Dined 10/23 at TFL. First experience (have been to Per Se in the past) and with the exception of the classic oysters and pearls, the meal was overall very mediocre. Felt that while most everything was perfectly executed (technique wise), many of the dishes were over seasoned. Desserts however were on point, with the exception of the tarte tatin (not sure what they were trying to prove deconstructing it)
by Usual_Kangaroo_9538
24 Comments
That first picture with the sesame cone is giving me severe Spago flashbacks, which I just experienced for the first time a few years ago and also found to be extremely mediocre and almost insultingly dated
How was your assessment of Per Se? I feel like both have been left behind by where fine dining is now in terms of food. Everything is done excellently, but the food is a bit boring and dated.
Looks about the same when I went years ago. Some of the dishes are plated worse than what I see from the best home cooks on Reddit.
the plating in photos 6, 9, 10 look absolutely atrocious
What did it cost? Just based on the pictures I wouldn’t be too excited to drop $500/person on that.
I understand that they’re more about immaculate technical execution than keeping up with the times, but still. Picture 10 looks like culinary school plating.
Certainly a bucket list restaurant and I’ll go whenever I get the chance, too.
We ate there 5 years or so ago and it was very underwhelming. We also ate at the Restaurant at Meadowood and it was much, much better (probably one of the best meals I’ve had in my life).
Idk why everything looks good except picture 4 to me, how was that
Photo 6 💀
If you were to recommend a Keller restaurant to someone who has not been: TFL or Per Se?
This looks so boring.
TFL lost their chef recently. I imagine it’s going to take a while to sort some of it out.
Why is their plating so damn lazy?
Not my tempo
Recently went and was so underwhelmed that I may be done with fine dining. Felt like I wasted $1600. The lobster dish I had was slightly different and the sauce was inedible.
So glad to read your commentary before commenting, because I was going to say: this doesn’t look too good…
Recognizable classics aside, this vs what I built TFL up to be in my mind, couldn’t be less impressed.
Wow 9 and 10 look very sloppy. If a Michelin inspector we’re given that plate I would think they would revoke the 3rd star, assuming no bias
Dated.
was this lunch?
What’s the story with the farm aspect, yeah the photos don’t look great, but I’d be more curious to learn what ingredients were grown and prepared onsite.
Pic 10 is a travesty. This just cements my opinion that TFL is riding the coattails of its past :/
Can you go to detail Instead of just saying , mediocreit just makes me want to ignore your opinion.
OP did you move a couple of elements around or start eating before taking the picture?
Lobster dish seems like it has a barrier that was supposed to hold the sauce but it didn’t hold or you moved things around. Lobster positioning seems very odd too.
Photos are as if you’re deliberately trying to make things worse as well.
With all that said, this still looks well below some examples posted by others in the past 6 months which still looked old school but very well executed. Assuming that’s how the lobster dish went out, the plating is awful and the brussels look destroyed.
Plating of the beef dish also horrible and the sauce looks gluggy and over-reduced. Should be textured, glossy but not like a jelly.
I don’t think you did any favors in terms of making the food look good here, but regardless this doesn’t look 3 star level. Really quite bad.
Only 3 plates on your oysters and pearls…IYKYK
What goes up must come down.
Never seen caviar that pooplike before.