Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Spice Market

2009-06-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

By now, many of you have probably read Frank Bruni’s review of Spice Market in the New York Times. Even though I’m glad he enjoyed the restaurant’s ambience and some of its dishes, I’m disappointed by the review. Of course, Bruni offered some insightful comments about his visits, and the feedback is always appreciated. There are few things I dislike more than sloppiness, and I’ve already begun to work on improving every aspect of Spice Market. As with all of my restaurants, I want to offer great dining experiences and continually work to uphold the highest standards of food and service.

I’m sorry that Bruni and his guests didn’t have a better time, but I make no apologies for opening Spice Market or any of my other restaurants. Like each one, Spice Market was conceived of and built as a stand-alone restaurant. In fact, it was a deeply personal project: I spent years cooking in Asia and ate at the fantastic open-air markets every night after work. I simply wanted to share those delicious dishes with fellow New Yorkers. When the Starwood Hotel group approached me about opening Spice Markets in their hotels around the world, I was happy to have the opportunity to share those dishes with diners in other cities.

The food at Spice Market is excellent—and I intend to keep making it better and better. Besides, I can personally attest to the fact that there’s no better place to eat well and have a great time. After all, it’s where Marja and I got married!

Setting the Record Straight

2009-06-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

On Monday afternoon, I began receiving a flood of emails and phone calls: Wow! Cooking for four living presidents? That’s amazing!; How wonderful to cook for Obama! Will Michelle be there too?

I had no idea what my friends were talking about.

It turns out that Crain’s—and subsequently all of the food blogs—reported the following:

Award-winning chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has a big assignment tonight. He is cooking dinner at the United Nations for three past presidents, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as the current commander-in-chief, Barack Obama.
A source says security is so tight that only the famous chef and an assistant are allowed into the kitchen.
What’s on the menu? Halibut, which was flown into the city today.

For the record, I did not cook at the United Nations for President Obama or former presidents George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. It would be an honor to do so and I’d be thrilled to prepare a meal for them anytime or to host them in any of my restaurants.

I did, however, have the privilege of cooking for former president Bill Clinton in the home of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a dinner party that included Mayor Bloomberg. As I understand it, Obama was invited, but couldn’t make it. (I imagine he was busy on Monday and Tuesday following Iran’s elections.) I went only with my corporate executive chef Greg Brainin because we were cooking for a small group.

The halibut was, in fact, flown into New York on Monday morning by my fantastic fish supplier, Ingrid Bengis. At 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, the halibut was line-caught off the coast of Maine. Ingrid picked it up from the fisherman, packed it in seaweed and ice, drove to Boston, hopped on a plane to New York, and took the E train to my restaurant. Thank you, Ingrid.

I wanted to prepare a fantastic meal for Clinton while ensuring that I met his dietary guidelines. We composed a passed appetizer of watermelon and goat cheese, and followed with my “27 vegetables” first course. I got the best vegetables I could find at the Greenmarket, blanched each in color order (fennel, favas, asparagus, artichokes, carrots, etc.), then dressed them all with the flavorful cooking liquid, basil oil, lemon juice, a dozen herbs, and beautiful edible flowers. It’s like eating a garden—delicious!

The unbelievably fresh halibut was served with honshimeiji mushrooms and shallots in a tomato-lemongrass broth and drizzled with mushroom “syrup.” Whole-grain couscous came on the side. For dessert, I composed a red berry soup with all the cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, and topped it with strawberry sorbet.

I still don’t know how that other story was reported, but these are the facts. Bon appetit!

The Bees Are Back In Town

2009-05-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

After spending a few weekends out of town, I had the chance to relax in the country last weekend. We hosted our annual Memorial Day barbecue, cooking whole fish over an open fire for family and friends. Last weekend also marked the return of my honeybees.A little over a year ago, I tasted a delicious honey at a restaurant near my upstate New York home. The restaurant owner referred me to the local beekeeper who made the honey (well, made by the bees, but collected by the apiarist D.J. Haverkamp). When I contacted D.J., he agreed to help me set up my own hives. I’d been wanting an apiary for years and, with the recent demise of millions of honeybees from the mysterious “colony collapse disorder,” it seemed like the right time to do my small part in reviving the population.
Before D.J. arrived with my hive, I read The Queen and I, Edward Weiss’s book about beekeeping, and learned everything I could about bees. It’s a fascinating book; I picked up the basics of beekeeping and developed a passion for it. Last year went quite smoothly, and this year promises to be even better. D.J. has kept bees for years, but I was his first client, a sort of experiment to see whether he enjoys keeping bees for other people. It turns out he does.
This year, he has many more clients in our community, and my own set-up has improved. Last year, my hive was set on the grass; this year, it’s on a sturdy platform. Last year, the top was weighted down with a big rock; this year, hook-and-latch cables secure it. I’m not a huge fan of the new sign affixed to the hive—I prefer the beauty of a simple white box—but I understand the need to have DJ’s number prominently displayed in case of an emergency. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the very beauty of the process. The bees still dart back and forth between the woods and the hive, the frames grow heavy with honey, and the box continually buzzes with an energy that reminds me of a great night in my restaurant kitchen.My queen, identified by the emerald green dot on her back, and her bees have already produced a lot of honey; D.J. anticipates at least ten pounds this season. Because I have a wide variety of plants on my property, the honey develops a very complex sweetness. I can’t wait to taste it again.

Dining Out

2009-05-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

I spend most of my time creating—and tasting—dishes for my restaurants, but I love dining out and seeing what other chefs are doing. For the past two weekends, I’ve had the opportunity to dine in our nation’s capitol. Last weekend, I attended my daughter Louise’s college graduation and I returned this weekend for the commencement ceremony of my wife Marja’s sister. The highlight of both weekends was celebrating these milestones with family, both at the universities and at great Washington, D.C. restaurants. The chef at at Komi, Johnny Monis, is amazing and dinner there was fantastic. For brunch, we sat in the Tabard Inn’s garden and enjoyed a fabulous meal. We also had a wonderful experience at CityZen in the Mandarin Oriental.

Just a few weeks earlier, I dined all over Paris. I spent nearly a week there teaching our chefs at Market our new spring dishes. With the first of the harvest, we worked on seasonal items like our asparagus salad and our prawns with sugar snap peas.

When I wasn’t in the kitchen, I was sampling other restaurants. La Maree Passy proved to be an excellent choice. Because chef Gregory Coutanceau gets his fish from his father, a fishmonger who sources his catch from small boats along the coast from Brittany to Belgium, he treats his impeccably fresh ingredients simply and beautifully. Gillardeau oysters, easily an ounce each, are as shiny as pearls and so delicious they need only a squeeze of lemon juice. These oysters reappeared in what I would consider on of the best appetizers I’ve eaten all year. They’re chopped and layered with a tartare of the belly of white salmon, caught in the Loire River, and their liquor is used to season the dish. A bit of horseradish adds a bright note, and toast and lemon wedges are served alongside. Delicious.

