April 2 (Bloomberg) -- Don't let anyone tell you it takes weeks to score a table at New York's most-fashionable dining rooms. You just have to be willing to eat at odd times. I even got Valentine's night at Jean Georges on three days' notice.

The reservation was for 11:30 p.m. on the day that I arrived from London for a 15-day spin through the city's restaurants. I was armed with a schedule that included 5:30 p.m. tables at Adour and Del Posto, 10:15 p.m. at Daniel and 11:15 p.m. at Babbo.

So it was that a friend and I settled into a cozy booth at Jean Georges on Feb. 14. Our eyes met, past the flowers and above the $168 Valentine's Day menu, and we quickly went for the prix- fixe option, at $98 for three courses.

The room -- on the ground floor of Trump International Hotel -- has an understated, modernist look. The fireworks are on the plate, where chef-owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten explores tastes and textures, with a few Asian ingredients thrown in for good measure. It's contemporary cooking of a very high standard.

Many chefs use Asian influences to spice up their act. (A menu I saw last year offering chocolate linguini with mussels and lemongrass-infused coconut illustrated how easy it is to lose your way.) Vongerichten stands out because he marries creativity with a discipline that keeps the focus firmly on flavors.

Artichoke Soup

Dinner starts with a flurry of amuse gueules including Jerusalem artichoke soup in a glass with cranberry and tofu foam; and grilled shiitake mushroom with Japanese rice-vinegar gelee and toasted black bread (at least I think that's what we were told).

One downside to the complexity of the dishes is the time taken explaining them. In fact, I found the amount of time that waiters spend describing food the most irritating aspect of eating out in New York. Conversations are interrupted and food sits cooling as you are treated to explications of cooking methods and lists of ingredients right down to individual herbs. My eyes tend to glaze over while listening -- particularly when it's midnight.

There's a delicious light starter at Jean Georges of peekytoe crab cakes in a tempura batter, topped with strips of Honeycrisp apples, with pink peppercorn vinaigrette for a clever balance of sweetness, heat and acidity. Even better is the yellowfin tuna ribbons marinated in young ginger syrup and kaffir lime, served with an avocado puree.

Among the dishes I tried over three meals, there were three standouts. One was a starter in the bar of foie-gras brulee with cranberry and crystallized ginger. The creamy meat and crisp, sweet topping were a wonderful combination. Then there was a main course of roasted sweetbreads speared with licorice, the richness cut through with grilled pear and lemon.

Crunchy Rabbit

Best of all was crunchy rabbit with a paste of citrus-chili and soybean. The rabbit is deboned, rolled and poached, then covered in panko, Japanese bread crumbs. The paste is made with fresh yuzu juice and placed in caskets that are buried in snow for two years, according to Mark Lapico, the chef de cuisine. I loved the contrasting textures and the deep, intriguing flavors even before I got the image of snow-covered Japanese mountains.

The desserts pick up and run with the theme of playing with tastes and textures, rather like the cooking of Tom Aikens in London. Diners choose one of four ``themes,'' and pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini riffs on it with a quartet of miniature dishes. The apple dessert, for example, features a confit, a sorbet, a fritter and a soda. You can see how much work has gone into each. It's time well spent as each is visually striking as well as delicious.

An economical introduction to the Jean Georges experience can be had at Nougatine, the adjoining bar-area room, where the set lunch is a bargain at $24.07. The dishes -- such as pan- roasted salmon with curry tapioca and Meyer lemon -- are pretty and tasteful, though less ambitious than those in the main room.

Jean Georges isn't for everyone. Some diners will find the food overcomplicated and the service can be intrusive. I didn't appreciate the hard sell on a $110 wine when I'd asked about one costing $63. That should teach me not to be cheap: The recommended 2005 Hamacher Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley was a delight.

The Bloomberg Questions

Cost? Three-course set dinner is $98.

Sound level? Muted.

Date place? Yes.

Inside tip? Ask for a secluded booth.

Special feature? Elderflower Champagne cocktails.

Private room? Yes.

Will I be back? Yes.

Jean Georges is at 1 Central Park West. Information: +1-212-299-3900; http://www.jean-georges.com.

Rating: ***

What the Stars Mean
****         Incomparable food, service, ambience.
***          First-class of its kind.
**           Good, reliable.
*            Fair
No stars     Poor.

(Richard Vines is the London food critic for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this review: Richard Vines in London at rvines@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 2, 2008 00:01 EDT