Meeting the Master

Just reading Chef Ripert's new book, On The Line, and I'm really surprised by how thought out and personal it feels. He writes about life in the Le Bernardin kitchen, and how his philosophy is to maintain a calm and temperate kitchen, which reminds me of Masa's where Chef Greg used to do the same. I've been in many kitchens where it's a tough girl's world, and really, I'm not tuff enuff to live a long life on those lines.

If you were following my tweets from last evening, you probably know that I was slightly disappointed with the food at Aqua. It wasn't that it was bad, it was good, but just because I've been to Le Bernardin 3 times, and the standards were just consistently up there all those times, I had set my expectations accordingly. Daryl reminded me that I shouldn't be surprised since making a Chef cook out of a kitchen that isn't his own is like taking a fish out of water, and I'm obviously quite familiar with that concept myself. Every year when I do that Christmas party in Singapore, I'm never in top form, although everyone says the food is good.

There were the one or two dishes last night that were unquestionable "Le Bernardin" though. The Salmon was slow roasted and served with an oxtail & morrell sauce which more than caused an awkward silence at the table since it was kind of a familiar flavor to ALL the guests at the table (if you don't know where this is coming from you obviously haven't been reading my blog), and the Escolar - oh yum. I just read that one of his Sous Chef's Soa Davies created the dish, and she's a true wonder. I also found out that they call it "white tune" at the Le Bernardin Kitchen, and it does kind of taste like Albacore, except maybe it would be much more appropriate to call it "super white tuna". "Butterfish" might even be a euphemism. The Escolar was oil poached (you can't even dry out a fish this way), and a good portion served with beurre rouge (if you had watched last season's Top Chef you know he called it Red Wine Bernaise, but Carla still got it right as a beurre rouge). The technique & compostion of those two last savory courses were unmistakable.

More than the food though, I really enjoyed the company, and I'm learning that these days it's almost less about the food and more about the friends when we're dining. Although I'm still very fussy about the food, enjoying it with good company is on the same standards as fine wine as an accompaniment (btw, we ended up with the Shea Pinot). Perhaps as I'm becoming older (normally i hate that word), I've learned that there's more to what matters than perfection ;)

I also had my moment with Chef Ripert, where, as he was signing my copy of the cookbook, I mentioned that I had been to Le Bernardin 3 times, and the first time, I was 18. To which he replied, 'oh, yesterday... I wasn't there yesterday'.

I know a lot of people would have crossed oceans to meet him, and so, his banter makes it to my "top moments" list.

Will definitely be returning to LB when we're next in NYC.

* So, tip from yesterday's dinner about slow cooking the salmon. Instead of roasting it belly up, cut it into about inch thick fillets, and then roast the fillets it on their side so that the cooking surface is of even thickness. This way, the thinner side of the belly doesn't get dried out before the rest of it finishes up. Genius!