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Categories: American (New), French [Edit]
Neighborhood: Upper East Side63rd St-Lexington Ave (F)
68th St (6)
59th St-Lexington Ave (4, 5, 6, N, R, W)
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JoJo is the epitome of the Upper East Side. From the location to decor to its patrons, it was all overwhelmingly delightful. Overwhelming is the key word here.
I started out with the Foie Gras Brule. Perhaps I should have saved a piece of baguette to tone down the overwhelming flavor that attacked my palette. It was wonderfully rich-- a layer of caramelized sugar encrusting the top. Definitely a treat. I wish my dining companion was a foie gras eater as I felt incredibly guilty only making it half way through the dish before calling it quits.
For my entree, I had the duck (wild, I know). It was cooked to perfection. The meat was tender and it came with a pastry filled with duck leg. Would it be even more blasphemous to divulged that I could not finish this dish either? I kept thinking, what had I eaten, why am I so full?
Needless to say, I felt the portions were very generous as I enjoyed everything yet was unable to fit it all into my welcoming belly. A wonderful fine dining experience.
I'm speechless. It has been few and far between when I have enjoyed such a great experience at a restaurant. I visited last Friday while in NYC with my girlfriend..err... fiancee. We had gotten engaged earlier in the day and I had booked an 8:30 reservation that night. We arrived and promptly checked our coates and bags from a long day running around the city.
Upon sitting down we were offered water and a very polite and humorous waiter brought out the menu's. To my surprise they offer a 2.5oz wine tasting and had several differents varities to try, including sparkling and champagne. We ordered a tasting of the champagne along with a glass of Justin Sauv for the lady and a tasting of a red wine for myself.
The dinner menu... wow... were to begin. Every appetizer and entree looked delicious and given more time and $$$ we would have likely ordered everything on the menu. We started off with a butternut squash soup and a warm asparagus salad. Both rocked our worlds.
Our main entree was a lemon chicken for my fiancee and the lamb chops for myself done medium well. They were in fact done medium well. Perfection! My fiancee's chicken, soft, tender, juicy, perfectly seasonsed.
Then came dessert. We ordered a fig tart as figs are my fiancee's favorite. The waiter apologize because it takes an extra 3-4 minutes to make. Seriously, apologizing for 3-4 minutes? Well, had it taken 20 minutes to make it would have still been worth it.
The decor inside the restaurant was beautiful. Combination of French/New Orleans/American style made it stand out. Despite being a bit on the cramped side, we never felt like space was tight. The table across from us was a bit loud, but they were having a great time as were we.
On our next trip to NYC, we plan on bringing my fiancee's stepdaughter for her to experience her first fancy restaurant.
Can't wait!
I had a rather pleasant brunch experience the other day; the staff were gracious and friendly (although they did forget to refill our coffee cup for much too long) but let's talk about my Eggs Benedict.
The best one I have ever had was really a Crab Benedict I had in Newport, Rhode Island at the Black Pearl. But this particular one I had at JoJo was pretty high up there in my Eggs Benedict experience, at #2. It seems like a simple enough thing to have, but there was some kind of wonderful seasoning going on that made it really tasty. It came with herb potatoes or something, which was whatever. Also, the fries that I sideswiped from one of my table companions were very good.
They did have a brunch prix fixe menu that looked very tasty. I have to take off a star because what kind of cute brunch-y place doesn't have hot chocolate?!
I came here for the oh-so-wonderful JG lunch special: $26 for three courses, yeaa-arrr.
I had the ravioli (mediocre), salmon (YUM YUM YUM! I asked for it rare, and it was, indeed, rare), and chocolate cake. Service was a bit slow and leisurely, which didn't work too well for my friend, who had to rush off before dessert. Shucks, that means two chocolate cakes for me...
The menu is seasonal, so the specifics change regularly (I checked online the other day and the ravioli and salmon listings are different already). For the prixe fixe, the dessert options are always the ice cream or chocolate cake.
The weekday I visited, the restaurant didn't get too full. The other guests were mostly elderly... Service was great, and the ambiance is super cute (the space used to be an apartment). All in all, a great lunch spot if you can spare the time!
As many other people have said in their reviews, JoJo is located in a converted townhouse. The interior is a little tight, but it's more cozy feeling than cramped. The decor is very nice without being too much. Prices are reasonable - especially for the appetizers for the great quality of the food. We were seated upstairs in front of the window - great spot. I'm always apprehensive about new food at a new restaurant and love reading about what other people order, so here's our menu:
We ordered a couple appetizers to share and they were all great!
Foie Gras Brule - So so good. The top was a little burned and bitter tasting but it was still delicious. You really should get it. My boyfriend who has never had Foie Gras and is kind of turned off by the thought of it really loved it too.
Goat Cheese - We were debating getting this or the chick pea fries. I had a feeling this was going to be yummy and it was! No regrets for not getting the fries instead. This was hands down the best goat cheese I've ever had, the perfect warm temperature...You should get this too.