Another appetizer featured langoustines, which retained a firm texture while achieving a sea urchin-like richness. The main courses that followed highlighted the freshness of the ingredients: grilled whole fish (John Dory, turbot, Belgian sole) with citrus butter and a side of mashed potatoes. My favorite dessert looked deceptively simple—a thin waffle topped with whipped cream and fresh raspberries—but was deeply satisfying. Can you believe the size of those berries?

I returned to L’Ami Louis, an old favorite, for their roasted chicken. Nobody in the world does it better.

When I dine out, I’m reminded of what a pleasure it is to be a customer. I hope all of my restaurant guests feel the same way.

The James Beard Awards

2009-05-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last Monday night, I was honored to win the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurant award for Jean Georges. To be nominated, a restaurant has to be in business continuously for at least ten years and staying open for that long is a reward in itself. The other nominees, including Babbo here in New York, are excellent and I was honored to be counted among those guys. In fact, I didn’t expect to win (and didn’t even have a speech prepared).
It’s been ten years since I’ve walked down that red carpet. Despite the stress I felt all night awaiting the results, I was thrilled to go up there with my team. Many thanks again to Phil Suarez for believing in me and investing in the restaurant, my brother Philippe for upholding the highest standards of service since we opened, Greg Brainin and Mark Lapico for ensuring that each dish comes out perfectly, and Johnny Iuzzini for delicious desserts. And thanks to everyone who has been a part of Jean Georges over the past twelve years; I’m grateful for the contributions each person has brought.
Of course, I’m committed to keeping Jean Georges at the top. And now that we’ve been named the best restaurant in America, I’m just going to keep raising our standards higher and higher. I’m still here nearly every day, and ensure our customers feel welcome and satisfied. We’ve been working on our new spring dishes, and I think they may just be our best yet.
On Tuesday night, I shared my thoughts on the restaurant industry on the Fox Business Network, along with Eric Ripert and David Chang. I really believe business is only going to improve; the food and service certainly has. But you can be then judge of that…I look forward to
seeing you at Jean Georges soon!

My Shanghai Chefs

2009-04-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing time in Shanghai last week. I had a chance to visit the fantastic local food markets, host a cooking class, chefs’ dinner, champagne reception, and spring dinner party. As with all of my visits to my restaurants abroad, my primary purpose here is to teach my chefs my newest dishes and that has definitely been the highlight of my time here.
Of course, I’ve taught my chefs at Jean Georges Shanghai before, but this session has been particularly exciting. We recently promoted Lam Ming Kin to chef de cuisine and Louis Ye to pastry chef. They lead a team that is comprised of only Chinese chefs, and I’m thrilled to have local talent bringing my cuisine to this vibrant city.

Both Kin and Louis were on the opening team of Jean Georges Shanghai and worked at my eponymous New York restaurant as well. Kin also cooked at Vong in Hong Kong and spent time training in Paris; Louis has been creating pastries at top restaurants in Shanghai for years and trained in Lyon and Switzerland. They’ve contributed to making our Three on the Bund restaurant one of the best in Shanghai—and China—and I know that they’ll continue to do so.

One of my favorite things about being a chef is mentoring the next generation, and being able to do so around the world. Being a great chef is not restricted by geography, and I’m thrilled to staff my Shanghai restaurant with a hometown team. They execute my dishes perfectly, and understand the local ingredients, the city’s restaurant scene, and, of course, the local cuisine.
As they carry on a long and rich culinary tradition in this city, they’re contributing my global flavors to the cosmopolitan mix.

I’ve always loved Shanghainese cuisine, like the traditional soup dumplings and noodles, but I’ve also admired the international influences in this city. By introducing my dishes, such as bacon-wrapped shrimp with avocado and passion fruit-honey mustard, my chefs help shape the culinary landscape of this great city. It’s been a pleasure leading them and I can’t wait to return and work with them again. Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Avocado and Passion Fruit-Honey Mustard
Serves 4

Passion Fruit Syrup:
1 cup frozen passion fruit puree
½ red bird chile
3 Tbsp. hot mustard powder
3 Tbsp. water
½ tsp. salt

Cumin Honey:
½ cup honey
½ tsp. cumin seeds, toasted

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp with Avocado
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 slices smoked bacon, halved crosswise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. grape seed or other neutral oil
1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
8 cilantro leaves

To make the syrup: Heat the puree and chile in a small saucepan over medium heat, and reduce until very syrupy. Strain through a fine sieve, and let cool to room temperature. Mix together the mustard, water, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. When the passion fruit has cooled, stir it into the mustard mixture until smooth.

To make the honey: Heat honey and cumin in a small saucepan over medium heat, and reduce by half. Strain through a fine sieve, and let cool to room temperature.

To make the shrimp: Wrap each shrimp with a strip of bacon, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Press a few thyme leaves into each side. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in one layer, cooking in batches if necessary, and cook, turning once, until bacon is crisp and shrimp are cooked through.
Divide avocado slices among 4 serving plates, and season lightly with salt. Arrange shrimp on top of avocado, then drizzle equal amounts of the passion fruit syrup and the cumin honey around the plate. Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve immediately.

My Vintage Dinner

2009-03-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

What a night! On Monday evening, I prepared an eight-course feast for the Zagat vintage dinner series. (Here I am with Tim Zagat.)

To create a uniquely personal menu that evoked France’s rich gastronomic history, I traced my culinary lineage. My mentor, chef Louis Outhier, with whom I worked after training with master chefs Paul Haeberlin and Paul Bocuse, was one of chef Fernand Point’s protégés. Many consider Point the father of nouvelle cuisine, and last night’s dishes were inspired by those he served at his temple of haute cuisine, La Pyramide. I was thrilled to be cooking dishes I haven’t done in years, the kind of buttery creations not found in many restaurants nowadays.

Although I’m often in the kitchen developing new dishes and teaching my chefs, I don’t run the dinner service anymore. For this dinner, it had to be me. My chefs are incredibly talented, but they’re young guys who’ve never done this stuff before. Cooking en croute? That belonged to my generation and those who came before me.

We started light, with caviar and crème fraiche over a Meyer lemon gelee. Outhier and I share a passion for caviar, a luxury that Point embraced. Point also loved truffles and foie gras, so I combined the two with a visual trick. Coating a round of foie gras terrine with a port glaze, this black truffle surprise looks like a truffle, but tastes like foie gras. As indulgent as caviar and foie gras was my first-of-the-season asparagus and morels.

Point was renowned for his loup de mer en croute, a whole fish baked in puff pastry, and I recreated it last night with sauce choron, a béarnaise blended with tomatoes.

From there, I moved into the heart of nouvelle cuisine, which is defined by simple, lighter preparations that bring out the full flavors of fresh ingredients. I served lobster a la nage with a champagne sauce, julinenned vegetables, and chervil.

