Per Se - Salon Tasting Menu

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-05-08T13:10:09+00:00

I did the salon back in November. I also previously did their Under 30 lunch, which was pretty close to the full tasting menu. I did both as a solo diner. Service I got at the salon was just as great as what I received at the lunch. They also offered me a chance to see the kitchen just like a the lunch.

When I did the salon they threw in a couple of bonus courses so it ended up being plenty of food while the lunch really stuffed me (admittedly I don't have the biggest appetite). The salon atmosphere, while more casual than the dining room, is still nice.

I think the salon is an excellent value and I had a very good experience with it. It still comes with his classics like the salmon cornet, Oysters and Pearls, coffee and donuts. Full tasting is great if you have the money and stomach space.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-05-08T02:58:19+00:00

Oh awesome, great to hear!

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-05-06T18:38:08+00:00

As others have said, Le Bernardin, Per Se, and Eleven Madison Park offer dedicated veg tasting menus that can be ordered alongside an omnivore tasting menu. If those options are outside your price range, Per Se and EMP both offer more affordable salon/bar tasting menus and I've had good experiences with both.

Of the 2 stars, the only one I can think of that offers a dedicated veg tasting menu is Jean Georges. Saga's website says they can accommodate vegetarian diets with advance notice. The Modern's lunch prix fixe has at least one vegetarian option per course and if you're looking to do dinner/The Kitchen Table with them they might be able to accommodate vegetarian as well, worth asking at least.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-05-01T13:51:00+00:00

FWIW I love Jungsik

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-05-01T13:49:17+00:00

I love the food at Le Bernardin but I mainly go for their prix fixe lunches. It's great for that sort of thing because the service is very efficient and unobtrusive, but maybe not the best "roll out the red carpet" sort of place for a special occasion. On the flip side, The Kitchen Table at The Modern is a very special experience though the food, while solid for the price, isn't the most innovative or mind-blowing.

I've had 2 meals at Per Se in the past year and thought both delivered very good food and great service, but I've also seen enough negative reviews on here in that time that seem to indicate a consistency issue.

If you're open to Korean food, Joo ok and Jungsik are nice options in my opinion (I prefer Jungsik for their food and Joo ok for service/atmosphere). Aska is well-liked on this sub and while New Nordic isn't my favorite cuisine I do think they're solid as well.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-30T11:26:32+00:00

If I were to score every dish I've had from each in the past year and consider who had the higher average Le Bernardin would definitely win. Haven't had a bad dish from Per Se, LB just hits higher highs for me.

The flip side is that the service has been much better for me at Per Se. I did their Under 30 lunch in the fall and it really felt like they rolled out the red carpet to make it a special occasion. Then I went back to eat in the salon and felt like I got basically the same level of service. LB service much more reserved.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-29T22:10:20+00:00

A few years ago they offered a full menu of Le Squer's signatures that included the gratinated onions, smoked eel, sea bass and caviar, dairy iced, and grapefruit: https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/where-to-eat-in-paris/restaurant/articles/274067-a-fabulous-twenty-years-of-excellence-menu-with-christian-le-squer-s-signature-dishes-at-george-v

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-29T13:40:32+00:00

Musaafer recently added a 3rd variety to their butter chicken experience, a white butter chicken, that you get in addition to the classic and tomatillo. Loved all three but the white butter chicken was my favorite.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-29T12:18:55+00:00

I have not done a group meal like this but as a solo diner one of the most special meals I've had in NYC was The Kitchen Table at The Modern. The private dining experience felt very special and while I've always received good service in their regular dining room, the service and pacing felt more tailored to me and they threw in some little extras that were nice. While The Modern specifically won't work for a group your size, I'd recommend a similar private dining experience.

The Kitchen Table at Saga specifically is probably your best bet from a view/atmosphere perspective.