Pea Soup - I didn't try this but the people in my party who did said it was very good and fresh tasting. The color was beautiful. I would have taken a picture but my camera died just as we sat down to eat :(
Tuna Roll - Wow. As much as I LOVED the Foie Gras and Goat Cheese, I think this was the winner. I generally stay away from sushi rolls because I'm not a big nori fan - the flavor is just too strong for me and I'm not a fan of the texture either. This incredible tuna was wrapped in Japanese herbs (my grandmother told me what it was called but I can't remember) and what seemed like a wonton skin or spring roll wrapper - but not crispy. The tuna was perfect. I love tuna sashimi and order it often but this was by far the best tuna I've ever had. The texture, flavor and temperature were perfect. there was also an incredible soybean emulsion on the plate that was so vibrant and fresh. I could have left the restaurant at that point and been completely satisfied - but I'm glad I didn't!
We also sampled each others entrees.
Lobster - The lobster was roasted - served out of the shell - about half a lobster tail and two claws worth of lobster meat. To be perfectly honest, I've had better lobster for sure, but it was paired with the yummiest corn and potatoes.
Lamb - rack of lamb with a delicious spice rub. I was torn between the lobster and the lamb, and thankfully my boyfriend ordered it! The first bite was a bit salty but the lamb was cooked perfectly and had a really great flavor. As soon as I had a bite I wished I'd ordered it too!
Duck - Normally, I don't really like duck but this was so good. Again, it was cooked perfectly. It was so tender and flavorful. It was paired with sweet and sour shallots that were so tasty. It was really yummy.
Then came time for dessert.
I was torn between a few things, mostly because there was one part of each dessert that I really wanted and one part that I could have lived without. I asked if I could substitute the pistachio ice cream with the sour cherry sorbet with my poached peaches and they were more than happy to do it, which made me super happy.
Poached Peaches - Yummy fresh peaches with champagne sabayon with the most AMAZING sour cherry sorbet. Seriously the sorbet was perfect for me. It was nice and tart and refreshing with a little sweetness. I was so happy with it, in fact I've been scouring my local grocery stores and farm stands for sour cherries so I can attempt to make my own some time soon!
Sorbet Trio - while it didn't have the best sorbet (sour cherry of course!) the other 3 flavors were very yummy. Strawberry, pear and peach. They were very vibrant and fresh and fruity not too sweet. Perfect way to end the meal!
Madeleines - These had to have been made to order. They were warm and light and so good and they came with a very delicious cream sauce and toasted almonds. I'm not a big cake/cookie eater, I like lighter desserts but everyone at the table enjoyed these, especially the cream sauce.
Warm Chocolate Cake - This was my boyfriend's choice. I was so excited for him when it came to the table (much later than the rest of our desserts because of a kitchen mixup :( ) and saw it was a lava cake. He had been bugging me to try to make one of these for him and I'd been kinda apprehensive, so now not only did he get his lava cake, but I was off the hook! I'm not very big on chocolate cake, especially not if it's warm, but this was very good. It was very chocolatey, not too sweet and paired with delicious homemade vanilla icecream
Based solely on the food I'd probably give it 4.5 stars, but service was great and they comped my boyfriend's dessert because it arrived later than the other 3 desserts, and I had a great evening - so, 5 stars!
JoJo is amazing, from the food to the ambiance. The restaurant is very small, but it is dimly lit and really romantic. But alas, I was not on a date and instead on a Restaurant Week dinner excursion with my sister and two others.
While my sister and I were waiting for the rest of our party to arrive, we had vodka sodas from the bar. They were STRONG...and only $11.
Usually Restaurant Week menus are uninspired and unimpressive, but JoJo was different. The warm asparagus salad was delicious! The asparagus was firm and the avocado complimented it well. For a main, I ordered the salmon and everything about it was spot-on. I ordered it medium-rare and it was cooked to perfection. For dessert, I had the signature molten chocolate cake. It is incredibly rich, but delicious. I liked that the chocolate was slightly bitter and not very sweet.
From beginning to end, the experience and meal at JoJo was perfect. I would love to try other options on the menu one of these days.
An another second line restaurant by the famous Jean George.
The French food here is good. I had the $24 prix fixe lunch and left the restaurant with a smile. There wasn't anything that wow!ed me, but everything I had from bread to dessert were all good.
There are raving four star restraurants and there are really good four star restaurants. Jojo is somewhere in the middle.
The townhouse that JoJo calls home is incredibly beautiful and romantic, and along with the jazzy music they play, this place screams date. Really comfy chairs and banquettes complete the mood, and the service is just right-- not too fussy, not too slow.
Our appetizers were outrageous and extra points for them splitting up the apps onto plates so we didnt have to ruin the presentation to split a few things. The creme brulee foie gras was beyond decadent. Order it and prepare to savor each bite because when its gone, you'll just look at your plate sadly and wonder what happened. We also had a fried goat cheese over greens which somehow, outdid the foie gras. It literaly dissolved on my tongue, and had we been completely alone i probably would have licked my plate.
