THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bruno Jamais Restaurant Club Restaurant Review:

In a city where the cloak of “exclusivity” is as much a commodity to fetishize as this season's shoes, this Upper East Side homage to haute eating fits in perfectly. Which makes it all the more bewildering that it registers on few diners' radars. Maybe it’s the longstanding perception that Bruno Jamais is a prohibitively expensive private club (not true). Or perhaps it’s that diners are scrutinized upon arrival, first by a host and then, after approval and a walk through what seems like a secret passageway, the maître d' who gives a quick once-over before they are seated. But that said, Bruno Jamais is infinitely more welcoming than it first appears. In fact, service is comparable to some of the city’s best restaurants (which is somewhat incongruent with the fact that the cheesiest soul music of the 70s seems to be on constant rotation here). But the focus should be on the food, especially when chef Hok Chin is in the kitchen. This talented Chinese-born, French-trained chef has given an Asian accent to the menu while allowing it to retain its classic Continental feel. Seared foie gras is accompanied by a supporting cast of smoked duck-and-apple-stuffed sausage, black figs, and a ginger-yuzu sauce. The more substantial braised Colorado lamb shank only needs a nudge of the fork for the meat to fall off the bone and the scallops and Maine lobster are presented in a thick Thai curry bouillabaisse. Everything seems to taste better with the creamy, white truffle-studded mashed potatoes. The wine list spans the globe, the most expensive bottle topping off at $10,000. You may be able to nab a table, but you still have to belong to that exclusive club who can afford to pay the bill at the end of the night.