Point’s truffled Bresse chicken firmly established him as culinary genius. I recreated that iconic dish, and paired it with classic creamed spinach.
Perhaps the best part of the night was our caravan of cakes.
My pastry chefs Johhny Iuzzini and

Eric Hubert returned to their classical French training and created tarte tatin, Paris brest praline, savarin au rhum, gateau opera café, charlotte Cecile, pastis noisette, and many, many more, including my favorite, mille feuille aux fruits rouge.

In this tribute to my mentor, I was able to pass on what I learned from Outhier to my chefs,

Mark L’apico, Greg Brainin, my son Cedric, and the rest of the team. Teaching and inspiring the next generation of chefs is the one thing in the kitchen that will never go out of style.

Opening Spice Market and Market in Qatar

2009-03-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

I was in in Doha, Qatar last week, opening both a Market and Spice Market in the city’s new W Hotel. It was thrilling to be in such a different part of the world. Despite its relative proximity to India, Asia, and Europe, it retains its own unique culture.Perhaps most surprising is the popularity of falcons. Throughout the city, guys with falcons perched on their arms (covered with laced metal gloves, of course) stroll casually down the street. Sometimes, there were so many of them, I felt like I was on the movie set of The Birds. It was fascinating to learn about the history of falconry in the Arab world, and just cool to see the birds everywhere.

On my last trip here, two and half years ago, the neighborhood surrounding the W was barren. Now, there are over a dozen high rises lining the street. Doha is growing so fast, it seems like a new building pops up every five minutes.

We’re in one of the many luxury hotels here, but I think we bring something new to the scene. The dining room at Spice Market is just one example of that.Although my dishes are quite modern, I keep the white tablecloth service old-school. Most of my cooks and waitstaff come from India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia, and they offer a very natural, gracious style of service.

Of course, we also try to work with local ingredients as much as possible. At the fish market, I found great shrimp, rock lobster, and hamour, which closely resembles grouper.

To find the best source of meat, I went to few different markets to check out the lamb, goat, and chicken. (We’re using lamb in place of pork in our dishes, and it tastes great in Spice Market’s satay and vindaloo.)
In Qatar’s culinary culture, most restaurants offer many dishes, so we expanded our Spice Market menu to include a section of meze. Training my chefs to do all these new dishes meant I spent most of my time in the kitchen, but I did get out to see Doha’s beautiful Museum of Islamic Art.This was actually a quiet opening of the restaurants. Once we have everything running perfectly, we’ll throw a grand opening in May orJune. That being said, this was a pretty spectacular opening. On Sunday night, someone from the emir’s palace called and asked us to deliver thirty-five dishes from both restaurants. The next night, the emir himself, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, showed up in the dining room. In his long white robes, he was incredibly striking and elegant.

While I was there, four of the five wealthiest Qatarians dined with us as well. From my experience, that segment of our clientele usually requires extra hospitality on our part, but they were also amazingly hospitable, kind, and friendly to me and my staff. It was a joy cooking for them—and everyone else who came to our restaurants—and I can’t wait to return.

Wine Tasting

2009-02-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

I’ve just returned from the Bahamas, where I worked with my chef Frederic Demers at Café Martinique and chef Alex Powel at Dune. Along with my New York chefs Greg Brainin and Eric Hubert, we introduced them to our new spring dishes. On the island, we get the most amazing produce from Maria-Therese Kemp’s Holey Farm and phenomenal grouper, hog snapper, and spiny lobster from Alan, my spear fishing guy. Our new dishes showcase their ingredients beautifully.
This was the first of many trips this season to my restaurants around the world. I’m leaving for Qatar on Monday, where we’re opening both a Market and Spice Market in Doha’s W Hotel. As you can see, my team has already gone ahead of me.
With the change of seasons comes a change of menus, so I’m off to Shanghai after that to teach our new dishes to my chefs there.
Of course, I’ll be in New York between trips. Since my last post about my new $58 Jean Georges menu, I’ve been getting questions about the half-glass wines that I mentioned. Actually, we’ve been offering half glasses of wine since October, but I began thinking about it long before that. I noticed that people getting together at the bar would start with a glass of wine, and then be stuck in the awkward position of wanting to stay a little while longer, but not for another full glass. (Think first dates.) In the dining room, customers wanted to pair different wines with different courses, but didn’t want a full glass with each course. And colleagues who came in for lunch celebrations would want to order champagne, but a full glass is a bit much when you need to return to work. (In these times, it’s more important than ever to celebrate professional achievements.) Perhaps most importantly, I wanted diners who drove to my restaurants to drive home safely.
My beverage director, Bernard Sun, constantly changes the wine lists at all of my New York restaurants to feature the best wines of the times. And he chooses the most interesting and delicious ones for our wines by the glass and half glass. In addition to sourcing unique wines from top producers around the world, he also chooses wines appropriate to the seasons and our changing menus. That’s the real reason I like our half glasses—you can taste a lot of great wines without breaking the bank. (It’s a great deal because these half glasses are half the price of a full glass.)
I stopped by the restaurant between the airport and home this afternoon and saw that Bernie added a delicious 2004 Peter Lehmann shiraz to the wine list. I think I’ll have just a taste. Cheers!

My Select Menu at Jean Georges

2009-02-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

Times are tough, and I think a good meal is a cure-all when things are down. Nothing can lift spirits quite like delicious food, gracious service, and a gorgeous dining room. That’s why I’m introducing a $58 dinner menu at Jean Georges tonight. It’s a four course meal of three of my favorite dishes and your choice of a dessert flight. You can enjoy it Mondays through Thursdays from 5:30 to 6 pm and from 10 to 11 pm. Those are my favorite hours in the dining room, when you can see the sun setting over Central Park and when you can feel the night vibe of the city starting to heat up.
I chose warm, comforting dishes to celebrate the end of winter. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do:

To start, seared gulf shrimp are served on top of a silky pumpkin puree brightened by ginger and basil. A rich risotto follows. We make our version with Nishiki rice, the grain variety traditionally used to brew sake, and season it with an earthy porcini mushroom marmalade and fresh herbs. I give chicken an incredibly crisp “skin” of parmigiano reggiano and serve it over artichokes glazed with a lemon and basil butter sauce.

Our dessert menu changes every week, thanks to my pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini. This is just a sampling of what he’s cooking now, but when you come, you can choose whichever dessert flight you’re craving. Trust me, they’re all good.
And if you’re like me, you’ll want to sample more than one type of wine with dinner without actually drinking too much. In all of my restaurants, you can try “tastes” of our most interesting wines. I’ve started offering half-glasses and found everyone loves this option.
I sometimes think of my $58 chef’s selection menu as “The Obama Special.” No, it’s not a $787 billion stimulus package for the national economy, but it’s my way of bringing some cheer to this depression. Bon appetit!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

I’m in Atlanta right now and I wish my wife Marja was here so that we could celebrate Valentine’s Day together at Market, my restaurant in Buckhead’s W Hotel. Of course, I’ll be thrilled to see her back at home tomorrow, but I’d love to share this experience with her. Atlanta is beautiful and green, even in the winter, and everyone is so nice. Also, my menu at Market reads like a collection of my “greatest hits” from all of my New York restaurants, so my favorite dishes are available in one spot.

