Adour Alain Ducasse

After closing the extravagant Essex house restaurant, Alain Ducasse finally returned to New York. This time, he returned with simpler concept and food – here comes the first Adour. My meal was when Joel Dennis acted as the Executive chef.

Food (and wine) – 91/100

Similar to other Ducasse restaurants, the resources are quite plenty. There are several choices for each section, this time with...+READ After closing the extravagant Essex house restaurant, Alain Ducasse finally returned to New York. This time, he returned with simpler concept and food – here comes the first Adour. My meal was when Joel Dennis acted as the Executive chef.

Food (and wine) – 91/100

Similar to other Ducasse restaurants, the resources are quite plenty. There are several choices for each section, this time with friendlier price compared to his previous NY restaurant. I decided to go for the tasting menu and overall I was happy with the food. I thought some of the dishes certainly worth 2 stars such as: the sweetbread dish – rich and tender meat combined with tasty runny yolk, earthy wild mushrooms and carrots/celery, honestly the brioche was unnecessary (lack of butter fragrance). Another top dish and also my favorite was the piece of perfectly cook Elysian lamb (delicious and juicy) – a scrumptious dish, the lamb was about as good as the one I had at per se.

The rests of the dishes were alright: the marinated hamachi was fresh; the lobster raviolis – while quite tasty, I could not really taste the lobster’s meat texture. The zucchini was also a bit more dominant for my taste … unless you can do lobster/langoustine ravioli as good as Robuchon/Ramsay, then it’s kind of a ‘waste’ to prepare lobster this way. When the dessert came, they looked ‘bulky’ but surprisingly it’s delicious and it’s ‘original’ among Duccase desserts. By the way, I ordered dark chocolate sorbet (wonderful cocoa flavor) that’s mixed well with caramelized croutons. My friend also ordered a degustation menu and was happy with the sautéed duck foie gras, but found the duck breast was OK only. Her pistachio soufflé was nice, but not too airy. I suppose my dessert was better. The meal was closed with the best macaroons (raspberry and passion fruit/chocolate flavors) I’ve ever had in the US. Sandro Micheli is probably one of the most solid pastry chef in NY, or even in the nation.

Adour put emphasized on the wine pairing for every dish created. I did not quite follow it somehow. For this meal, I only had a class of Duccase NV brut champagne and a glass of 2006 Parr selection chardonnay of Santa Rita hills (bright gold with smoky pear aromas, rather sweet with dusty minerals finishing). Almost in every Ducasse restaurant, the wine selection was solid. The price? Expensive as expected from a fine dining place. I think Adour is capable to cook delicious dishes; they simply need to be more consistent. I don’t believe this place will get Michelin highest accolade, but with the potential it has, Adour should strive for 2-star (I grant this in my notes). With the arrival of Didier Elena, I believe Adour will be capable of doing so.

Service (and ambiance) – 92/100

The restaurant was full house when I dined there a couple of years ago. It seems to be doing good business. The main dining, a mixed of modern and traditional decor, is quite relaxing but as always the hardware are top notches from the plush burgundy chairs, a few modern ‘paintings’ and some wine vaults that served as walls. The service was courteous and professional. My captain was kind and flexible when we changed the menu; he tried his best to make guests happy – but don’t expect a smooth and flawless service a la Ducasse top places in Europe. The napkins were sometimes changed. Overall, this place was on par with the experience I had at EMP (91.5 pts aka low 2-star)

Pictures of the dishes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7124357@N03/sets/72157627817619910/-COLLAPSE / REPLY (10 Replies) (by Bu Pun Su, created October 4, 2011)

We've been to Adour four times. The food is delicious, service is professional (the very best server is Laurie, the only woman on the wait staff), and the elegant ambiance is wonderful.

We've not been to Aureole in either its previous or current location.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com REPLY (38 Replies) (by RGR, created July 17, 2011)

»Great restaurant week dinner at Adour Alain Ducasse

I just wanted to share my experience last night at Adour. I was very excited that they were participating for RW. I go for both winter and summer RW for many years now and it's always a fun and interesting experience. I use it as a platform to try places I normally wouldn't bother with, due to either interest level or cost or both. This one fit the cost category quite well. I had a bit of...+READ I just wanted to share my experience last night at Adour. I was very excited that they were participating for RW. I go for both winter and summer RW for many years now and it's always a fun and interesting experience. I use it as a platform to try places I normally wouldn't bother with, due to either interest level or cost or both. This one fit the cost category quite well. I had a bit of hesitation as to how well we would be treated as restaurant weekers, but all my worries were tossed aside as soon as we checked in. 4 of us met first at the famous King Cole bar. It was so dark in there you can't even see who you're sitting with! Drinks are indeed famously overpriced but you're paying for the atmosphere and not much else. At least the service was excellent and genuinely friendly and the drinks were large, strong, and well made. We made our way to Adour with some unfinished drinks in hand, they greeted us with smiles at the front desk and seated us right away. The place is really beautiful and elegant, with an intimate and modern feel to it. We got a nice table in the back which was private and comfy. The waiter came by and we told him right away we wanted the RW menu. He was really nice and offered to help us find some wines by the bottle to pair with the food and stay within our budget (we asked about the wine by the glass pairing they offered but decided to go by the bottle). To make a long story short, the service was exemplary, the sommelier was friendly and charming, and the food was amazing. I had the risotto with zucchini and calamari, the beef tenderlion/shortrib combo, and the passionfruit vacherin. Every bite was truly wonderul. The wines we got were also fantastic. I was so happy with the whole experience that I would say it was probably the best RW experience we've ever had (and that's among MANY), because of the amazing value and truly wonderful service, food, and ambience. It's so great to see that a place of this caliber is willing to put themselves out there for RW and none of the staff seemed to flinch. I looked at the regular menu the next day and it's quite expensive! But I would like to return sometime, maybe to try the tasting menu. They did a great job of luring us in to make a great impression, and hopefully score some future business. That's what RW in NY is all about! Nice to see it work so well.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (9 Replies) (by grouchomarx, created July 22, 2010)