Our entrees were great, but not so-great-you-cry-at-your-empty-plate-and-stab-some one-with-a-fork for trying to get near it. We had cod, striped bass, and short ribs, all good and recommended. I think I'd recommend the fish if you were torn. It was fresh, tasty and pan seared with a crunchy outside.
The one let down-- the french fries-- and thanks to a few yelps i had high hopes. I love fries, and when they're good-- they can make a meal, but a fry disappointment can make the whole meal feel disappointing. I cannot understand why steak fries havent been banned from existence yet. Does anyone really like steak fries? The potato seemed to be good quality and they were hot and fresh but...well..they were steak fries!!! Bleh. I wish we knew that before we ordered 2 large orders for 4 of us. Okay enough about fries.
JoJo is great. Not a must must must do, but very enjoyable.
We were tres disappointed with JoJo. As a Michelin guide restaurant, I was expecting something better.
We were out of bread before the entree came. They replaced it once and then the second time they took the holder away and never replaced it with more bread. The tuna tartar appetizer wasn't bad. My chicken disappointed me - it tasted like dressed up KFC and my guest's fish was slightly dry. The dessert was good - nothing special.
JoJo was sensational! I just joined this site and this is my first review on a restaurant dining. I had foie gras brule and duck and my guest had goat chesse and lamb. OMG...the quality of the food was top class and we truly enjoyed every single bite. Very well balanced food that preserve natural flavor of the ingradients. Dessert was also quite good (I did not take a chance and go for warm chocolate cate). Taste almost like one that I had in JG so it means very good. For the price you pay, this is the real deal in New York City. Wine list is rather thin but for most people's price range, that was good enough. I forgot to ask if they allow corkage (so I can bring my own next time). Bottom line---great!!!
As a definitive non-Upper East Sider, I was very pleased with Jojo nonetheless! BEAUTIFUL interior, the decor was really elegant but not too stodgy (and those chairs! sigh).
The restaurant week menu was great- I came here with 3 other girls and we all enjoyed our meals. I LOVED the warm asparagus salad with avocado and endive, and I had a bite of the tuna roll with the soy emulsion... wow. SO good.
I was looking forward to the chicken (which was on the RW menu that night) after reading the reviews here, however, was a little disappointed that they didn't clarify there'd be dark meat as well. It was a little weird presentation, with the breast on top of the dark meat... also weird was the way they served the chick-pea fries (served on the side in a small bread plate, no sauce). But the chicken was good overall.
And the dessert!! Oh goodness. The four of us ALL got the warm chocolate cake, which upon realizing we had wished at least one of us had chosen the other option (some kind of berry soup with fromage blanc) but once we dug in.... no words. This cake was out of control... imagine the best dark chocolate lava cake you've ever had and multiply it by 1342189. Along with the vanilla ice cream... swoon.
All in all, a great experience. I'd definitely go back again.
Summer Restaurant Week 2009:
Appetizer -- Warm asparagus salad: buttery avocado, tender asparagus shoots, and a delicious dressing (vinagrette/soy sauce maybe?). Perfect way to start off the meal!
Entree -- Chicken: very flavorful, but the dark meat was a bit salty. Came with chickpea fries which were very interesting.
Dessert -- Berry soup: it was a very pretty presentation, with the berries and fromage blanc....really did look like soup! Refreshing way to end the meal, but a bit sour.
The restaurant is very dimly lit, and seems like it would be the perfect place to go for a romantic evening.
Came here a couple of times for the $35 prix fixe at lunch. Comfort food with good, not great service.
The decor and patrons are pretty classic UES..but uhhh..are ppl actually shocked by that?
MJ's Star : 3.5
Price : Prix fixe for lunch $24.07 (2 dish plus dissert) (excluding tax & tip)
JoJo is hands down one of the best restaurants I've ever dined at. The Upper East Side has always had a bad wrap, but not everyone is a Park Ave or 5th Ave asshole. This restaurant was a nice mix of rich housewives, businessmen, and regular people like myself. My waitress was so sweet and accommodating! Everything we ordered was 5 stars, with the exception of the arugala and artichoke heart salad off of the Summer 2009 vegetable menu. The only concern there was that it was a bit too lemony. Otherwise, the split pea soup was incredible, as was the cod, ravioli, and sorbet. As stated in previous reviews, the wine list is short, but definitely has a nice selection. For two people with wine and full meals (apps, entree, desserts) it was only a bit over $100. Not too bad considering the quality of the food and the atmosphere made it feel like a $300 meal.
Great food but the service is atrocious. They were training a new employee on the floor and everything was slow to arrive. Incredibly frustrating.
Started out Restaurant Week here at JoJo. Herein starts the demise of my pay check. I decided I will eat well for two weeks then eat mac & cheese to make up for all of the $$ spending.... But I think it is worth it...