In fact, I’m here working with chef de cuisine Ian Winslade on new dishes for the menus both here and at Spice Market in the W Midtown. Spring comes early to the south—strawberries will be ripe in the next few weeks. Since Market’s dishes revolve around local, seasonal ingredients, I want to make sure we’re ready to use the great produce here as soon as it’s available. We also incorporate those ingredients into Spice Market’s dishes, and I’ve enjoyed working with Ian at both restaurants.

When I arrive home tomorrow, I’m going to have to switch gears. It’s definitely still winter in New York. We’re doing a family Valentine’s Day dinner with our daughter Chloe, my son Cedric, and my brother Philippe and his children. (I only wish my daughter Louise could’ve made it up from D.C. too.) I think I’m going to roast a rack of Berkshire pork chops with a maple syrup and soy sauce glaze and pair that with a quince puree. For dessert, I may forgo chocolate in favor of cheesecake. Better yet, maybe I’ll do both. Whatever I cook, I’ll just be happy to share the meal with family.

Marja and I enjoy spending this little holiday at home. Besides, we’re really looking forward to our trip to Egypt the last week of April. Neither of us has ever been and we can’t wait to go. Admiral Travel invited me to be a guest chef on an amazing land and cruise tour. With the other travelers, we’ll get private tours of Queen Nefertari’s tomb, the Karnak Temple, Kom Ombo, and the Temple of Philae.

What I’m most excited about, though, is the final dinner. I’ll be cooking under a Bedouin-style tent on the Giza Plateau, with a spectacular view of the pyramids. Needless to say, this is a first for me. I’m always up for a new cooking adventure, and I can’t imagine a better one. If you’re already planning on going or would like to sign up for this trip, I look forward to seeing you there.

Vong's New (Old) Menu

2009-02-03T18:15:00.000-08:00

Just before the holidays, I was craving Vong’s original dishes–I mean the ones from back when the restaurant first opened, in 1992–so I went to the restaurant and asked the kitchen to prepare them for me. I was overwhelmed by how new and fresh and delicious they tasted! I decided then and there that we had to bring the whole menu back. And even though we were already doing the $24 lunch and $35 four-course dinner, I decided to bring back 1992 prices on the a la carte menu too.

Of course, those dishes also brought back a flood of memories. I opened Vong in 1992, a year after opening JoJo, to fuse my French cuisine with the Thai dishes I came to love while cooking in Asia. (Hence its original proposed name: “Far East.”) Florence Fabricant, the New York Times food writer, was the one who suggested “Vong” instead. (Thanks, Florence.)

To create a space reminiscent of Bangkok’s gilded temples, I installed teak floors, painted the ceiling gold, and covered a wall with a collage of my maps, articles, and souvenirs from Thailand. More recently, we added Eames chairs tinted red, the color of good fortune.

One of my favorite “original” dishes actually debuted in 1993. During our first year, we realized that every table ordered a selection of appetizers, so we put together a tasting plate of our signature starters.

Here’s the order in which I like to eat them:
Start with the Peekytoe crab spring rolls. There’s so much crab in the thin wrapper, this is more like a crab cake. I love the contrast between the hot, crisp roll and the cool lettuce, mint, and cilantro that you wrap it in.

A thin coating of coconut mousse and panko crumbs keeps the shrimp in our crunchy shrimp “satay” super-moist. Our raw tuna and avocado summer rolls are so refreshing, as is the lobster wrapped in a paper-thin sheet of daikon radish. The accompanying rosemary ginger vinaigrette was one of my first fusion experiments, blending French herbs and Asian aromatics. I still love this combination today. The roasted quail, marinated in a sweet soy sauce and five-spice marinade, pairs well with the salad of watercress, sliced red cabbage, and slivers of crunchy fried leeks.

Of the entrees, the shrimp with Thai herbs remains one of my favorites. Be sure to enjoy each bite with the garnish on top and the creamy, spiced sauce below.

My interpretation of Vietnamese pho includes seared steak and a roasted marrow bone, both of which add a deep richness to the aromatic ginger broth. But my favorite dish is still the chicken and coconut soup. It was the first thing I ate when I arrived in Thailand years ago, and I continued to eat it after many long days of cooking. This soup was one of the reasons I decided to open a restaurant like Vong.
The desserts are why I like to linger over a meal here.
When you take a bite of the caramelized pineapple, you first get a hint of fruity tartness, then comes the cooling sweetness of vanilla coconut sorbet. Of course, we have our signature warm chocolate cake here, but we also have a bitter chocolate tart with oranges and candied ginger, which offset the molten chocolate richness perfectly. Finally, one of my favorite desserts is the coconut caramel custard with delicate lime cookies. The custard may look simple, but it’s amazingly silky and flavorful. The best part about returning to our 1992 menu and prices?

Vong’s original chefs will be preparing the dishes. Pierre Schutz, who started cooking for me in 1985 and opened Vong, is still running the kitchen. Eric Hubert, our pastry chef who opened Vong and recently returned, is as great as ever. (He always rolls his puff pastry by hand, something I truly admire.)
With their help, I’m making the old new again at Vong. I hope to see many old and new friends there.

Oh Canada! Opening Market in Vancouver

2009-01-30T20:07:00.000-08:00

I just returned to New York after a week in Vancouver opening my newest restaurant, Market, in the Shangri-La Hotel. I have to say, this was one of the smoothest openings I’ve ever experienced. Any chef can tell you that opening week is hectic, to put it mildly. But this time around, it went remarkably well, thanks to everyone involved. The hotel staff, led by general manager Stephen Darling and food and beverage director Frank Schuetzendorf, were a pleasure to work with, as was PR director Jill Killeen. All of the cooks and servers they hired for Market were simply excellent. And, of course, my Culinary Concepts team pulled the whole restaurant all together.
Our general manager Paul Grunberg and executive chef David Foot are both from Vancouver so they have a great understanding of the city’s culinary strengths but also fully embrace and understand my cuisine and style of service. It’s been a joy working with them on crafting just the right dishes and ambience.
Long before this opening week, Cynthia Penner of Box Interiors designed our gorgeous rooms and Herve Descottes, who’s done fabulous lights for me at so many restaurants, created the stunning lighting.
And my Culinary Concepts team, headed by Daniel Del Vecchio who’s been working with me for decades, did their best work yet. In fact, things went so smoothly, we even had time to go out together. Steve Ivans led this project and Greg Brainin upheld everything to my standards. Justin Bazdarich, John Martinez, and Greg Vernick did an amazing job training chefs in the kitchen, and Denis Bouron and Bruno Valentino did the same for the front of the house.
The bar is spectacular too, thanks to our beverage director Christy Canterbury and lead bartender Justin Tisdall. Jen Burgess and Imre Cupani both wear many hats and took care of just about everything and everyone. On Sunday, the day after opening, I decided to thank my staff by cooking them a family meal. Using some delicious sausage and pork from the Granville Island public market, I made traditional Alsatian choucroute, braising the meat on a bed of sauerkraut. We had a great time savoring it with beer.
Sunday wasn’t entirely a day of rest. We tweaked the menu to perfect it some more and ran through everything yet again. When we finished, someone (who must know how much I love skiing) told me that Cypress Mountain is only twenty minutes from the hotel and has night skiing. I hit the slopes; it was pretty amazing. I couldn’t believe that I got to ski the night after our first day of service. Only in Vancouver…
Opening day just went so well and it only got better as the week went on. Cheers to everyone at Market!

