posted on April 10, 2011 03:29
Eric Ripert renowned for his seafood dishes.His flagship restaurant, Le Bernardin, located in New York City, is ranked among the best restaurants in the world, and holds the maximum rating of four stars from the New York Times and three Michelin stars. At his restaurant fish is the star of the show at Le Bernardin but only when you eat there do you fully realise the high regard chef Eric Ripert holds for our underwater friends. The menu is a who's who of the sea, with red snapper, monkfish, fluke, turbot, salmon, king fish, halibut, lobster, bass, skate and kampachi in forms including 'almost raw, 'barely touched' and 'lightly cooked'.
First-timers might seem surprised by the modern teak-toned room with sporty marine-themed canvases more reminiscent of a luxury ocean liner (complete with bustling promenade) than serene setting. Tasting menus start at $140 and jump to a steep $330 with wine pairings. Dinner might begin with, among other refinements, “barely touched” warm lobster carpaccio, heart of palm and orange vinaigrette.
Eric learned to cook at a young age from his grandmother. When he was young, his family moved to Andorra, where he was raised. He later returned to France and attended culinary school in Perpignan. At the age of 17 in 1982 he moved to Paris where he worked for two years at La Tour d'Argent, a famous restaurant more than 400 years old. Ripert next worked at Jamin under Joël Robuchon and was soon promoted to Assistant Chef de Partie.
In 1985 Ripert left to fulfil his military service, after which he returned to Jamin as Chef Poissonier. In 1989, Ripert moved to the United States and was hired as a sous chef in the Watergate Hotel's Jean Louis Palladin restaurant. He stayed for two years before moving to New York City in 1991 to work for David Bouley. He stayed just under a year so he didn't break contract by being pursued by Gilbert Le Coze at Le Bernardin. In 1994, Ripert became Le Bernardin's executive chef after Gilbert Le Coze died unexpectedly of a heart attack. The following year, at the age of 29, Ripert earned a four-star rating from the New York Times, and in 1996 he became a part-owner.
In the Michelin Guide NYC 2006, Ripert's Le Bernardin was one of four New York City restaurants to be awarded the maximum 3 Michelin stars for excellence in cuisine. Le Bernadin received four stars from the New York Times four consecutive times, making it the only restaurant to maintain that exquisite status for that length of time and never dropping a star in ten years. Le Bernadin is often referred to as the Temple of Seafood. Ripert chairs the City Harvest’s Food Council, and is president of the Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation. He has been a guest chef at the French Embassies in Mexico and Venezuela and for the New York City Ballet.
Contact Details
Address: 787 Seventh Av, New York, NY 10019, United States
Telephone: +1 212 554 1515
Web Site: www.le-bernardin.com
Menu: Tasting Menu
Prices: 7 course just under $200
Dish of the year: The Chef
Review: Kungfoodpanda.com
Recommended Dishes: Fluke seviche; sea urchin; whole red snapper baked in a rosemary-and-thyme crust; wild striped bass in bouillabaisse broth