And BTW-- just so you know, they have a winter special menu not just for RW. During the rest of the winter, if you come between 5.30 & 6:30 or after 9.30, you can still enjoy a $35 dinner special.
But anyway.... JoJo is a really cute restaurant in a townhouse around midtown. We had a reservation and were seated right away. I had the butternut squash soup which was velvety smooth and absolutely delicious. For main course I had the cod, and I must say it was the most delicious fish dish I have ever tasted in my life. The desert was a chocolate lava cake, and that was also super good, very rich in flavor.
Other people in my party ordered the tuna tartar which looked good, but I did not get a chance to taste it, and also the steak with mushrooms (they said it was amazing) which came with fries-- crunchy with the perfect amount of salt.
Keep in mind, drinks are pretty expensive... I would steer clear of drinks if you are looking to spend as little as possible.
The waitresses here were very friendly, quick to make recommendations, always smiling and accomodating.
My only complaint was that it took them a long time in the end pay attention to us and give us our check, also, the bathrooms are super tiny, and the courses all came out really fast, one right after the other (I guess this is better than waiting too long for food...), and they do not accept any substitutions, but they were good about only clearing when everyone was done.
I would love to come back and try the rest of the menu here...
Hey, hey, hey, who says that I can't hob-knob with the Upper East Side's Stuffy Silver Stiffs.
Dining at JoJo's was absolutely delicious, a near 5 stars. Short wine list but whichever you choose will be a winner. My cuz ordered the passion chili soda which was refreshing with a kick(I would've preferred the boozed up version myself but it was still very nice).
The Warm Asparagus Salad(definitely recommended if not getting the popular Butternut Squash Soup), Salmon with Truffle Mashed Potatoes and Flourless Chocolate Cake were absolutely delightful. I didn't want to share with the cuz but, hey, I don't see him that often. (He's lucky I'm nice.)
Definitely sit upstairs. There's more space and light.
Yeah Man, Jojo is hot. Yes, that swinging sensation...sorry, singing sensation. Was she an idol? f**k, who care? Ok, back to my reality dinner.
Let me rant. Jean George, Le Bernadin, Daniel, Gotham, Aureole, Babbo, WD-50...all of you had f**k up weekend night, huh? I bet. "Sold Out sold out, sold out." I kept abusing Open Table hopefully the system crashed so I could squeeze myself (yea, that hurt, that hard) to get a dank table. All sold out still. How the f**k they name "Open Table" when it is never opened. I will sue you for false statement. Call it " Closed Table" Hate NYC on Friday and Sat night, really do. Just hungry brat wanna rant, ok. F--k all 3 stars, two stars....
Ok, I settled for da Jean George's bitch instead, yeah Jojo the one porn star, I meant one Michelin Star. And u know what? Openning@ 530? I take it!. I ate my dinner @ 530am for the first time in my life. Thank god, no sunlight shining. would be weird. . "All sold out" Damn, new york city! Oh, damn Yankee too.
Ok, I had Foie Gras Brulee with Pineapple compote -rock on, Goat Cheese Terrine - rock too. Slapped it harder with sweet potato ravioli - rock the boat! Follow by duck breast recommended by a hot chica server - rock it on and on and on. I trusted her and she told the truth. I will give her two Michelin star, no hesitation. Wanted to have dessert but opted out for dessert else where instead. Molten Cake here is signature though. Bread was nice, service was good. We love chickpea fries and broccoli rabe too, with two glass of Bordeux and Tang.10 n' Tonic..
The night with Jojo cost me ...plus 25% tips = 165 Ka Ching! Not bad @ all. I would not be able to afford 3 porn star Daniel, Gotham, and all that high class dinning ho for dinner for 1.
Jojo is in service for over 10 years now. You probably expect, she is all bangged up but she is fine.
Ok, enough of this ho ho jo jo comparison. My mom would give me a black eye if she know I enjoyed hoho & Jojo. This place is a date spot. Charming decor inside a town house. This isn't a ho in the wall but a ho in the hall kinda place. I would simply tell you"
Go there !".
Had an amazing friday-night dinner here. It was restaurant week, but it doesn't matter because if you come after 9:30pm they always have a $35 prix fixe.
The food is fresh, the atmosphere is nice, and the service is great. We had eaten at Nougatine earlier in the week and felt JoJo to be much much nicer.
I went to JoJo during Opentable's "Appetite Stimulus" Week and had a great meal. They have a $35 dinner prix fixe menu all the time (between 5:30-6:30 and after 9 PM), and this is what I ordered from. The converted town house location and plush furnishings make it very cozy (we sat downstairs, but upstairs looked nice too). The service was very professional without being snooty, and the food is very good.
I had the butternut squash soup, which was very tasty, and the chicken roasted with ginger, also good - but I wasn't in love with it. For dessert, of course (my favorite dessert), warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. It's hard to mess this up, and Jean Georges definitely has it right. The highlight of the meal, interestingly enough, was the cappuccino I had with dessert. It was the best cappuccino I've ever had. It didn't need sugar or milk; it was perfect by itself. I would go back for that reason alone.