The Chef Is Back in Town

2009-01-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

As I said last week, I'm on a soba diet. (Although I can't say that I've been eating less pizza at Co.—it's just so good.) The reason I've been at Matsugen more is because chef Masa Matsushita is back in town. Of the three Matsushita brothers who founded the Matsugen restaurants, he's the only chef. He normally cooks at their Tokyo restaurant, but he came to New York to open our Matsugen, and now he's back for three months. (His chef de cuisine in New York, Choji Miyano, is fantastic; he's on paternity leave in Tokyo.)

Masa joins his brother Taka, who has settled in New York to run our restaurant. While he's cooking as he would in Tokyo, preparing authentic Japanese cuisine, Masa does so in a way that's uniquely American when he's here.

In Tokyo, soba and sushi aren't commonly served together. Here, we're offering both in a bento box lunch, along with black cod with miso, salad with a creamy carrot dressing, and vanilla caramel pudding for dessert. Also different from Tokyo? The $24 price tag for Restaurant Week (and, in fact, all of 2009).

When I'm craving my other Matsugen favorites, I'll get the $35 bento box. It includes yuba (homemade tofu), salad with a soy dressing, shrimp tempura, sushi, and soba. I love being able to have some of everything in one meal.Masa has also brought with him new dishes, which we're continually introducing. In addition to the crispy shrimp appetizer, this kampachi sashimi is great. It's topped with spicy oroshi and seasoned with ponzu. The subtle heat and crunch of the topping and sauce so perfectly offset the sweetness of the fish.

I realize this sounds like a lot of food, but it feels like the best"diet" possible. Everything at Matsugen tastes so refreshing and yet is so deeply satisfying. And those bento box lunches, as well as our $35 prix fixe dinner, do include a lot of dishes. It's just that true Japanese food has such clean, pure flavors, it leaves me feeling lighter than when I walked in.

2009-01-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

Co. (I call it “company”) opened three weeks ago, and it’s fabulous. Chef Jim Leahy has been baking the bread for my restaurants for years. When he asked me and my business partner Phil Suarez to back his pizza restaurant, of course we agreed. Jim’s brilliant in the kitchen, and we provide the front-of-the-house staff so that he can focus on cooking. Christophe, who opened Jean Georges and Vong with me, trains the staff and organizes the dining room. And whenever Jim wants advice, I’m available.

I love everything on the menu: the meat and cheese plates, the ribollita, the salads, toasts, and pizza. I’m not sure pizza’s the right name for it though. Jim’s dough is so flavorful, so perfectly textured, I think of it as a flatbread with delicious toppings. And the “popeye” is definitely one of my favorite pies.

A little pecorino, gruyere, and buffalo mozzarella are baked halfway onto the dough, then half a pound of fresh spinach is piled on, and wilted onto the crust. It’s amazing. So is the amalfi, with its green olives, anchovies, and chiles. Needless to say, the black truffle special is great too.
I’ve been at Co. every other night since it’s opening and I love having what the menu calls “toast” with a glass of wine. These garlic-rubbed slices of bread are topped with braised pinto beans, roasted red peppers, roasted eggplant, or a smooth chicken liver pate. The chicken liver topping is so creamy and rich, and the flavors so well balanced. Not exactly surprising since Jim’s been perfecting the recipe for the past fifteen years.

Actually, Jim perfects everything, everyday. It’s why Co. is so good (and why I was excited about backing this restaurant). He makes sure each crust is evenly blistered, the amount of cheese just right, the slices cleanly cut. He adjusts his lemon and olive oil dressing to brighten his butter lettuce and roasted butternut squash salad and to balance his escarole and anchovy one. Every meal I’ve had there is so fabulous, so satisfying.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so. Co.’s been pretty crazy since it’s opened. We want to keep it a casual, walk-in place with no reservations, but we’ll gradually extend the hours. It’s just the sort place you want to eat at all the time. I should know. I think I’ve gained about 4 pounds these last few weeks. I need to go back on my soba diet…

Steak, Anyone?

2008-12-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, though it’s still pretty warm here in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’m in town to open my newest restaurant, J&G Steakhouse at the Phoenician Resort. Most assume the letters “J” and “G” represent my initials (and they do), but I like to think of this as the “Juicy and Good Steakhouse.” We’ve worked hard to source the best meat and cook it to perfection. With this restaurant, I’ve decided to expand the steakhouse theme to include a full menu of appetizers, other meat and fish entrees, and lots of vegetable choices. I love a good, old-fashioned steakhouse—Peter Luger is one of my favorite restaurants in New York—but I wanted to offer a more varied menu to diners at the Phoenician.

This is the third restaurant I’ve opened outside of New York this fall. After opening Spice Market in midtown Atlanta, I decided to return to that great city and open a Market restaurant in the Buckhead neighborhood. At Market, we transform seasonal ingredients into modern, global dishes. Right now, I think the glazed short ribs with carrot purée and honshimeji mushrooms is a great, comforting fall-to-winter dish.

This fall, we also opened a Market in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, at the One & Only Palmilla Resort. With the Market concept, I get to play around with the menus to reflect the local ingredients and cuisine. Here, I did a corn ravioli as well as a veal chop with a chipotle chili glaze. And rather than having a traditional bar, I created the Suviche bar, which serves both ceviche and sushi.
I’m taking a little break before opening more restaurants in the new year. I look forward to relaxing with Marja, Chloe, and Cedric, and refueling for a busy year ahead.

