Princeton eateries cook way into New York Times guide

Though Princeton is located between two cities known for their cuisine — New York and Philadelphia — it is not always regarded as a hub of fine dining. But that seems to be changing.

Three Princeton restaurants were listed in The New York Times' Dec. 29 guide to dining out in New Jersey. The three — Ajihei Japanese Restaurant, Lahiere's and Le Plumet Royal — were all rated "very good" in a list of 48 New Jersey restaurants with ratings ranging from very good to exceptional.

The restaurants reviewed in the dining guide had all received commendation in past issues of the Times, said Karla Cook, one of the reporters who compiled the guide.

There are "very optimistic signs about the Princeton restaurant scene," Cook said.

Lahiere's owner Joe Christen said that in the past five years the number of restaurants along Nassau Street has increased dramatically.

"[Fifteen years ago] there wasn't a whole lot going on in town," Christen said.

Christen is the third generation in his family to own and operate Lahiere's, which has been open on Witherspoon Street since 1919. He said the main challenge for his restaurant is striking a balance between preserving tradition and "not becoming a dinosaur."

"Princeton is relatively conservative still," Christen said. Yet even as Lahiere's avoids dramatic changes, it also tries to continually update its menu.

Christen noted that the restaurant looks to New York and San Francisco, current restaurant hubs, for the latest dining trends and innovations.

Traditionally, Lahiere's has served classic French cuisine, but Christen said that for the past 15 years the menu has been "contemporary American-French with a lot of European influence."

Lahiere's attracts a mixed clientele, including local residents and business customers and people from the University, Christen said.

Le Plumet Royal also serves French cuisine with a focus on fine dining. The restaurant is located in the Peacock Inn, a historic landmark at 20 Bayard Rd. that dates from 1775.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

"You definitely have to keep up with all the trends," sales director Donna Roberts said. She added, however, that Le Plumet Royal seeks to appeal to the local community without trying to compete with the New York or Philadelphia restaurant scenes.

Much of Le Plumet Royal's clientele is corporate, Roberts said, including departments from the University. She added that the restaurant also attracts other community members and hosts special events.

"Princeton being an upscale area allows upscale dining," Roberts said.

Ajihei Japanese Restaurant on Chambers Street is the newest arrival of the three to Princeton. Ajihei focuses on sushi, and its current clientele consists mostly of non-University community members, Ajihei operator Koji Kitamura said.

There are plans in the wings for a new branch, which would be located on Nassau Street and focus on catering to University students, Kitamura said.

The new restaurant would offer sushi and noodle dishes, and would supplement the current branch of Ajihei, which is "too small to take care of takeout," Kitamura said.

The proposed new branch is pending landlord approval, and will probably open later this year, Kitamura added.

Many students make use of local restaurants for both elegant evenings with visiting parents and casual dining or takeout.

Maggie Dillon '06 said she was excited about Ajihei's possible expansion, adding that she likes having ethnic dining options.

Matt Gold '06 said even though Princeton does not offer the range of options he has in New York City, it is nice to have places to dine with parents.

Rather than viewing the enlarged local dining scene as new competition for his own restaurant, Christen said it brings in more customers. The increased business is "good for all of us," he said.