JoJo is comfortable and inviting enough to be a regular dinner spot, but also luxurious enough for a special occasion. Come for the food and the relaxing atmosphere - but don't forget to try the cappuccino.
I have mixed feelings giving this 4 stars. Really... this is a 3.5 star, 3.75 star or something below my typical 4.
I had the peekytoe crab meat and the codfish. The food was good but wasn't exactly memorable. Also, I wish they would refill the bread basket without having to ask (think Gordon Ramsay's a the London :p) Inside, it's a really cosy, quaint, yet lovely place... somehow... the overall experience is just a.i.g.h.t.
JoJo lost a star on my last visit.
JoJo offers upscale French comfort food in a charming townhouse setting. The servers are usually very good; I underscore the word "usually." The food is usually good; I underscore the word "usually." Chances are good that you will usually have a terrific experience.
So this is what happens when your experience falls outside the normal distribution curve:
1) You arrive on time for your rez, but your table isn't ready yet. And when it is winter, you don't really want to wait outside. So get ready for a hair-raising game of Dodgeball. You will have to..."Excuse me sir!"...dodge servers picking up their drink orders, avoid the..."Behind you!"...coat check lady, move from other..."Excuse me!"...patrons leaving, move from other patrons entering, and dodge..."Could you step aside?"...the hostess.
I was damn tempted to snare the cocktails off one tray that whizzed by my face. I could've used a drink at that point.
Things were better once we were seated. Luscious Wild Mushroom Soup with chestnuts. Even better Duck Breast cooked sous-vide.
Everything forgotten...until dessert.
2) Ordered a caramelized banana tart. Slam dunk, right? Noooo-ho-ho-ho. The kitchen ran out of ripe bananas and tried to slip me an unripe banana instead. An unripe banana kinda tips you off that it's UNRIPE! First, the texture is crunchy. Second, it tastes sour. Third, the banana was so unripe that the sugar failed to caramelize on the surface.
Wait...here comes the best part. The server's response when I alerted her? "The dessert is supposed to be tough because they brulee the top with sugar." Oh, I see. So when I tried to slice the banana with my knife and it shot 20 feet across the room it was because of the sugar.
Lady, give me a freakin' break.
She reluctantly removed the dessert from my bill and did so as if to suggest that I "owed" her one. She made eye contact expecting me to say,"Thank you so much!" Hello? I didn't eat my dessert. Should I be expected to pay?
It's moments like that when I understand where Larry David finds his material.
So I hope the next time you dine at JoJo you fall into the "usually" category; JoJo is def 4 stars in those cases.
I had a very enjoyable meal here. And four stars, even though I am not sure I'd be eager to return. I mean, the food was delicious, the service was friendly. Maybe it's the decor? It wasn't bad, but it was slightly like my grandmother's house. I mean, my grandmother's house is very lovely, but I'm just one to prefer wood to plush furnishings, I guess. I did think that the chairs were uncomfortable. But who I am to discredit four starts to on the basis of uncomfortable chairs:
1. Butternut squash soup - this was really so awesome.
2. Short ribs - served with mushrooms and a celery root puree, I think. Quite tasty also.
3. Tried some of my friend's dessert, he got the a creme fraiche cheesecake. It was very delicious, served with berries in a nice tarte sauce and some ice cream.
yum yum yum.
Came here with family for a Prix-fix brunch. Overall a good meal, but food isn't as good as Perry St. The space is a bit too small and stuffy, and the service was a bit slow. Then again it is Saturday brunch...
Their bread was warm & delicious! The free bread at the beg. of a meal is very important to me, and their flavored sodas are also worth trying. For my first dish, I chose the sweet potato ravioli which was OK. The texture was buttery but a bit too sweet for my taste. I also tried my sister's crab cake which I thought was good, but the shrimp salad was meh. I also ordered the codfish which was delicious! My sister had the salmon which I didn't think was as good as my fish and my brother in law ordered the hangar steak. He said it was good, but the portions were a bit too small for him. We all ordered the warm chocolate cake - which was VERY chocolatey. If you're into chocolate, then def. recommend it (but still thought it was a bit too sweet and rich since I like my chocolate dark and bitter).
It was a good deal, and since this promotion is year-round, I will probably be coming back!
3.5 stars. I have been to Jojo on two separate occasions- once for brunch and the second time for dinner. I thought that the regular brunch menu here was reasonably priced, and although selections were limited, the quality of the food was very good. I would say that their eggs benedict and smoked salmon are pretty solid dishes.
The restaurant is located in a little two-storey townhouse, and there is a frenchy "lady and the tramp" feel to the place, particularly at night when all the candles are lit.
The service is a little inconsistent. The waiters on my first visit were more attentive than they were the second time around. On my second trip here for dinner, we had to wait almost half an hour to get our drinks, breadsticks and menus delivered to our table.
