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Expectations are high at Per Se--and that goes both ways. You are expected to come when they'll have you--you might be put on standby for four nights, only to win a 10pm Tuesday spot--and fork over $150 a head if you cancel. You're expected to wear the right clothes, pay a non-negotiable service charge, and pretend you aren't eating in a shopping mall. The restaurant, in turn, is expected to deliver one hell of a tasting menu for $250 ($280 if you want foie gras). And it does. Dish after dish is flawless and delicious, if not altogether surprising, beginning with Thomas Keller's signature salmon tartare cone and luxe oysters-and-caviar starter. Have you tasted steak with mashed potatoes and Swiss chard, or burrata cheese with olive oil drizzled on top, or chocolate brownies with coffee ice cream? Possibly. Have you had them this good? Unlikely. In the end, it's all worth every penny (as long as someone else is paying). The a la carte option in the lounge, meanwhile, offers miserly portions at high prices, making it even more of a splurge than the celebrated tasting menu available in the formal dining room.

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