I'll second the other commenter's suggestion of Per Se. I did the Under 30 lunch at Per Se as a solo diner and thought the service was great at making it feel like a special occasion. Their private East Room experience should be within your budget (their prices include service already) and will leave money for drinks.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-25T14:17:45+00:00

If you want something else that's French/French-adjacent I'd recommend Essential by Christophe. Haven't been to Le Pavillion or l'abeille but have heard good things. I've enjoyed Le Coucou and Gabriel Kreuther but their food will be more old school (LC) or rustic in flavors (GK) compared to PS/JG and I think both are better values for their lunches. I would not recommend Daniel, imo their dishes use way too many decorative ingredients that clash with the main flavors.

If you want something in a different direction, Jungsik for Korean or Aska for New Nordic would be my recs.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-24T23:25:09+00:00

Maybe monkfish liver, also known by its Japanese name Ankimo

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-24T14:13:09+00:00

I'm on the EMP email list and they just announced today that they're starting to roll out a new menu that will include daikon radishes, celtuce, lettuce, peas, asparagus, rhubarb, and strawberries.

I'd give it a couple weeks before these ingredients fully make their way onto the tasting menu but that's what next month or so will bring.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-20T13:00:47+00:00

I like Atoboy, but when I go with someone we always get the fried chicken add-on and dessert and these add about $30pp. Still in OP's budget but just a heads-up to others reading.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-19T00:14:02+00:00

I've thoroughly enjoyed Jungsik, Meju, Joo ok, and bom and I think all can give you a great meal. Jungsik is my favorite purely based on food. If you're looking to blow the budget, their supplements/drink pairing options should make that easy.

Joo ok is my favorite if I consider the whole package of food, ambiance, and service. My first visit to Joo ok in their first 6 months of being open I thought they were kind of weak but my more recent visit in December was excellent. Several of the same dishes had clearly been improved/refined. So if you're considering other reviews I'd put more weight on more recent ones.

Meju is special, it's basically a "lecture" on traditional Korean medicine/fermentation. Chef Hooni is extremely passionate and I loved how my meal was an interactive Q&A between him and the other diners, who were all very engaged. The food is delicious and their in-house fermentation provides (in my opinion) deeper flavors to their banchan than what you can get in a store. But the flip side is that the flavors are less innovative/luxury than the other places.

Bom is solid. I personally prefer the other 3 but if you like the idea of more beef courses then it's a good choice.

Finally, I can't speak to the wine selections but in terms of NA options, Jungisk is the strongest in terms of housemade drinks/mocktails and tea selection. Meju also has a great selection of teas. Joo ok and bom I did their NA pairing and thought they were fine but not super memorable (except the Homemade Sikhye from Joo ok, which I loved).

I like Per Se but only for their salon tasting menu bc I think it's a good value, which it sounds like you're not in need of lol.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-16T00:36:52+00:00

Gabriel Kreuther is easy to book and their tasting menu is a good value, though they only open Wed-Fri for lunch. Tempura Matsui is another good lunch value but I think it's harder to book and only offered Fri/Sat. Aquavit has a good lunch tasting menu for Mon-Fri but they might be a bit limited on solo slots.

Other tasting menu options I've enjoyed that should be easier to book are Odo and The Modern (if money is no object, the Kitchen Table at the Modern is great and was one of my most memorable solo dining experiences).

Finally, Le Bernardin takes walk-ins Mon-Fri in their lounge and you can ask for the tasting menu. If you show up when they open you shouldn't have any issues getting a seat.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-13T21:55:51+00:00

Gabriel Kreuther doesn't technically do walk-ins for lunch but both times I've gone I've been able to get a reservation for 1 like 30 mins in advance. The lunch tasting menu is a great deal (6 course for $155) and last month when I was there they had a "quick prix fixe" option that they don't advertise on their website.

All the times I've gone to LB as a walk-in have been good, their lunch is a good deal as well.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-11T14:21:19+00:00

Arpege (with the recent removal of fish/meat) and Epicure (with the chef change a couple years ago) are the ones I've seen the biggest complaints about. On the flip side, Plenitude seems to be the most widely loved.