One of the highlights of my meal- the complimentary breadsticks and butter (and I am not the only person to comment on this). I ate a loaf worth of breadsticks on my last visit, and I wasn't even starving to begin with.
If this is your first time to Jojos, I suggest that you order the roast chicken. There is so much good stuff going on with that dish that I have no idea how they inject all that flavour into one chicken. However, chickpea fries that came on the side were disappointing. I have never had a chickpea fry, but these ones tasted like funky fish nuggets.
Another disappointment was the red snapper. My waitress highly recommended that dish, however, I thought that it was boring and unfulfilling.
Desserts do have a wow factor. I usually decide to have the warm molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream and the one served here is close to perfection.
Overall, Jojo is a great place to impress a date, but being a Jean-Georges restaurant, i did expect alot more from them than from what I experienced.
First off, there is zero entry way space. The "bar" is laughable in that there is no way a sane human being would want to sit in the small (2 seater?) bar behind the coat check girl and next to a half-dozen wait staff darting in and out.
The food was good, but why oh why was everything a pairing of fruit and savory? I love food, but this is one pairing I just have never gotten behind. The chicken (with some sweet fruity glaze...) was fine. The chickpea fries reminded me of food I get in Curry Hill for 1/6th of the price. My friend loved the squash soup (bacony).
Overall, it's fine, but if you're going to go for a nice dinner, I can think of many other places I'd rather go first...especially w/o the schlep to the UES.
I recently took a group of 15 to JoJo for prixe fix menu Brunch and I will admit it was a very good experience, not perfect but very good!
First of all I really appreciated the fact that the staff at JoJo was willing to accomodate 2 last minute additions to our party and were able to seat us all comfortably. Given the premium on space in NYC restaurants that is quite a feat in itself.
The service was excellent, we had a really nice waitress that worked really hard to cater to the needs of our group. In our party we had three children who got seated at a separate table, and the waitress took the time to pay extra attention to them and helped them order for themselves.
The setting and decor in JoJo is quaint and comforting, so good marks on that front.
The only thing that robs them of a star and this is a big thing is that the food wasn't memorable, it was just good, with some dishes being excellent ( I recommend the steak) and some being just ok. Also for the amount of money that got spent, several members of our party left feeling hungry shortly after the meal, I would blame the disproportinate portions of some dishes. Some dishes were sizeable while others were not, and depending on which two plates the people picked they ended up with a completely different experience. Some left well fed and satisfied and some stopped to grab a gyro an hour after leaving the restaurant.
So I am truly torn about giving JoJo a 3 star, I wish I could give it more, but clearly the food is the most important thing when one considers how good a place is and on that front JoJo was lacking.
Absolutely a great find and a fantastic, memorable dining experience!
We tried the prix-fix menu during Restaurant week and were very impressed. The food was excellent. The decor was cozy and service was friendly- accommodating our lil one and stroller.
Hooray for small plate brunches that make you feel like you are being sensible!
To start, the staff were extremely accommodating as we showed up late for our reservation. And by we I mean half of my party that actually bothered to show up. (side note: thanks a lot, jerk friends!) The server was gracious and did not show annoyance/impatience with us at all. Maybe because I was doing that for her by continually bitching about our flaky friends. Regardless.
I ordered a bloody mary that was pretty good and tasted like it was not from a mix. The $9 price tag wasn't as bad a I was expecting either. From the brunch prix fixe menu ($24.07) you can order 2 small plates and a dessert. I picked the butternut squash soup and the prawns with lemon risotto.
The soup (my friend I both ordered it) came hot out of a kettle into our bowls that were already decorated with chives, mushrooms and a few pieces of butternut squash. The soup was delicious - creamy, rich and the perfect amount of salt. I usually find gourd soups either too salty or sweet but this was just right. The prawns came over a bed of lemon risotto shortly thereafter. The prawns were cooked to perfection - and considering I don't usually order seafood I was very satisfied. The risotto was a bit undercooked (for risotto) - I know it is hard to cook risotto but I expect a little bit better. Don't serve it if you can't make it right!
Then dessert time. We got the sorbet plate and the currant mousse plate. Both were delicious and worth the extra hour of working out I'm about to embark on. The sorbet trio were really fruit, fresh and delicious. The currant mouse was awesome and also came with a roasted pear and some pear sorbet (which was my favorite part actually). Both were well done but not overwhelming for a brunch time dessert.
All in all I had a very nice experience. Minus one star for my Top Chef-esque staunchness on how risotto should be cooked.
They've extended Restaurant Week until Labor Day. The $35+ prix fixe dinner is an incredible value, but dining here is always very special because the staff is so friendly and courteous and the cuisine is first rate.
Arriving earlier than my dining partner because of the impending storm last night, the waitstaff could not have been friendlier. My waiter was very attentive, and so was every other waiter who passed my table. Each one said "Hello, how are you this evening?" as they walked to their own assigned table. You know, usually you're invisible to waiters who don't expect a tip!
