Per Se

Thomas Keller, Californian by birth, began his career as a teenager in his mother’s restaurant in Palm Beach. In 1983 he moved to France where he held various internships in restaurants such as Taillevent, Guy Savoy and Le Pré Catelan. In 1984 he returned to the United States to work at La Reserve and Raphael before opening his own restaurant, Rakel, in 1986. Five years later, in 1991, he moved to Los Angeles to be head chef at Hotel Checkers. Finally, in 1994, he acquired The French Laundry in Yountville, nestled in the heart of the Napa Valley. There he harvested incredible success both with critics and his public alike, receiving endless awards and recognition (many consider him to be the best chef in the United States and one of the best in the world). In 1998 he opened the more casual bistro Bouchon, also in Yountville (and which he later reproduced in Las Vegas), and in 2004, in the Time Warner Center in New York City he opened the sister establishment to The French Laundry, baptized “Per Se”.

Among the many attractions of Per Se are the large dining room designed by Adam Tihany with 15 spaciously arranged tables, an impressive view over Central Park, an almost perfect service presided over by Paolo Novello and, above all, a culinary proposal that leaves one in awe. The key word to understanding Thomas Keller is “finesse”: no detail is left unchecked and his perfectionism and precision are impressive, to say the least. The kitchens, headed by Jonathan Benno, are the largest in New York. Here, in perfect harmony with the Kellerian philosophy, a brigade of 18 extremely well trained professionals offer three tasting menus (all at 210 $) that change daily: the Per Se (7 courses), the Chef’s tasting (9 courses), and the Tasting of vegetables (also 9 courses). The proposals range from some of Keller’s classics, like the “Oysters and pearls” (comprised of Creek Island oysters, a sabayon of tapioca pearls and sevruga caviar), to the Florida stone crab legs with yuzu aioli, the Snake River Farm beef tataki, the chestnut and mascarpone agnolotti with Granny Smith apples prepared with white wine and white truffle from Alba and the incredible filet mignon of Australian beef from the Blackmore Ranch with Yukon Gold potato puree, horn of plenty mushrooms and Bordeaux sauce (75 $ supplement). And that’s not all: marinated sardine with chorizo emulsion and sweet peppers; Hudson Valley foie gras with pear marmalade, curly endive, crystallized pear chips, balsamic glaze and toasted brioche; Nova Scotia lobster with sweet butter, celery puree and black truffle emulsion; melted chocolate tart with yuzu, lemon ice cream, sablé Breton with fleur de sel, caramelized coconut and mint. All the proposals are truly excellent and presented perfectly executed, without even the smallest hint of an error.

The products, mostly American, are very select and the techniques and cooking times are precise to the millimeter – round and delicate flavors, modern cuisine, magnificently well balanced, without pretense, solid classical roots, a non-existent margin of error, sheer elegance… It would not be far off to claim that Keller represents to the United States today what Joël Robuchon was to France in the 80s. An authentic neoclassical master, and an example for all the American chefs in their pursuit of excellence.