June 23
Melisse. Go there. But first arrange for a second mortgage or, better, go with someone who has a lot more money than you do and plenty of cash on hand.
Like Valentino, to get the full effect you need to go for the ‘Chef’s Carte Blanche’ which is not on the menu in either place and means that course by course small portions of extraordinary food just keeps coming.
I do think a classic kaiseki/omakase meal from a top chef is beyond comparison, but these two places, Valentino and Melisse, offer a similar gasping experience and Western cuisine.