The skate fish and skirt steak were fabulous (we shared) and the desserts of cherries jubilee and the warm chocolate flourless cake and vanilla ice cream just oozed with deliciousness. I wish I could go back right now!
Very quick review for this wonderful restaurant. You MUST try the Chick Pea Fries.
Order them as an appetizer and as a side. Watch your companions closely while they attempt to take more than one of YOUR Chick Pea Fries. Better yet, have them order them also and take theirs. Really.
I had a Green Pea Soup. There's no way on earth Green Pea Soup shouls taste this good - clever use of mild spice.
Home made Ginger Ale was perfect.
The Ravioli was good, but I understand that the steak was the "best ever" until we went to Mikes. Now they're both equally good.
Hey! Did you take one of my Chick Pea Fries???
I love the interior - like going back 100 years in time. Without the TB, of course.
Service was excellent. Everyone is attentive and very good humored. I wanted to adopt our hostess.
This was second time here and I've decided this will be a "must visit" place for every NY trip.
Oh, and you can see the former-Madoff apartment across the street. While you eat YOUR Chick Pea Fries.
Went here for prix fix dinner during Restaurant Week and had a wonderful experience. JoJo is a small place, very intimate and cozy, but it didn't seem overcrowded. Other reviews have described it as stuffy or matronly, but we didn't feel that way at all. There was a mix of young and old, groups and couples, the night we were there.
Our service was very good and friendly. We were running late for our reservation (rush hour traffic) but they were happy to hold the table until we got there. During diner, service was very attentive without being annoying.
The food was the real highlight, though. The butternut squash soup was a revelation, and this from someone who doesn't really like squash. The hanger steak was cooked to perfection and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And don't get me started on the desserts: the chocolate cake was heaven on a plate and my wife's was a celebration of fruit goodness. The only disappointment: the frites were good but not even close to Thomas Keller (but then who's are?)
Great food but the atmosphere is a bit stuffy. Like others have said, it is a predominantly older crowd. I don't have a problem with that but my date and I's conversations sometimes veer off to the land of innappropriate'ness, and with the tables being so close to one another, I'm not sure our neighbors truly enjoyed our company.
But as long as you don't mind old people and weren't raised by wolves, it is a nice date spot if you want to impress without spending TOO much money. The Peekytoe Crab appetizer was delicious... mmm, mango and crabmeat. I had the slow baked salmon as an entree which was good, but nothing special. What we didn't get were the fries... which was a bad move on our part. Both tables on either side of us were tempting us with those delicious looking fries all night. It took most of my self restraint to keep myself from reaching over to snag some fries from their basket.
It's hard to please during Restaurant Week, and JoJo delivered. Service was prompt and gracious, even though we decided not to drink with dinner. The tuna spring rolls with the wasabi-infused dressing were not only tasty but beautifully presented, the steak was perfectly cooked and flavored with earthy mushrooms, the asparagus was crisp and not at all stringy, the french fries were meaty and crunchy on the outside, and WOW did the raspberry sorbet with wafers and tea-flavored ice cream ever hit the spot.
I will be back.
So delicious! And I didn't find the atmosphere stuffy at all (maybe because it was a little late..??).
I tried the tuna roll and the sirloin steak and found them both to be really tasty. The cod also gets great ratings. I would steer away from the salmon though, definitely not the highlight of their menu.
The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because it was so very very veryyyy hot in there! We almost left, and so I almost cried- I wanted my french fix!- so we stayed. (yeayyy)
The staff was very nice, patient with indecisive people such as myself and attentive. Can't complain there!
For a consistently good meal I would highly recommend JoJo to anyone.
This was a great find! 4.5/5.
This doesn't seem to be one of Jean George's big player restaurants but it's a gem all the same.
A friend and I came here on a Friday night for a little catch up session and I must give him major kudo points for the pick.
It has a slight "secret member society" feel to it- very discreetly tucked amongst the luxurious townhouses of New York's elite.
The decor is fantastic. Very hush hush and draped in soft sky blue and gold. There is a black iron staircase and a tiny coat check place and a "bar". It's like being invited to the home of someone divinely rich. Minus the uncomfortable meet and greet.
We opted for the winter tasting menu and a wonderful bottle of white.
The wine was fantastic- delicious pear and peach tones nicely mixed with a warm honey aftertaste. I forgot to ask for the cork so a revisit will be necessary.
JG is very much about flavor and instead of highlighting one aspect of a dish, he always puts emphasize on perfection on all. There are no supporting roles when it comes to any of his ingredients.
We started with some warm bread. Perfectly crisp on the outside but soft and fresh on the inside.
Our appetizer course was a tuna roll. It was great!
Fresh (and I mean FRESH) tuna rolled with greens and encased in a crispy shell. It was served with edamame beans and a soy/wasabi emulsion. This was probably the lightest JG dish I've ever tried.
Next was a red snapper dish sitting in a pool of deliciousness.
