Excellent customer service at my first Jean George restaurant! As the inner doors into the Trump building slid open and we stepped inside, we were greeted by surprisingly pleasant receptionists who kindly pointed us in the direction of Nougatine and asked if we wanted our coats checked. The restaurant was well lit by the natural light outside, and we sat down in preparation for our Restaurant Week $24.07 lunch. I was instantly amused by the tiny bottles of honey, maple syrup, ketchup, and tabasco sauce in the center of the table.
Nougatine’s prix fixe lunch menu worked a little differently than other restaurants’ did. (And apparently it’s available year round from Monday to Saturday!) You get your choice of two plates and a dessert, and those two plates can be any combination of appetizers and entrees. The greedy person that I am, I chose two entrees as my main plates – the sauteed red snapper with caramelized cauliflower, poppyseed-buttermilk vinaigrette and the slowly cooked salmon with potato puree, julienne vegetables and basil vinaigrette.
For dessert, I chose the citrus semifreddo with almond sponge, crunchy meringue. For a few minutes, we were tempted to each order completely different dishes each so we could sample everything on the menu.
As per tradition, Carson ordered different dishes so we could optimize the variety - tuna tartare with avocado, spicy radish, ginger marinade and steamed skate with roasted pumpkin seeds, spaghetti squash, soy-yuzu broth, and Jean George’s warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. Between the two of us, we had the fish covered.
The waiters were attentive without being too overbearing and took the time to explain each dish as our food was placed in front of us. My salmon came out first, and yummyyy! I order salmon a lot at restaurants when I’m trying to cut down on the red meat and carbs, and salmon medium rare is definitely the way to go. The pieces of fish were juicy and tender and paired well with the potato puree that it rested on. I was unprepared for the sour taste of the green basil vinaigrette, but the fish and potato helped neutralize the sauce. However, I wasn’t as happy with my second entree, the red snapper. The actual fish was fine, but the poppyseed-buttermilk vinaigrette reminded me of spicy mustard, something I did not want my fish floating around in. The only impressive part about the dish was the scaly skin appearance of the red snapper. The citrus semifreddo was tart yet refreshing, with a hint of sweetness from the almond sponge.
As for the boyfriend’s meal, “The tangy ginger marinade, the crunch of the sliced radishes, and the richness of the avocado accentuated the taste of the tuna tartare and made for a perfect start to the meal.”
Our experience at Nougatine was an overall positive experience, and I was completely stuffed halfway through my second entree (and I can eat A LOT). Recommended restaurant! Good value, especially for a more casual Jean George restaurant.
Nougatine
1 Central Park W
New York, NY 10023
I've been told that a certain smile breaks across my face whenever the subject of food is brought up, a smile that radiates the purest forms of delight and happiness. Food transcends beyond the smell and taste of what's presented in front of me; it's an experience to be enjoyed, indulged, shared with those I love. Working and living in NYC continually opens culinary doors, from hole-in-the-walls to upscale (even stuffy) dining. I never take any morsel of food for granted, and I'm often THAT girl at the table found licking her plate at the end of the meal.
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Love your photos! I’m about to post my own Nougatine review and wanted to see what other bloggers were saying about it. I can’t believe you got so many more spicy radishes than I did! That was one of the best parts of the meal.