Restaurant Review

Anthony Bourdain: The Restaurant, the Restaurant Cookery Book, the Soundbite Selection by Leslie Williams

So, is the Restaurant any good?

We (two adults, one 4 yr. old) arrived in New York at around lunchtime on a Tuesday and immediately booked an early dinner for 6.30pm at Les Halles. First thing you see when you open the door is the butcher counter, where you can pick up unusual French cuts of beef, pork and lamb plus prepared food such as foie gras and confit de canard: a solid pointer that this is not a restaurant for vegetarians.

Next thing you notice is the dark, well-worn interior which, once your eyes adjust, appears characterful and charming. We were worried that our early booking might mean a diminution in atmosphere, but by 7pm the restaurant (including the bar area) was jammers.

Starters of garlicky buttery Escargot and Frisée au Lardons were as perfect as they come. The frisée was perfectly dressed with proper crispy lardons and generous lumps of Roquefort.

The best news is that everything Bourdain has claimed about Les Halles' frites is an understatement. These were indeed the finest frites I have ever tasted; a lovely golden colour with the lightest, crispiest interior. Every frite (and I ate them all and some of my sons) crunched perfectly and was perfectly seasoned. My just seared Onglet Steak (from below the diaphragm of a cow) was as delicate as softened butter with a proper meaty flavour with a decent quantity of rich shallot sauce. I almost found the steak too delicate in texture and I think the next time (and there will be lots of next times) I will go with the more traditional Entrecôte.
Cassoulet was almost too rich and flavourful but at least this stopped us pigging out too much. The Amish Poulet Rôti (for the boy) was plump with crispy skin and with a decent firm texture and flavour - a combination sadly missing in most restaurant chicken here.

The Wine list is classic French and I went for the bargain on the list of La Caminade Cahors for $27- a proper French country wine with tannins and rich, dark fruit flavours that suited the food.

By dessert the boy was fast asleep on the bench from jet lag, much to the amusement of customers and staff - "he is certainly not the first to pass out here but he is definitely the youngest!” was one comment. Classic Crème Brulée tasted just as it should with lots of vanilla flavour and a lingering creaminess.

In short, one of the most enjoyable restaurant experiences of my life; for the food; for the busy but charming staff; for finding an interesting and suitable inexpensive bottle of wine; for the atmosphere; and for the fact that it did not break the bank.

Total bill for two starters, three mains, one dessert, coffee, wine, a beer and a fresh orange juice: $145.29 (c.€115).

So, is the book any good?

The Les Halles Cookbook is subtitled "Strategies, Recipes and Techniques of Classic Bistro Cooking”, and it is exactly that.

The recipes are all classics that can be found in any decent French cookery book but what sets the book apart (and why I recommend you buy it) is the clarity of presentation and the wit and enthusiasm of Bourdain.
Recipes are simply laid out in stages and with sensible advice on preparing ahead and on your "meez” (mise-en-place).

The emphasis on making your own stock is laudable as is the advice on sourcing a decent butcher (we owe a duty of care to the country to keep these guys in business). The frites recipe is indeed foolproof as are the other recipes I tried (although I recommend adding an hour or so to the Daube Provençal lamb recipe).

What comes across most clearly in Bourdain's writing is the sheer joy he takes in eating and cooking good food and his common sense approach to cooking. He might even convince you to try Tripe, that delicacy that separates the boys from the wee boys.

Anthony Bourdain Soundbites

On why he finally wrote a cookbook:
I have long resisted the idea of doing a cookbook - despite training people to cook for 28 years - but the deciding factor was when I found a way to do this that was not the same candy-ass food porn that would sit on a cocktail table and never make it into the kitchen.

The brown butcher-paper cover that would look good with food stains on it also encouraged me. I wanted to portray the French food that I love in a non-intimidating way. I've tried to make the recipes sound like me talking - I wanted something useful and entertaining and in my own voice.

On the difference between home and professional cooks:
The difference is repetition and the fact that most things in a professional kitchen are done in advance. If you are cooking at home you must prepare ahead; the last thing you want is to be sweating it out in the kitchen while your guests are getting drunk, pilfering pills from the medicine cabinet and doing who knows what to your loved ones.

Bourdain's Favourite Five recipes from the Les Halles Cookbook:
Pot au Feu, Daube of beef, Steak Tartare, Soupe de Poisson and Tomato Salad.

Five most popular dishes at Les Halles:
Steak Frites, Steak Tartare, Pigs Feet, Frisee au Lardons, Onion Soup

On organic food:
I like the care put into the produce but the ultimate question is does it taste good?

Bourdain on the signing into law of a ban on the sale or production of foie gras in California which will come into effect in 2012 (the ban was signed the day of the interview):
The apocalypse is here - my worst and most morbid and pessimistic predictions about the way the world is going are coming horribly, horribly true.

I dont like hurting little birds but I don't want some muscle head telling me what to eat on the advice of that great thinker and gastronome Paul McCartney. Battery chickens are treated just as cruel and horrible, but I guess chickens don't have as good a publicist.

On food trends:
The 3 star chefs are finally getting to play with ingredients that have been much undervalued; pork belly is huge in the States now. Chefs are treating humble ingredients in innovative ways. I love seeing things like kidneys, tripe, cheeks, belly and tongue being used.

On The Crown Bar:
I was overwhelmed by the joys of the Crown Pub: a proper pint of Guinness, a proper Steak and Kidney Pie, and I could smoke - maybe the last pocket of light that will soon be a memory along with so many other things.

On the Smoking Ban:
Well we've really crossed the Rubicon now, haven't we, if the Irish will lie down and allow such a law to be passed. Us smokers are indeed on the losing side of history.

Les Halles, 411 Park Avenue (between 28th and 29th St.) Tel: (212) 679-4111, http://www.leshalles.net/
Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook, £20 Stg.

Leslie Williams is editor of The Wine Room and Chief Web Correspondent at www.bridgestoneguides.com