Spice Market

By now, many of you have probably read Frank Bruni’s review of Spice Market in the New York Times. Even though I’m glad he enjoyed the restaurant’s ambience and some of its dishes, I’m disappointed by the review. Of course, Bruni offered some insightful comments about his visits, and the feedback is always appreciated. There are few things I dislike more than sloppiness, and I’ve already begun to work on improving every aspect of Spice Market. As with all of my restaurants, I want to offer great dining experiences and continually work to uphold the highest standards of food and service.

I’m sorry that Bruni and his guests didn’t have a better time, but I make no apologies for opening Spice Market or any of my other restaurants. Like each one, Spice Market was conceived of and built as a stand-alone restaurant. In fact, it was a deeply personal project: I spent years cooking in Asia and ate at the fantastic open-air markets every night after work. I simply wanted to share those delicious dishes with fellow New Yorkers. When the Starwood Hotel group approached me about opening Spice Markets in their hotels around the world, I was happy to have the opportunity to share those dishes with diners in other cities.



The food at Spice Market is excellent—and I intend to keep making it better and better. Besides, I can personally attest to the fact that there’s no better place to eat well and have a great time. After all, it’s where Marja and I got married!

Setting the Record Straight

On Monday afternoon, I began receiving a flood of emails and phone calls: Wow! Cooking for four living presidents? That’s amazing!; How wonderful to cook for Obama! Will Michelle be there too?

I had no idea what my friends were talking about.

It turns out that Crain’s—and subsequently all of the food blogs—reported the following:

Award-winning chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has a big assignment tonight. He is cooking dinner at the United Nations for three past presidents, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as the current commander-in-chief, Barack Obama.
A source says security is so tight that only the famous chef and an assistant are allowed into the kitchen.
What’s on the menu? Halibut, which was flown into the city today.

For the record, I did not cook at the United Nations for President Obama or former presidents George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter. It would be an honor to do so and I’d be thrilled to prepare a meal for them anytime or to host them in any of my restaurants.

I did, however, have the privilege of cooking for former president Bill Clinton in the home of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a dinner party that included Mayor Bloomberg. As I understand it, Obama was invited, but couldn’t make it. (I imagine he was busy on Monday and Tuesday following Iran’s elections.) I went only with my corporate executive chef Greg Brainin because we were cooking for a small group.

The halibut was, in fact, flown into New York on Monday morning by my fantastic fish supplier, Ingrid Bengis. At 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, the halibut was line-caught off the coast of Maine. Ingrid picked it up from the fisherman, packed it in seaweed and ice, drove to Boston, hopped on a plane to New York, and took the E train to my restaurant. Thank you, Ingrid.

I wanted to prepare a fantastic meal for Clinton while ensuring that I met his dietary guidelines. We composed a passed appetizer of watermelon and goat cheese, and followed with my “27 vegetables” first course. I got the best vegetables I could find at the Greenmarket, blanched each in color order (fennel, favas, asparagus, artichokes, carrots, etc.), then dressed them all with the flavorful cooking liquid, basil oil, lemon juice, a dozen herbs, and beautiful edible flowers. It’s like eating a garden—delicious!

The unbelievably fresh halibut was served with honshimeiji mushrooms and shallots in a tomato-lemongrass broth and drizzled with mushroom “syrup.” Whole-grain couscous came on the side. For dessert, I composed a red berry soup with all the cherries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, and topped it with strawberry sorbet.

I still don’t know how that other story was reported, but these are the facts. Bon appetit!

The Bees Are Back In Town

After spending a few weekends out of town, I had the chance to relax in the country last weekend. We hosted our annual Memorial Day barbecue, cooking whole fish over an open fire for family and friends. Last weekend also marked the return of my honeybees.A little over a year ago, I tasted a delicious honey at a restaurant near my upstate New York home. The restaurant owner referred me to the local beekeeper who made the honey (well, made by the bees, but collected by the apiarist D.J. Haverkamp). When I contacted D.J., he agreed to help me set up my own hives. I’d been wanting an apiary for years and, with the recent demise of millions of honeybees from the mysterious “colony collapse disorder,” it seemed like the right time to do my small part in reviving the population.
Before D.J. arrived with my hive, I read The Queen and I, Edward Weiss’s book about beekeeping, and learned everything I could about bees. It’s a fascinating book; I picked up the basics of beekeeping and developed a passion for it. Last year went quite smoothly, and this year promises to be even better. D.J. has kept bees for years, but I was his first client, a sort of experiment to see whether he enjoys keeping bees for other people. It turns out he does.
This year, he has many more clients in our community, and my own set-up has improved. Last year, my hive was set on the grass; this year, it’s on a sturdy platform. Last year, the top was weighted down with a big rock; this year, hook-and-latch cables secure it. I’m not a huge fan of the new sign affixed to the hive—I prefer the beauty of a simple white box—but I understand the need to have DJ’s number prominently displayed in case of an emergency. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the very beauty of the process. The bees still dart back and forth between the woods and the hive, the frames grow heavy with honey, and the box continually buzzes with an energy that reminds me of a great night in my restaurant kitchen.My queen, identified by the emerald green dot on her back, and her bees have already produced a lot of honey; D.J. anticipates at least ten pounds this season. Because I have a wide variety of plants on my property, the honey develops a very complex sweetness. I can’t wait to taste it again.

Dining Out

I spend most of my time creating—and tasting—dishes for my restaurants, but I love dining out and seeing what other chefs are doing. For the past two weekends, I’ve had the opportunity to dine in our nation’s capitol. Last weekend, I attended my daughter Louise’s college graduation and I returned this weekend for the commencement ceremony of my wife Marja’s sister. The highlight of both weekends was celebrating these milestones with family, both at the universities and at great Washington, D.C. restaurants. The chef at at Komi, Johnny Monis, is amazing and dinner there was fantastic. For brunch, we sat in the Tabard Inn’s garden and enjoyed a fabulous meal. We also had a wonderful experience at CityZen in the Mandarin Oriental.

Just a few weeks earlier, I dined all over Paris. I spent nearly a week there teaching our chefs at Market our new spring dishes. With the first of the harvest, we worked on seasonal items like our asparagus salad and our prawns with sugar snap peas.

When I wasn’t in the kitchen, I was sampling other restaurants. La Maree Passy proved to be an excellent choice. Because chef Gregory Coutanceau gets his fish from his father, a fishmonger who sources his catch from small boats along the coast from Brittany to Belgium, he treats his impeccably fresh ingredients simply and beautifully. Gillardeau oysters, easily an ounce each, are as shiny as pearls and so delicious they need only a squeeze of lemon juice. These oysters reappeared in what I would consider on of the best appetizers I’ve eaten all year. They’re chopped and layered with a tartare of the belly of white salmon, caught in the Loire River, and their liquor is used to season the dish. A bit of horseradish adds a bright note, and toast and lemon wedges are served alongside. Delicious.

Another appetizer featured langoustines, which retained a firm texture while achieving a sea urchin-like richness. The main courses that followed highlighted the freshness of the ingredients: grilled whole fish (John Dory, turbot, Belgian sole) with citrus butter and a side of mashed potatoes. My favorite dessert looked deceptively simple—a thin waffle topped with whipped cream and fresh raspberries—but was deeply satisfying. Can you believe the size of those berries?

I returned to L’Ami Louis, an old favorite, for their roasted chicken. Nobody in the world does it better.

When I dine out, I’m reminded of what a pleasure it is to be a customer. I hope all of my restaurant guests feel the same way.