New York City: Spice Market (October 2011)

Our lunch in early October 2011 was the first Jean Georges restaurant that my spouse and I tried. We were attending some lecture events for the New York City Wine & Food Festival and were looking for a Meatpacking District restaurant to dine at between those events. This restaurant is located quite near the Highline and the Standard Hotel. There is some outdoor seating at Spice Market, of which we would have gladly partaken, but the very reason that we were in the area – the Wine & Food Festival – deposited an outdoor event (an Iron Chef-type set on which people could pretend) on the restaurant’s doorstep, making it very loud with lots of foot traffic. 

Because it was our first visit, the waitress recommended the tasting menu so that we could sample many of the menu items (less than $50 per person for 8 dishes). She explained that the dishes were served family-style, then further explained that it meant that dishes would be delivered from the kitchen whenever and in whatever order they were ready. (This was news to us - family-style usually means that one serving bowl/platter is shared among many diners.) The menu is extensive, and it would have been difficult to choose only a few dishes for ourselves. We particularly enjoyed the rare tuna appetizer served with chili tapioca, the cod with basil sauce, the grilled chicken with kumquats, and the thai jewel dessert served with coconut ice. 

The restaurant interior is attractive, with Southeast Asian theme, and the servers are uniquely attired (perhaps a bit scantily with regard to the tops that the female staffers were wearing). The table seating is not comfortable, in my opinion. The tables are close together, and we had the unfortunate privilege of being places adjacent to the service stand, despite the fact that the restaurant was rather empty when we arrived. (To their credit, though, they did a good job of spacing everyone out based on their arrival time, which is why we got “stuck” where we did.) The restrooms are on the basement level, along with a bar and some lounge seating. (I’m not sure if any allowances - such as an elevator - are made for someone who is physically challenged.) 

We had a small problem with one of our shared desserts, but we pointed it out to the server and it was quickly removed. The manager of the restaurant delivered a replacement dessert a short while later, along with his sincere apologies as well as a message that one round of drinks was on the house. 

So our meal ended up pleasantly; we feel that the real indicator of a good restaurant/good service is how they fix a problem. We enjoyed our lunch here, would eat there again if the situation presented itself, and look forward to trying another Jean Georges restaurant in New York City in the future. Try the tasting menu!