My Gift To You This Season

2008-12-10T06:43:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't written in so long, but the past three months have been incredibly busy. I don't need to tell you how crazy this fall has been, but I do want to help make the best of this crisis. Here in New York, you can feel the anxiety in the air. While a good meal isn't going to solve the current problems, it certainly makes you feel better. I sincerely believe that great food lifts your spirits, that a beautiful restaurant serves as an escape.
I've created my restaurants to be places that offer a gracious welcome, that pamper our guests with delicious food and friendly service. And now I want to extend more generosity to my fellow New Yorkers. I'm offering prix-fixe lunch for $24 and prix-fixe dinner for $35 at my restaurants in the city.
The best deal, by far, is at Matsugen. In this mini-omakase dinner menu, you get six courses, including the black cod with miso and the Kamoseiro duck soup with soba noodles. It's a deeply satisfying meal that gives you a true taste of Japan. I also love the bento box lunch because one of the four courses is the goma-dare soba, my favorite dish there.
Starting today, we're going to serve a $35 dinner at Nougatine too. It's a taste of Jean Georges for a fraction of the price. (And you can enjoy the view of the Christmas lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.) We serve our special three-course menu before 6:30 p.m. and after 10:00 p.m., making it the ideal stop before or after a show at Lincoln Center.
Perry St offers their $35 dinner menus during the same hours; JoJo has the same early dinner hours and begins its late-dinner seating at 9:30 p.m. If you go to JoJo on a Sunday, you can enjoy the special prix-fixe all evening. At Vong, the $35 dinner menu is available all the time.
For each of our restaurants, we've chosen the best dishes of the season, then it's up to you to choose an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. (Trust me—it's not easy. At Perry St, would you rather have the slowly cooked cod with aromatic black beans, sake, and ginger or the grilled hanger steak with smoked paprika butternut squash and caramelized Brussels sprouts?
At Mercer Kitchen, would you rather start with the Endive and Frisee Salad with Blue Cheese, Pears, and Pecans or the Chestnut and Celery Root Soup with Pancetta?)
While the restaurants serve the dishes unique to their styles, my signature warm molten chocolate cake is a dessert option on all of the menus. Because, as we all know, nothing can comfort you quite like chocolate.

Lost in Translation

2008-08-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

I was surprised by Adam Platt’s review of Matsugen in New York Magazine. On each of his five visits, he seemed to enjoy the meals he shared with his dining companions. (Yes, we did recognize him each time. He’s quite tall and hard to miss.)

It seems he may have misunderstood the concept behind Matsugen—it’s commitment to pure, authentic Japanese cooking. Even in warming up the 66 space, we adhered to minimalist Japanese restaurant design concepts. Because Matsugen is not like any other restaurant in New York City, it can’t be compared to other restaurants, including those in Koreatown. (I love Korean food and the hotpot dishes in Koreatown, but it’s a whole other cuisine.) It can’t even be categorized with other Japanese restaurants in the city. There are no jalapenos, no California rolls.

In this style of Japanese cooking, which the Matsushita brothers execute exceptionally well, the ingredients shine with clean flavors that come from expert preparations. Our wagyu beef is carefully sliced for cooking in simmering water, shabu shabu-style, at the table so that our diners can enjoy the meat just after it’s cooked. The housemade ponzu dipping sauce brings out the meat’s subtle richness. (It’s definitely not “steak” and shouldn’t be thought of as such.) As with the wagyu, we source (and pay a hefty price for) the very best ingredients, including the sea urchin we get daily from Japan, which has a more complex, funkier flavor than the California sea urchin most other Japanese restaurants serve.

Matsugen’s dishes are not spicy, not aggressively seasoned, and they’re not meant to be. Everything on the menu builds upon the very best of what the Matsushita brothers have served in Japan. I was taken by their cooking when I first ate at their Tokyo restaurant years ago and I still am today here in New York. I trust that other diners will be too.

Matsugen, Going Strong

2008-08-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled with how Matsugen has been so well received. We got a rave review today from Frank Bruni of the New York Times. More importantly, we've been getting rave reviews from our customers.

Perhaps the most satisfying compliments are those from Japanese natives. Expatriates and visitors alike say they feel like they're at home when eating at Matsugen. They love the clean, true flavors of the soba, the claypot rice, the shabu shabu. And if I can make my customers feel like they're at home, then I'm happy.

If you haven't yet had a chance to try Matsugen, the New York Times video will give you a good idea of what it's like. We want to accommodate all of our customers, but if you have trouble reserving a table at the time you want, I have a little secret: Walk in for a seat at the appetizer bar. It's my favorite place to sit and I hope it becomes yours too.

Matsugen Open

2008-06-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

My newest New York City restaurant, Matsugen, is open. I am thrilled to bring truly authentic, refined Japanese dishes to this great city in a warm, chic setting.

We have some of the best sushi and sashimi in the city, but Matsugen is ultimately a soba house. And what soba. These fresh noodles are the best I've ever had. Starting with whole buckwheat grains, we slowly grind them into fine, medium, and coarse flours each morning. Throughout the day, we prepare the doughs and cook the just-cut noodles to order. Here's Marja, my wife, enjoying a bowl of hot soba.

Of course, I love our other Japanese specialties too, like homemade tofu and shabu shabu. Here I am enjoying some tempura at the end of a long night.

All of these dishes come from the Matsushita brothers, who run restaurants in Japan and Hawaii. Masa, Taka, and Yoshi, who grew up in the restaurant business, are true artists in the kitchen. It’s been a pleasure partnering with them.

I’ve overseen the whole opening, from the décor to the kitchen’s pacing, but have left the cooking to Masa and Yoshi (Taka works the front of the house). This hasn’t been easy for me—cooking is my passion—but I wanted pure, clean Japanese flavors, without my French and fusion tendencies. (I’ve already learned so much from them and look forward to incorporating their ingredients and techniques into my own cooking.) The dishes of the Matsushita brothers are simply amazing; here are a few of my favorites.

Tokyo Clam Chowder with Soy Milk: This has neither the creamy richness of New England chowder nor the tomato-tartness of Manhattan’s. Rather, the homemade soy milk soup is nutty and mellow, perfect with the briny fat clams.

Yuba Sashimi: Another eye-opening incarnation of soy beans. Slices of homemade tofu are as smooth and unctuous as a French triple-cream cheese. Each bite should be taken with some seaweed salad, which has a snappy crunch. Maine Lobster Salad, Carrot Dressing: Of course, the chunks of lobster are a luxurious treat, but the dressing makes the salad. It’s nothing like the orange gloop on standard-issue sushi combo salads; it’s a smooth, tart and sweet puree with a pure carrot flavor.
Kurobuta Pork Loin Shabu Shabu: Simplicity reigns. Paper-thin slices of pork (just past rare please) need little more than a dip in ponzu or sesame sauce. Vegetables, cooked until just tender, take on the rich flavor of the pork in the simmering water.
Last, but certainly not least...Inaka Soba with Goma-Dare Sesame Sauce: The best noodles ever. Though all of the accompaniment options are delicious, I prefer the simple sesame sauce and a sprinkling of scallions, shiso, shallots, and ginger. To make the flour for Inaka soba, we grind the grains with their husks. The husks add an earthy, almost chestnut flavor, and satisfying chewiness to the fresh noodles. Here's the grinding machine the Matsuhita brothers shipped from Japan.

