Exquisite banquets for up to 200 guests, prepared à la minute within a 10-minute window? RATIONAL makes it possible at Le Bernardin in New York City, the venerable French restaurant that has served discerning diners for over three decades.
Decorated chef and co-owner Eric Ripert has overseen the kitchen at Le Bernardin since 1994. When he was just 29, the restaurant earned a coveted four-star rating from the New York Times. Twenty years later, Le Bernardin received another New York Times four-star rating, its fifth consecutive, becoming the only restaurant to achieve this status for two decades without dropping a star.
Le Bernardin Privé is the newest addition to Le Bernardin’s private dining options, located across the Galleria just steps from the restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. Sophisticated and vibrant, the space hosts a variety of private events, and the dynamic design, accented with contemporary art, reflects the signature style of Le Bernardin.
In early 2022, Chef Ripert oversaw installation of two new RATIONAL iCombi Pros in the Privé banquet kitchen.
“From when I started my career to when I started at Le Bernardin, to today, we have seen technology changing the life of the kitchen, the energy of the kitchen,” he says. “It is slowly but surely changing the dynamic of our kitchens for the better.”
“It takes a lot of effort to be able to create the experience for clients, taking high risks because it’s all handmade; there are a lot of movements and moving parts,” Chef Ripert says. “RATIONAL eliminates a lot of those elements and makes it extremely precise, so the cooks are much more relaxed. It enables an environment with fewer employees, who depend on technology more, giving them a precision that we will never have just by looking at what we are doing, even with years of experience.”
“Consistency is very important, as we mentioned before,” he says. “The technology of RATIONAL is helping us do all those dishes that were stressful and risky.”
“Today it is basically zero risk, and in terms of stress, it is a walk in the park. You put everything in the oven, you program it, it comes out, you put it on a plate, it goes out to the clients, it’s perfectly cooked, and that’s it. Done!”