While I might not be old enough to eat at Jamin, Joël Robuchon's legendary restaurant prior to his early retirement in 1995, I have been fortunate to have visited several of his formal gastronomy restaurants in particular the ones in Asia. On the contrary, I rarely ate at his more casual restaurant - the L'Atelier - a concept Robuchon created upon his "comeback" in 2003, inspired by the sushi counter / tapas bar. In this 'workshop', the setting was more relaxed with an open kitchen, emphasizing more direct interaction between the staffs (including the chefs) and the customers. The food was generally still serious but the atmosphere was more convivial. The tradition of gold and white in classical and luxurious French gastronomy was replaced by the bold colors of red and black. One of the main reasons I eventually came this place was because L'Atelier JR Hong Kong has been in operation for more than a decade and somehow managed to gain and keep the 3-star Michelin for 10 years or so albeit HK Michelin is 'very generous'. I thought perhaps there's something special here, therefore I decided to have a meal here in March this year.
It has been a while for me to dine and be seated in a counter for eating non-Japanese food. I already made up my mind that I would order the tasting menu (I often "study" the menu a few days before visiting any gastronomy restaurant) as I have not tried more than half of the dishes there. The meal began with the staff brought a bread basket, freshly baked daily in the premise. The variety and quality were actually about on par with the ones found in JR restaurant served in the trolley. To ensure I could fully enjoy my degustation menu, I only tried a few of the bread such as cheese, tomato, spinach and bacon baguette. Following that, the kitchen delivered an amuse-bouche. That night, it was a bowl of white asparagus espuma served with chorizo, bell peppers, croutons, asparagus, and basil. It was refreshing, light yet full of (early Spring) flavors. Then come the 'real' dishes below,
Menu Découverte (Discovery Menu)
Le Caviar Imperial de Sologne servi en surprise (A surprise of Sologne Imperial caviar) - A meal at any Robuchon's restaurant would almost always start with a caviar dish. It was a familiar plating of Sologne caviar served in a tin; underneath the salty roes was predominantly lobster jelly. There were also some cauliflower cream and a little Alaskan crab. It was good though I found the ratio of the jelly vs crab meat was not balanced (too much gelee) and I slightly preferred the one in the past when served with (plenty of) fennel cream and perfumed by star anise
La Saint-Jacques la noix juste poêlée au coulis chaud de truffe et ses graines de potiron en cristalline (Pan-seared scallop with black truffle coulis and crispy pumpkin seeds) - The Hokkaido scallop was perfectly cooked, sweet and a bit raw inside. It was beautifully complimented by slices of the earthy Perigord truffle, musky and rather intense truffle coulis, as well as creamy + savory pumpkin sauce. It was an elegant dish displaying 'late' Winter specialty - the black truffle
La Truffe Noire sur un œuf coque sans coque doré et nacré aux copeaux de parmesan (Soft boiled egg on golden pearl rice with black truffle and parmesan shavings) - Another and more serious Perigord truffle dish. The egg was perfectly cook and its runny yolk was in harmony with earthy and pungent shavings of Tuber melanosporum and crisp sticky rice cake. The parmesan, a little lemon juice and spinach provided accents to this delicious dish. To let the black truffles shine, a simple course was often better
Accompanied by wine: Ruinart brut Rose NV (tasty and round champagne with fine structure, soft & creamy; fruity, fresh and vibrant with pretty pink color)
Le Homard cardinalisé au beurre salé, petits pois princesse et baby bok choy, escorté d’une bisque épicée (Grilled Maine lobster with green peas and baby bak choy) - My picture of the dish was probably not as good as its taste. The beautifully salted grilled lobster was firm and savory; even better when you put the lobster with the rich, piquant and creamy bisque (+ saffron taste). The flavorful dish was balanced by the fresh & sweet peas, thick & mild bak choy and cabbage + squid ink tuile. Meticulously cooked lobster with wonderful sauce ... that's all you need for a very comforting dish
Le Black Cod ravigoté au poivre noir de Malabar et son émulsion au lait de coco (Black cod with Malabar black pepper sauce and coconut emulsion) - The cod, previously marinated in miso, was succulent and flaky. It was the kind of fish that people easily fell in love with. The pepper sauce and coconut emulsion made this dish to be even more flavorful and rounded. Delicate fish served in the right size - an a la carte portion would be too much for me
