A $1,000 Dinner in New York (Per Se Evolution Menu) Part2
While browsing the non-alcoholic menu, I noticed a cocktail containing truffle and ordered it out of curiosity. I was honestly surprised by how intense the truffle aroma actually was.
This was the view overlooking Central Park.
I think the food coma was already starting to kick in at this point.
Course 9 — Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras
The foie gras course that closed out the first half of the meal.
Course 10 — Bread and Butter
They also served brioche alongside it.
The texture of the bread was unbelievably soft.
Wrapping the foie gras, bing cherry, buckwheat tea jelly, crème fraîche, and butter together inside the brioche was pure happiness.
I can confidently say it was the best foie gras I’ve ever had.
I really love Per Se’s approach of taking a classic foundation and layering one or two modern ideas on top of it.
Course 11 — Stonington Maine Sea Scallop
Lightly cooked scallop from Stonington covered with a delicate black squid ink tuile, served over braised leeks and saffron emulsion.
The dish was entirely built around the sweetness of the scallop, but the way they controlled and released that sweetness throughout the bite was fascinating.
Course 12 — Duck “Tamale de Carnitas”
This course felt particularly unusual because it borrowed from Mexican cuisine.
Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made by steaming corn dough wrapped in corn husks, while carnitas are slow-cooked pulled pork.
Seeing a French kitchen interpret a Mexican concept felt unexpected, but considering Chef Thomas Keller’s background, it somehow made sense for the Evolution menu.
I appreciated being able to experience dishes from parts of his career that are not as widely discussed.
Course 13 — Peas & Carrots
Spring pea caramelle — small candy-shaped ravioli — sat in the center, surrounded by thin carrot ribbons and young pea leaves over a preserved lemon butter sauce.
The level of detail in handling spring vegetables was something I would normally expect from Eleven Madison Park.
Since Per Se also serves vegan menus, it was interesting to see how seriously they approached vegetable-focused dishes as well.
Course 14 — Poached Griggstown Farm Poussin
This was probably the course where Per Se’s Japanese sensibility became most obvious.
The chicken was sliced so thinly that the grain of the meat was still visible, and the texture was almost sashimi-like.
Underneath it, the Koshihikari rice croquette carried the natural sweetness of Japanese rice, creating a beautiful harmony between the softness of the chicken and the sticky texture of the rice.
Before the next course, they allowed us to choose our knives.
I assumed the main course was finally coming.
Course 15 — Ossobuco
A piece of ossobuco placed in the center, topped with crispy fried sweetbread.
It’s an extremely difficult dish to execute properly, but the texture was flawless.
Course 16 — The Farm at Doe Run “Seven Sisters”
The cheese course.
To be honest, this was slightly disappointing.
Maybe the main course had simply set the bar too high, but objectively speaking, it almost felt like eating fried calamari dipped in creamy cheese sauce. It was too soft and gentle to properly follow the previous courses.
This next dish was incredibly refreshing. The acidity of rhubarb came through clearly inside the chocolate.
It felt like the beginning of the dessert section, although I don’t think it was officially listed on the menu.
Courses 17–20 — Desserts
Very fitting for New York, where time is money — all the desserts arrived at once.
While we were eating dessert, they brought out one extra bonbon.
It’s actually my favorite dessert at Per Se.
Inside the chocolate shell there’s usually apple purée or another filling depending on the concept, and I always find it incredibly fun.
After finishing dessert, the final check came out.
Including tax, the total was $1,023.44.
I had already prepaid around $930 before arriving, so at the restaurant I only needed to pay for tax and the cocktail I ordered.
Maybe because I was dining alone, they guided me out through a kitchen tour on the way out.
One interesting thing was that Per Se seemed to be communicating live with The French Laundry — Thomas Keller’s other three-star restaurant — constantly updating each other on restaurant operations in real time.
(Manhattan after the meal)
Before leaving, they also packed a few small snacks and a copy of the menu so I wouldn’t leave empty-handed.
(Menu from that evening)
Since I love the bonbons so much, I asked if I could get one extra box, and they happily gave me one.
They honestly make the perfect study snack.
Anyway, that was my review of the Per Se Evolution menu as a student living in New York.