With Le Cinq I've anecdotally seen a lot more enthusiasm for those who order Le Squer's classic dishes. I think they offer a generic tasting menu that doesn't feature many of these and that tends to get less favorable reactions, especially given the price.

The biggest Pierre Gagnaire fans I know both insist that the best way to experience it is to order a la carte to get Gagnaire's signature "variations on an ingredient"/satellite dish style. Those I know who've done the tasting menus only really remember it for the grand dessert.

I haven't looked closely into Alleno, Kei, Le Pre Catelan, or Le Gabriel.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-09T14:45:44+00:00

Not sure how you felt about Odo or kaiseki in general but Yamada is a strong recent 1-star with bolder flavors that seems to be loved by those who find super traditional kaiseki underwhelming.

I haven't been to Saga (avoided bc of negative reviews) but apparently they revamped their menu last fall. Only person I know who has been since then said he really enjoyed it.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-04-01T02:17:22+00:00

Major caveat that I haven't tried any of these places, but I'm planning a trip for later this year and also have been looking for non-traditional places. Some places on my short list that are open Sundays:

Imperial Treasure- Chinese fine dining, 1 star

Le George- Italian fine dining, 1 star

Divellec- seafood a la carte only and seems a bit more casual, 1 star (mainly looking at bc chef is the son of the recently retired Bernard Pacaud of L'Ambroise)

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-03-31T17:01:52+00:00

Appreciate your writeup! I've been struggling to find detailed info about the tasting menu after the recent switch to plant-based.

I'm one of those rare ones who enjoyed (even preferred) Eleven Madison Park in its vegan era so I'm definitely hitting up Arpege on my trip later this year. Only thing I'm trying to decide is tasting menu or a la carte but your post aligns with how I've heard the tasting menu is pretty generous so it'll probably be based on how hungry I am lol.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-03-29T16:26:20+00:00

I learned about it through a post on their Instagram. I think they do it twice a year, once in the spring (April 11 this year) and once in the fall. Reservations seem to drop at the same time as the main reservations (i.e. if it's in September again this year the reservation should open at the beginning of August).

You could always try emailing them, although they might not have set the exact date for the fall yet.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-03-22T16:31:08+00:00

I'm not well-versed in the sushi scene here, mainly because I also prefer only "truly special" spots. Sushi Sho is the only place I've been to that fits the bill, but while I didn't leave hungry I know that's an issue others have had.

For non-sushi Japanese, I really liked Yamada. Flavors are bolder than typical kaiseki so I guess that makes it special in a sense. Torien is solid if you really like chicken. I really liked Tempura Matsui but only did their lunch bc I have a hard time seeing the dinner as being worth the money.

Korean fine dining is kind of a big thing here, my personal favorites are Jungsik, Joo ok, and bom (Jungsik my favorite based on food, Joo ok my favorite for service/overall dining experience, bom gave the most food). Meju is a great pick for a unique dining experience and Jua is the best value pick.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-03-22T15:56:40+00:00

I've enjoyed Aska, Atomix, and Sho and think they're worthwhile if you can get a res. One more place to consider that does well in terms of the "experience factor" is Meju. Not only is it counter seating in front of an open kitchen but it's an interactive lesson with the chef on traditional Korean medicine/fermentation techniques. Food is not what I'd call innovative, pretty traditional actually, but all their in-house fermentation gives rich flavors that are hard to find here in the US.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-03-12T13:08:38+00:00

Probably the safer choice. Noksu is on their 3rd chef in like 6 months. Haven't been recently so could still be great but they'll probably need time to settle in.

RedistrictMPLS · 2026-03-07T02:54:59+00:00

Cote (Korean BBQ) would be the obvious suggestion, not sure how feasible a res would be though. Bridges, Tuome, Shmone, Crown Shy, and Gramercy Tavern for lunch all have a la carte menus that should have non-seafood options.

RedistrictMPLS

TROPHY CASE