted like a black sea salt dressing, this salad was light yet flavorful.  

Our main entrée was a Sauteed Halibut with porcini mushroom-black sesame salad and sea urchin, all in a dashi broth. I'm already a fan of halibut and mushrooms, but I absolutely LOVE sea urchin so this dish was a one of my favorites. It's definitely a Japanese-inspired dish, from its ingredients to its delicate combination of flavors. This dish could have had a very fishy aroma and taste, but it didn't. Overall, I really enjoyed it. 

When dessert came along, well, this plate was what I was served.  I couldn't tell you how I would describe any of these pieces. However, our menu listed "brandied cherries, whipped vanilla cream and a chocolate sorbet". I don't know, but I ate everything. This plate was practically licked clean when the server picked it up. 

According to the menu, I learned that Chef Eric Ripert designed this dishes. Obviously, if you hold an event at Le Bernadin, you will receive Le Bernadin quality menus. I think what throws some people off is that Privé is not located in the restaurant (or the private rooms above the restaurant), but across a public corridor pass in a nearby building. I'm to happy to confirm that the menu quality was not sacrificed in this private venue. But you already knew that, didn't you!

Happy Foodie Friday!

~T~