The restaurant’s ambience is as warm and inviting as the food. Matsugen is in the Tribeca space that once housed 66. I’ve kept the fish tank (more fish coming soon) and sectioned dining areas. To the lounge, I’ve added a sleek appetizer bar, sunken sushi bar, and cocktail bar.
I love this restaurant and hope you will too. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

In Memoriam

2008-05-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

Chef Paul Haeberlin, my dear friend and mentor, passed away this past Saturday at the age of 84. He took the helm at his family’s restaurant after the second World War, renamed it Auberge de l’Ill, and transformed it into a dining destination that has held three Michelin stars for over forty years. A true artist in the kitchen, Chef Haeberlin changed my life with his cooking, teaching, and commitment to both.

Knowing my passion for food, my parents took me to my first haute cuisine dinner at Auberge de l’Ill for my sixteenth birthday. That meal confirmed my calling to become a chef. I had never tasted flavors so refined or experienced a meal so perfect. I wanted to be the chef who created that most luxurious dish – a whole Périgord truffle wrapped in foie gras and buttery pastry.

So, I did the next best thing and began an apprenticeship under Chef Haeberlin. Every day, he taught me the importance of choosing the best ingredients, bringing out the best in their natural flavors, and presenting them beautifully. Chef Haeberlin had developed strong friendships with local hunters and they returned his loyalty by bringing him their first and finest catches. Throughout the hunting season, we got a steady supply of plump pheasants, partridges, woodcocks, and quail. As a junior apprentice, I was assigned the tedious task of plucking them. For up to sixteen hours a day, I would inhale their pungent (to put it mildly) smell while yanking off their feathers and throwing them into giant bags at my feet.

Anyone who has ever plucked a bird, still warm from the hunt, knows just how hard it is to pull the feathers cleanly from the skin. I wasn’t allowed to wet the birds first, which causes the feathers to release more easily, because Chef Haeberlin wanted the skins dry to enhance their texture and flavor. To remove any remaining bits of fuzz, I had to carefully flambé the skin to keep it whole and further dry it. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but by the end I came to understand the value of the technique. Any frustrations I had with the process disappeared with a bite of his exquisitely-prepared pheasant; it was clear that each step had made a huge difference in the final dish. Hunting is no longer permitted in the region, and game birds are now plucked by giant machines, but I’ve not forgotten the value in personally sourcing and meticulously preparing the best ingredients, no matter how laborious the process.

That was just one of many cooking lessons, but the daily life lesson Chef Haeberlin taugh me was the importance of family, including the restaurant staff. His brother ran the front of the house in my time, and now his daughter does, with his son heading the kitchen. But he considered all of the restaurant staff as family. He treated us with warmth and respect, encouraging us in our careers and leading by example, focused on the stove and not the publicity that his Michelin stars generated.

This past September, I was privileged to be at a Michelin party given in his honor. To celebrate his more than four decades as a three-star chef, all of his former apprentices gathered to toast him at Auberge de l’Ill. Scanning the room of stellar chefs, I realized that he had shaped generations of us and altered the way the world enjoys food from his quiet corner of France.

I certainly wasn’t the only one whose life he changed, but it’s no exaggeration to say that I simply wouldn’t be who I am and where I am without my great mentor and friend.

In Pursuit of the Work-Life Balance

2008-05-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

What does it take to devote quality time to work and family? In my case, a lot of energy and well-planned flight itineraries. Thankfully, I have both.

Last Friday, I left for Dubai to look at potential new projects. Already well-established as a buzzing metropolis, Dubai continues to grow its luxury market. That's where I come in. Given the city's appeal, I may open even more than one spot.

After two days there, I flew to Istanbul for my newest restaurant's official grand opening. Spice Market already has been extremely well-received, but last night, we welcomed the whole town. The city closed off the street in front of the hotel and issued a big opening night announcement. Nearly 800 people, from Turkish dignataries to Starwood executives, descended upon the restaurant and celebrated with rounds of cocktails and appetizers. Chef Hakki and the New York-based team, chefs Justin, Joey, and Lia, did an amazing job turning out a parade of dishes.

The party didn't start until 9:30 in the evening, but I still got on the first flight back to New York the next morning. I wanted to come home and kiss Marja and Chloe hello and good-bye. I left for Las Vegas this morning to participate in Bon Appetit's Vegas Uncork'd event.

I can't believe it's been ten years since I opened Prime Steakhouse at the Bellagio, and I'm thrilled that it's the hotel's most successful restaurant. I feel privileged to be a part of Vegas's high-end dining revolution and to be honored for it at the Saturday night gala. To mark this milestone, I'm going to introduce a new dish at the dinner--charred steak with miso-mustard butter and a foie gras wonton. As soon as my course is served, I'm going to race to the airport and catch the red-eye home. I'll arrive just in time for Mother's Day.

Maybe I'll make Marja a steak dinner too. During our last weekend home, we had some great grass-fed rib-eyes from Four Story Hill Farm, where they naturally age their beef for 28 days. I stuffed my fireplace with sticks and branches and built a roaring fire. (It felt like medieval cooking.) Once the huge flames dwindled into embers, I cooked the steaks in my fireplace grill box. Caramelized on the bone, the juicy steaks needed nothing more than a sprinkle of fleur de sel.

Maybe I won't even be the one doing the cooking this Sunday. Three of Marja's cousins are visiting from Korea and one of them is an amazing cook. I'm sure they've been having fun together while I've been gone. I'm looking forward to joining them, and learning a thing or two about Korean cooking. In the meantime, I'll try to squeeze in some shopping while in Vegas. Being a last-minute sort of guy, I still need to get something for Marja and for my mother in Alsace.

A very happy mother's day to all the moms out there.

Home Cooking

2008-05-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the spring recipe I was telling you about. It'sthe sort of one-dish meal I love preparing on weekends. Though far easier than my restaurant creations, it's just as delicious. I start with a bed of shaved fennel in my roasting pan, the one I use for Thanksgiving turkey, and lay a whole black bass on top. I then blanket the fish with lemon slices, cherry tomatoes, and parsley. After half an hour in the oven, dinner's ready.

Of course, I employ a few tricks that make this sounds-too-simple-to-be-great recipe really amazing. The first is obvious: use the freshest ingredients you can find. Go fishing and catch a bass. If you can't do that, go to a reliable fishmonger. Whether at a farmers' market or neighborhood grocery, choose fennel bulbs that are firm and smell strongly of licorice, cherry tomatoes that look like they're ready to burst through their taut skins, Meyer lemons that are heavy for their size and emanate a heady citrus perfume. To make prep a breeze, use a mandoline or a Japanese-style hand-held slicer. Unless you're a chef with impeccable knife skills, you can't get paper-thin slices of fennel and lemon otherwise.

