The Wonders of Per Se

The Wonders of Per Se

In July 2011, my husband and I married, and received a generous $800 gift certificate to the famed Per Se as a joint wedding gift from our families. We were beyond thrilled. Per Se is one of only seven NYC restaurants to currently hold a 3-star Michelin rating – the highest rating indicating “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”. Only 93 restaurants in the world were awarded the 3-star Michelin rating in 2012, so we were assured that this would be a once in a lifetime experience.

Despite the fiscal advantage of having an $800 gift card in hand, however, we quickly realized that securing reservations would be no easy feat! The restaurant only books up to 2 months in advance, so we found ourselves having to call at exactly 10AM, and exactly 2 months before our preferred dining date. After countless busy signals, a receptionist would finally answer our call only to tell us that they were all booked for the specific weekend we wanted, so we’d have to call again next week to try for the following weekend. It would be months before we successfully secured a reservation, 2 months in advance. While slightly annoyed, I admit it also heightened my sense of excitement with the whole “supply and demand” perception. And as my 8-week waiting period went on, my expectations continued to increase as I pondered not just on how “in demand” this restaurant was, but also on how people could stomach an $800 bill and STILL give it rave reviews. Did these patrons have millions of dollars to drop that a sheer burger would have been fine to them? This was slated to either be the best dining experience of my life, or the most uncomfortable. (I imagined being surrounded by “stuffy” executives who would judge me for using the wrong fork.)
For background, I was born and raised in a lower-income, inner city housing project of NYC where crime and poverty prevailed. So while I have been fortunate enough to experience some of the best foods that NYC has to offer, many have been at the mere tune of a $5 dish. (i.e. the best Vietnamese pho soup in Chinatown.) In other words, I am not compelled by the image of class and actually find that many of the pricey restaurants leverage amazing views, over-the-top decor, and impeccable service to make up for what they lack in the flavor and quality of food.

So when I arrived at the address, I was immediately thrown by the oddity of its location. This critically acclaimed, once-in-a-lifetime culinary journey – all 14 courses of it- that I was about to embark on, was located in the Shops of Columbus Circle at the Time Warner Building of NYC. Of all places, a mall!! I couldn’t get over the casual café on the main floor, and the bustling/annoying sounds of loud shoppers throughout. Yes, the restaurant is on the top floor, but by “top”, I mean the mere 4^th floor- hardly noteworthy by NYC standards. So I certainly had a difficult time reconciling the acclaimed caliber of this notoriously expensive restaurant with such an unassuming location. The peppering of high-end shops  (i.e. Coach, Aveda, Cole Haan, Eileen Fisher, Godiva, and Jcrew) did little to convince me that this would be an amazing dinner. I admittedly became skeptical about the validity of its Michelin rating.

            But as I arrived via escalator to the top floor of the mall, I realized that I had transcended to a place beyond stores, beyond shoppers, beyond the noise. I had arrived at the Per Se entrance and I was thoroughly excited.

Contrary to what one might expect, Per Se was not obnoxiously luxurious or stuffy. There were no gold-plated fountains or giant crystal chandeliers hanging throughout. Instead, it was classy simplicity, going with the “less is more” approach. A unique positioning of its split-level flooring ensured that every seat in the house has a window view.

The service was excellent. Servers were friendly, engaging and casual- not overbearing, but perfectly in tune with the appropriate level of interaction and timeliness. They all seemed to know that this would be a rare experience to most guests, so they did all that they could to accommodate and let us take it all in to make our culinary journey an enjoyable one.

The 9-course tasting menu (which actually comes with additional courses not listed) is priced at $295 a person (tax and gratuity are included.) On the left side of the menu is a Vegetarian option, on the right side of the menu is the standard offering with steak, seafood, fois gras, etc. The guest merely picks a menu side “Vegetarian or Standard” and the journey begins, with beautifully artistic and amazing creations brought out, one course at a time. Because I knew we had a $200 cushion on the gift card, I opted to upgrade to the 100-day dry aged Wagyu Beef for a “supplemental $100”. I nearly laughed out loud when my little 4oz piece of steak came out, but when I placed a slice in my mouth, I swear, it was worth every incremental penny. The beef literally melted on my palette and the steak-lover that I am conceded that it was the best cut of steak I had ever tasted in my life.

Per Se is also happy to substitute if any of their offerings are a little too risqué for a diner. So I asked for an exception to the caviar-topped fois gras, and so I agreed to let them surprise me with a substitution. What they brought out was a complete delight: they hollowed-out an eggshell, cut off the top with a perfectly straight laser cut line (as if it’s a cup now- I don’t know how they didn’t crack the entire shell!), filled it with some warm custard, with a drizzle of truffle sauce, then inserted some very fine potato chip into the top opening that would be used as an edible spoon to eat the custard. This was now the best thing I had ever had on my palette.

I arrogantly and playfully boasted my special surprise course to my husband, who was equally excited to try his course: the very fois gras course that I had rejected. (At first glance, it looked to me like a circular pate of spam with black caviar delicately draped on top.) I had no interest in trying either of these delicacies, but at his urging and his incessant raving, I gave in, and agreed to take a bite of his dish. Much to my surprise and against my prideful nature, I had to admit that THIS was now the new favorite of the night. (As you can see, there’s a theme here: everything I taste, becomes my new favorite!)

My description on paper does not do it justice, but if I can express anything, it is that I have learned through this dining experience that more is not better, and that food is indeed an art form. Every tiny bite explodes with such robust flavors, that it defies logic and science. Subsequently, it is with rave reviews that I encourage people to experience the wonders of Per Se.

I am embarrassed and sorry for pre-judging the restaurant based on its location, and for doubting Michelin and the 324 Google Reviewers to date who have basically given it top honors. And while I will likely never get the opportunity to return, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that was worth every penny of my final $821 bill.


Helen Le is a marketer by day, and a food connoisseur by night. A native New Yorker, and a melting pot in her own right, (she is Vietnamese, Puerto Rican, and Jewish), she holds a unique appreciation and standard for the definition of “good food”. Since 2010, she’s embarked upon a personal journey to test the credibility of the most highly touted restaurants of NYC. Spanning a wide array of cultural and price-point spectrums, (whether it be the best $4 Pho Soups in Chinatown, or an extravagant $450 sushi plate at Masa), her goal is simple: to experience as many restaurants in NYC that her budget will allow in a year, with no repeat trips. The next restaurants on her list to visit are Jean-Georges and Dark Dining at Camaje.