Le Bernardin

25 Iconic Dishes That Define NYC

"The Dish: Thinly Pounded Yellowfin Tuna This light yet decadent starter is a constant on the menu at French seafood titan Le Bernardin in Midtown, and we hope it never leaves. First, yellowfin tuna is pounded thin, until it resembles stained glass, or possibly the world's most expensive Fruit Roll-Up. The translucent fish is draped over a precise rectangle of toasted baguette spread with foie gras mousse, and finally brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with chives. It's rich, earthy, sweet, bright, yet totally balanced—and even in the face of foie, the tuna improbably remains the star. This is what surf and turf was always meant to be." - bryan kim, sonal shah, willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, neha talreja