Throw in a few secret ingredients. I sprinkle fennel seeds over the fresh fennel slivers for a layer of anise-scented complexity. A glass of really good dry white wine poured into the pan mingles with all of the natural juices to become an amazing sauce. The key to roasting a whole fish and keeping it moist is making sure the flesh is cooked through, but not overcooked. The best test is poking the fish with a paring knife; the blade should slip easilythrough the flesh. When the tip of the blade hits the bone, pull it out and feel it—it should be warm to the touch. Take the pan out ofthe oven and set it aside for 20 minutes. Whenever you're cooking fish on the bone, let it rest so that the juices disperse evenly through the flesh. That's all it takes for a really good fish dish. You can serve it on its own, but I ate mine with steamed white rice and caramelized artichokes with ramps and spring garlic.

The simplicity of this fish recipe is quite different from the complexity of some of my restaurant dishes, like the vanilla-rhubarb "noodles" Johnny Iuzzini makes for his spring rhubarb tasting menu.

The concentration of pure rhubarb juice in slick pink strands is really delicious, but this dessert is impossible to recreate unless you have this machine at home.

For another pure taste of spring, just try this recipe:

Roasted Whole Sea Bass With Fennel, Meyer Lemons, and Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4 to 6

Any fish on the bone works here; whole red snapper and salmon steaks are good choices.

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, cored and shaved into paper-thin slices

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 whole black sea bass (about 4 pounds), gutted and scaled

2 Meyer or regular lemons, sliced paper-thin

1 box (1 pint) cherry tomatoes

A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 glass dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Coat the bottom of a large roasting pan with the oil. Arrange the fennel in an even layer that covers the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the fennel seeds, salt, and pepper over the fennel, and place the fish on top. Cover the fish with the lemon slices, tomatoes, and parsley. Pour the wine around the fish, and season everything with salt and pepper.

Roast until a knife pierces through the flesh with no resistance,about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let rest for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Open in Istanbul

2008-04-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

We're open for service in Istanbul! Our newest Spice Market, in the W Hotel here, reflects the eclectic mix of modern and ancient in this beautiful city.

I was so excited when we first signed on for this project and am thrilled that it's completed. The grand opening went well despite a host of challenges. (Opening Spice Market in Atlanta a few weeks ago was a breeze compared to this.)
Aside from the language barrier, it was difficult to track down ingredients.
It's ironic because Istanbul has so many amazing "spice markets," filled with aromatic produce. The markets just don't carry many of the Asian ingredients used in my dishes.

My Istanbul chefs Lia and Hakki (pictured here) and Justin and Joey and I have enjoyed experimenting with native spices and herbs to come up with substitutes for the galangal and young coconut in our signature dishes. This minor hurdle, among others, was easily overcome by our Culinary Concepts team.

They are led by Daniel Del Vecchio, my VP of Operations and photographer extraordinaire, as you can see from the photos posted here. Having worked with me for years, he knows what I expect and ensures that my Spice Market restaurants uphold my standards in food, service, and decor.

While I strive to maintain the same high quality in my restaurants around the world, I want each to be distinct and to reflect the local surroundings. Anytime I cook in a different country, I strive first to understand the local cuisine through street markets and neighborhood restaurants. Soaking up the flavors around me and incorporating them into my dishes has transformed my understanding of food and cooking.

Istanbul has certainly done that, as has Paris, where I'm now teaching my chefs spring and early summer dishes.

When I get home, I'll pass along the spring recipe I promised last week.

A Taste of Spring

2008-04-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

It finally feels like spring in New York City, and we've rolled out new spring menus at all of our restaurants worldwide. Here are some of my favorite dishes this season:

Egg Toast, Caviar, Dill: I arrange two soft-cooked egg yolks between thin brioche toasts and top each sandwich with caviar and dill. The brioche slices stay crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside,as toast should, and the yolks are cooked just past the runny stage.The soft orange yolks are incredibly creamy and are the perfect match for caviar.

Best with Sato no Homare Sake

Japanese Red Snapper Sashimi, Muscat Gelee, Herb-Buttermilk Emulsion: The clean flavors here come fast and go fast. After an initial sharp tang, a mellow sweetness quickly follows. The combination of fresh fish, silken gelee, and crunchy fleur de sel is so good, I could eat this dish all night and not get tired of it.

Best with 2006 AOC Saint Joseph Domaine Courbis

Spring Pea Soup, Parmesan Foam, Rye Croutons: Poured tableside into a cup of parmesan foam, the bright green soup disappears into the white froth but reappears in each surprising spoonful that fills your mouth with the taste of spring peas, more savory than sweet. We've managed to keep the croutons crispy until you've finished the last drop of this springtime soup.

Best with 2006 Fritz Haag Riesling

Coach Farms Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Artichokes, Crispy Herbs: I top soft and creamy rounds of gnocchi with a fan of artichokes and crisp sprigs of aromatic herbs. Though the goat cheese gives the gnocchi a tangy richness, the whole dish feels incredibly light.

Best with 2006 Kellerts Gray Ghost Seyval Blanc

Warm Asparagus, Morel Cream Sauce: This is one of my classic dishes, where I serve perfectly cooked asparagus with morels simmered with aged yellow wine and cream. When the server uncovers the sauce dish at the table, it releases a luxurious, heady mushroom aroma that stays with you until you polish off the plate.

Best with 2005 Naia Naiades

Poached Lobster, Ramp Ravioli, Crisped Pancetta, Bacon and Reisling Vinaigrette: Here, the flavor and texture of a perfectly cooked sea-sweet lobster tail (which would taste great on its own) is enhanced by the pleasant sourness of the vinaigrette, the fresh earthiness of the ramp ravioli, and the salty, paper-thin slice of crisped pancetta.
Best with 2006 Clonakilla Ballinderry Canberra District

Lamb Loin Chop, Minted Panko Crumbs, Spring Pea Puree, Snap Peas, Roasted Almonds:

I C-Vap the lamb (see previous post) to achieve a buttery texture and to make the meat perfectly medium-rare throughout. The lamb takes on a subtle sweetness that's unlike the gaminess you typically associate with this type of dish. The panko, peas, and almonds add a fresh, sweet crunch to the tender meat.

Best with 2006 Three Creek Syrah

Desserts to come. Johnny Iuzzini, my pastry chef, is working on the rhubarb tasting menu. As a preview, here's some rhubarb pickling with star anise and a rhubarb meringue. The desserts should be ready this week or next.

I hope you can make it to one of my restaurants this spring and enjoy a dish or two. If not, I'll post a recipe soon with one of my home-cooked spring meals. Just as delicious as the dishes above, but easier to prepare.

I'm in Istanbul for a new Spice Market opening. More on that after the first day of service.