San Diego's Jeune et Jolie: Michelin-starred French cuisine

I’ve always been somewhat disappointed with French cuisine in the U.S. and wouldn’t normally choose it, but after hearing extremely polarized reviews about this place from different friends, I became curious and decided to check it out myself 😏. 🍽️ Dining Experience: Started with a finger food: a savory corn pancake, not particularly memorable 😑. By the way, the piece that fell in the middle of the plate was knocked off by the server’s bracelet—staff training could use some improvement 🤦‍♀️. Crudo: Amberjack paired with a fruity sauce, tangy and appetizing~ Tartare: My first time trying lamb tartare! No gaminess, the lamb was diced small but retained some texture, served with apple and beet. I ordered it half out of curiosity, but it was delicious—highly recommend! After the appetizers, I was a bit worried it wouldn’t be enough, but the restaurant was prepared: they served each of us brioche with lemon butter, instantly taking us from 1% full to 50% full. The bread was pretty good though 😂. Sebaste: Scaled and seared fish! Put that knowledge from food shows to use—the scales didn’t have much flavor, but I wasn’t really into them.. The fish itself was sweet and fresh, and the sauce was tangy (continued to be appetizing), not bad~ Pigeonneau: The squab was fragrant! The skin was crispy! Delicious! 😋 The savory pie, however, was just okay, and I even thought the leek on top was a bit tough... Truite: The highlight of this dish—fresh matsutake mushrooms! So aromatic and delicious, but the sauce was way too salty, to the point where I couldn’t even taste the fish. Mentioned it when the plate was cleared, but nothing came of it 😅. Porc: This little pig 🐷 died a worthy death! So flavorful, with a sweet and sour sauce that didn’t overpower. Mascarpone Cheesecake: Much lighter than the cream cheese version, delicious. The sorbet, though, was overly sweet—could only handle one bite 🍰. Chocolate Cake: Slightly bitter chocolate, very good. Paired with ice cream that had a unique North American herbal flavor—unusual but recommended 👍 Another finger food: puff pastry with cheese filling and black truffle slices. The flavors weren’t very balanced, a bit too salty. Ended with truffle chocolates and almond cookies. Why do U.S. fine dining spots always have to end with a blood sugar spike? 🍫 Cocktail French 75: Tasted like slightly alcoholic lemon water—skip it 🚫. 💫 Overall Impression: Considering the price, it was pretty good! But I’d say the flavors lean more toward American fusion than French cuisine. The vibe here is very casual, with a diverse background music playlist ranging from hip-hop to African dance tunes—a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere! 🎵 #SanDiegoEats #FoodAndFun #SanDiego