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 The restaurant Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club may be located in a brownstone on the Upper East Side of New York; however the ambience is pure Paris where Executive Chef Hok Chin's cuisine is as artistic as the stylish décor.
Having dinner at Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club is an experience - truly a Luxury Experience. The restaurant club named for its very charming French owner Bruno Jamais, is a little gem, a lovely little secret, where you feel like you have left the streets of New York far behind as you walk up the steps of the brownstone. Once inside, Jacques LeMagueresse welcomes you with his sexy French accent, and leads you to the restaurant through the automatic door of the well-stocked wine cellar with the door closing with a whoosh behind you, capturing the essence of a James Bond movie as you enter the bar.
Wine Cellar
The bar and dining room feature many contemporary paintings with themes of the Moulin Rouge, New York City, and ultra-luxury cars, as well as sculpture by the artist Cyrille Margarit that line the dark chocolate velvet walls. Tables are well spaced so that guests have privacy, the dark chocolate crushed velvet banquettes and chairs have a sensual feel to them, service is attentive yet unobtrusive, and low lighting and piped in background music helps to create an intimate ambience.
Bruno Jamais Bar Area
Edward F. Nesta and I had dinner at Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club on a Thursday evening in November 2008, and I only mention the day of the week as to set the scene for the evening. We arrived at 8:00 pm and while several tables were occupied with guests having an early dinner, the restaurant was hardly full, however that changed over the course of the evening where a steady stream of guests arrived for late night dining for which Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club is known.
Dining Room
 We sat on a banquette with our backs to the velvet wall at an oval table dressed with beige linens and napkins and accessorized with a tea light, and began the evening on a celebratory note with an aperitif of champagne. As we perused the menu, which changes daily, we nibbled on bâtonnets of toast with a sweet and spicy tomato preserve, followed by a lovely amuse bouche of a crispy little dumpling filled with shrimp, garnished with a tiny parsley leaf, and set a pool of sweet yet slightly spicy chili sauce.
For his appetizer, Edward selected the Rainbow Roll (yellow fin tuna wrapped with spicy salmon tartar, cucumber, and wasabi with ponzu), artistically presented on a white rectangular plate, which Chef Hok Chin had "painted" with a reduced teriyaki sauce around the four rolls to leave an impression on the plate once the rolls were eaten. The rolls were gorgeous, filled with salmon tartar, and decadently crowned with caviar and tiny herbs, with rolled ginger roses adding visual appeal at either end of the plate.
Rainbow Rolls
I had the Lump Crab Meat Spring Roll, which were four delicately golden and crisp, diagonally cut rolls, that allowed glimpses of succulent crab meat and scallions, that were presented on a white rectangular plate with mâche and a bowl of chili dipping sauce. Both of the appetizers were well paired with Seigneurs de Bergerac 2004, Bergerac Sec from Dordogne Valley, France, made with a blend of 50% Sauvignon, 40% Sémillon, and 10% Muscadelle, 12% alcohol, which had mineral notes and stone fruit on the nose and on the palate.
Spring Rolls
 Next came bowls of Porcini Mushroom Soup with shrimp tempura, truffle oil, and chive, beautifully presented in white oval bowls set on white and brown-rimmed oval platters. The smooth and creamy soup was lovely and had a rich earthiness to it that was enhanced with droplets of truffle oil and a lovely surprise of shrimp tempura adding texture and flavor. The soup was well paired with Domaine des Fontaines 2002, Cabernet Sauvignon, with 12.5% alcohol.
Edward continued with Squab with Seared Foie Gras with yellow corn flan, Brussels sprouts, shitakes, grapes, and brandy cherry sauce for his main course, which was another well presented dish, with the squab golden brown topped with the seared foie gras and garnished with a sprig of parsley and thyme. Attractively presented on a large white square plate, the squab was set on a bed of Brussels sprouts and shitakes, with a rich pool of brandy cherry sauce surrounding the squab. The yellow corn flan was deliciously light and was a perfect accompaniment to the squab.
Squab with Seared Foie Gras
 For my main course, I had the Maine Lobster & Scallops with baby fennel, Brussels sprouts, wild forest mushrooms, and Thai curry bouillabaisse that was accompanied by a side of Truffle Mashed Potatoes. This sensational dish featured two extremely large scallops, which I later learned from Chef Hok Chin, were U-6 scallops that were perfectly seared to create a golden brown exterior and succulently tender interior. The Maine lobster was presented as a lobster tail arranged next to the scallops with the claw meat arranged on top of the baby fennel as the crowning glory of this dish, and garnished with parsley. The Thai curry bouillabaisse was presented in a silver boat, which the server poured tableside.
Continuing on our decadent adventure, our waiter Carlos tempted us with the dessert menu, which included Grandmothers Bread Pudding and Chocolate Mousse, which we could not resist. Grandmothers Bread Pudding was a new item on the menu that evening, and it arrived as a stunning cylinder of bread pudding that was so light that it reminded me of a brioche, that was crowned with a fresh blackberry and a strawberry, lightly dusted with confectionery sugar, and garnished with mint leaves, and was comfort food at its best.
Grandmothers Bread Pudding
The Chocolate Mousse arrived warm in a brown oval ramekin with a dusting of confectionery sugar and accompanied with a small bowl of vanilla ice cream and a bowl of crème Anglais. This was a chocolate lovers dessert with its rich flavors, and Edward and I alternately took turns savoring this dessert.
Chocolate Mousse
 By the time that we had finished our dinner and had an espresso the restaurant was in full swing with late night traffic, as we progressed to the bar to enjoy a final nightcap of the evening. The bar has some interesting signature cocktails on the menu including Bruno's Martini Platinum made with Tequila Patron Platinum, Peach Schnapps, and Fresh Orange; and Chilcano made with Pisco 100, Squeezed Lime, and Ginger Ale; however it was the Sexy Back made with Absolut Citron, Crème de Cassis, Sour, and Champagne, that caught our eye. This was a well-crafted cocktail made by Maria that held its own as we stood at the bar chatting with the other patrons.
As we left the restaurant at midnight, late night guests were still arriving, which was exactly as Bruno Jamais had planned for his restaurant club, an attractive retreat where guests can come for a late night dinner or for cocktails and merriment.
Owner Bruno Jamais
If you are looking for more than just a dining experience on Monday nights, Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club features live music with the Soul Solution Ensemble from 8:30 pm where the focus is on Dance, Soul, and R&B music; combined with Chef Hok Chin's cuisine, Mondays were never better.
The restaurant is open for dinner Monday - Sunday from 6:00 pm until closing time somewhere between 3:00 am - 4:00 am with a late night menu available that includes the ultimate in luxury and decadence, Golden Osetra Caviar with Brioche and Blinis. Read Chefs' Recipes where Chef Hok Chin shares an intriguing taste of Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club.
 Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club
24 East 81st Street between Madison and Fifth
New York, New York 10028
Telephone: +1-212-396-3444
www.BrunoJamais.com
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© December 2008. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.
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