Broth lightly infused with carrots, cumin and maybe some good quality EVOO. It was citrusy but not as heavy on lemon tart but maybe more on tangerine. Combined with some nice, sweet white raisins, it made for a very innovative dish.
Our main course was Venison. I've never had it before and I'm not a big red meat eater but my New Year's resolution is to try something new every week. So.....guess what this week's was?
Like how frog legs taste like chicken (I don't believe it) Venison really does taste like beef. Lean and very tasty.
It came with wonderful fingerling potatoes and yellow caps of...plums?
Garnished with crunchy cabbages and beautiful red pomegranate seeds JG really got stars for flavor and presentation.
We ended with a reliably delicious JG warm chocolate flourless cake with vanilla ice cream.
I really liked their service. When my friend went to the restroom, they gave us our appetizers. Mine presented on the plate and his covered with a metal dome awaiting his return. How considerate is that?
Also, they paid much attention to the flow of the course of the meal, orchestrating with their runners/servers and sommeliers along with unnoticeable water refills and napkin folds.
Overall this was a great meal. Although the menu itself wasn't terribly innovative, the tasting menu was wonderful and I would definitely recommend this to friends. As I always believe, 50% of a great meal is wonderful company, but when presentation, service, and beautiful decor make up almost a perfect other 50%...that truly makes for a note-worthy meal.
I booked a reservation on http://Opentable.com for a lunch with my mom at Jojo's after noticing their Michelin star (and to take advantage of their $24.07 pre-fix lunch special). Jojo called the next morning reminding/confirming the reservation.
I didn't especially like the atmosphere. I felt like the youngest person there and the only guy besides the waiters. It was a weekday and it seemed like it was all Upper East Side ladies lunching at the time I went. My mom didn't mind.
I started with a ravioli, freshly prepared. I believe they were filled with asparagus. I definitely liked the filling and how there were several tastes with the same dish: the asparagus filling, the cheese, and the mushroom sauce.
I ordered the salmon, which was a very successful choice. The salmon was fresh tasting and very smooth. It was cooked just right. The cut the restaurant chose was very well prepared: very moist and it surprisingly had a very light feeling. The salmon was definitely the highlight of the meal.
Dessert was a Napoleon with a scoop of peach ice cream. The Napoleon was good but it was the peach ice cream that made the dessert stick out. It actually tasted like a peach!
My sister and I ended up here as my first outing for restaurant week in NYC. I liked that it seemed like you were almost walking into someone's home since it was in such a residential nook. It was cozy and romantic, which made me laugh since it wasn't exactly a romantic evening out on the town ;-)
Anyhow, I was pleased with the selection offered with restaurant week. I started off with their salmon appetizer, which was good -- I'm just not a huuuuge fan of smoked salmon when not married with cream cheese and bread. They just belong together IMHO. But I will say this restaurant has some of the best tasting simplest French bread. I wanted to ask for round two, but abstained...
For the main course, I opted for their chicken, which was roasted with ginger and coriander. It came with these chick pea fries which were almost arranged like lincoln logs into a little house. Love it. Haven't had a chance yet, but I'm posting a picture of that - A+ presentation and equivalent on taste. Mmmm. The seasoning was such a unique pairing. I can't think of the last time I was so impressed with sauce on simple chicken. Fabulous.
Dessert was the basic chocolate lava cake, which was served with that perfect degree of warmth. It was accompanied by some sort of very thin wafer of sorts. It was almost like someone had taken a waffle cone and shaved it down to a super thin sheet. It only came with one little sliver about two inches in diameter. If I have one complaint, it would be that the portion size on this little wafer? Yeah, it should be upgraded. Most definitely.
Overall, fabulous service. Loved the ambiance. Would *love* to be taken on a date here. Wish the restaurant week prices were around oh in general and then I'd come back more frequently. Liked this one a lot.
The first thing I saw when I walked into JoJo was a dusty middle-aged Eastside-ocrat clutching her pearls. Yes, folks, she was CLUTCHING HER PEARLS. I nearly lost it. My boyfriend did.
Our experience was consistent with this first impression. The low ceilings, dim lighting, carpets, upholstered chairs, and closely cramped tables were claustrophobic. To say nothing of the tacky Chinese folding screens that stood in each corner of the room. Amateur feng shui? I thought I might asphyxiate on the must.
The food, fortunately, was exquisite. The most beautifully balanced sweet potato ravioli; succulent venison "poire au lard" (pears and bacon fat, I mean, what's not to love?); an excellent wine recommendation from the waiter; and, as expected, a perfect chocolate cake for dessert.
If you can manage to ignore the larded business men and their brittle wives, the Gossip-Girl rejects and the scent of mothballs, then the food is worth it.
Biere de Garde: Beer Dinners!
Neighborhood: Nolita
Happy Hour !
Neighborhood: Long Island City
New York, NY
Category: French
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Category: French
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Category: French
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Category: American (New)
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