Telepan - Good, not amazing, definitely overpriced!

We added Telepan  (72 West 69th St. between Columbus and Central Park West) to our Restaurant list after hearing about it on TV. We were really looking forward to trying the Lobster Bolognese, which they are known for, but we had heard that they don't always have it, so we were already concerned going in.

We figured it would be a perfect Saturday night dinner date with two other couples because it is conveniently located on the UWS. 

Upon entering, the place was extremely crowded, but definitely felt like a great date spot. I liked how there were different rooms and areas so that no room felt loud and rowdy. Unfortunately our table was in a tight corner where it was difficult for anyone at our table of 6 to get up to use the bathroom. Also, this corner may be the reason that our service was painfully slow. We aren't the type of people that like to rush in and out, but a 3 1/2 hour dinner is a little extreme. 

Amuse Bouche - Parsnip Soup

We were all given an amuse bouche to start of parsnip soup to cleanse our palate. This was a nice touch, although it wasn't anything amazing, just ok.

Duck Terrine

Duck terrine with mustard 3 ways, and pickled green tomatoes.

My fiancé and I shared two appetizers and an entree. Our first appetizer was very underwhelming, and we both expected so much more for a duck terrine type of dish. I even noticed that this dish is no longer on the menu, and has been changed to a foie grois terrine, and I am sure for very good reason. The duck was lacking seasoning and the typical duck flavor, and we both felt as though we were just eating bites of minced meat. The full seed mustard added nothing to the dish, and its flavor was overpowering and took away from the duck. The other mustards were much better, along with the pickled tomatoes. I would say that this dish thrived in presentation, rather than flavor and excitement.

House-made Mozzarella

Mozzarella, peperonata, broccoli rabe & garlic bread. 

Our second appetizer, the House-made mozzarella was our favorite dish that we had. The mozzarella was extremely creamy and was accompanied with broccoli rabe, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic bread. The bitterness of the broccoli rabe was a nice offset to the creamy glutinous flavor of the mozzarella. The garlic, pepper and onion mixture added the right amount of garlic flavor to the dish!

Lobster Bolognese

Spaghetti, light herbs & shallot-garlic-tomato broth with a lobster tail.

For our entree, we ordered the Lobster Bolognese, which we were so excited to try since it was featured on the TV show that we saw. The lobster was lacking in flavor and the dish was extremely small! I know a lobster tail can only be up to a certain size, but the spaghetti that accompanied the lobster was lacking in quantity and my fiancé was left very hungry! The garlic, tomato, and herb broth was pleasant, but we both felt that there should have been more of it. 

It's not that I wouldn't go back to Telepan, but I am in no rush, and there are plenty of other fish in the sea! Also, the price wasn't worth the ticket of entry.