Accompanied by wine: 2016 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Clos de L'Oratoire (relatively young white, full body, delicate, apple and pear aroma, good minerality, nice pairing with the black cod)
Le Bœuf japonais tranché, mitonnée d’asperges vertes et oignons nouveaux (Pan seared Japanese A3 Wagyu beef with green asparagus and baby onions) - A3 was sufficient for me and I thought it's more ideal for a steak. The beef (sirloin) was still tender and a bit burnt on the outside. By itself, the meat was alright - would be better when combined with the sauce made of black pepper and the beef jus. Good and safe main course though not necessarily memorable ... perhaps, I should opt for the La Caille in the future
Accompanied by wine: 2013 Chianti Classico, Il Grigio Gran Selezione (refined red fruit & intensity, smooth and elegant in the palate, balanced in tannin & acidity; an awesome Italian red wine and it's even enjoyable to drink by itself as it's already 'mature')
Coco des Iles gelée de citron vert, croustillant de riz soufflé, sorbet noix de coco (Exotic-fruits with coconut mousse and sorbet) - The fruits (jelly) were mango and passion fruit; both were a little acidic on the contrary to the sweet coconut stuffs. A light creation that could act as either a dessert or a palate cleanser
Le Chocolat en bavarois à la Williamine et chocolat “JR~10~HK” crispy de Peta-Zeta (Pear compotes with Williamine, “JR~10~HK” chocolate shell and Peta Zeta) - I enjoyed the dark chocolate part - good flavor and texture. The pear was delicately sweet and a bit crisp, good by itself. The combination of the two ... more of interesting rather than a 'match in heaven'. I expected a better / more sophisticated dessert creation by Chef Robuchon
The meal would include mignardises and non-alcohol digestive in the end. The petit fours were nice; I had vanilla macaron, banana chocolate,
chocolate tart and madeleine cake. It was accompanied by an intense and
good quality hot chocolate. The wine list was remarkable as the
restaurant also owned by the Lisboa group whose collection in Robuchon
Macau receiving Grand Award from the wine spectator's - of course
matched by high price tag. The wine by the glass also showed an array of
choices; as per above info, I drank 3 glasses. The food was overall
well executed, flavorful, and presented in an elegant way. The simple
but still felt opulent ambiance created a sense of comfort. The front of
the house staffs were warmed, discreet and helpful, these made the
experience even better. Adriano Cattaneo, chef de cuisine, as well as
Anthony Au Yeung, the
restaurant manager also made efforts to entertain me. I think I was one
of the customers who left the latest. I may have preferred the Joel Robuchon
fine dining food, but all aspects considered, I truly enjoyed my meal
in this chic restaurant. I hope the L'Atelier and all other Robuchon
restaurants would still be able to perform at the high level even after
the master himself passed away earlier this month. Picture of the
dishes: Robuchon HK Mar '18
Food (and Wine): 94 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 95 pts
Overall: 94/100
Showing posts with label joel robuchon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label joel robuchon. Show all posts
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Joel Robuchon Singapore - 2nd visit
A few years has passed ... having dined in several different places in Singapore, I find there is (still) no better place to savor French haute (nouveau) cuisine at the island than Joel Robuchon restaurant. After my first visit in late 2011, I tried to come here once every two years; it didn't happen last year since I had a chance to have lunch at Robuchon au Dome. The Macau establishment was nice but I still prefer my experience at RWS. Similar to my previous visit, I designed my own menu a couple of weeks prior to my dinner. Jasmine, the restaurant's hostess since the opening, efficiently assisted my communication with Executive Chef Tomonori Danzaki. I noticed that the usual degustation menu's price had been decreased by about SGD 50 - Robuchon is known to be adaptable to the global economy and domestic market situation. On paper, I was very pleased with the arrangement but I miscalculated small things. Unlike my first visit, this time my menu contained some "trio" dishes, to be exact 3 of them - I counted them as 3 courses instead of 9 as I thought they would come in small size requiring 1-2 bites each. Actually, this time the portions were larger than my experience at the other Robuchon's restaurants (of course, I did not complain) in particular the salmon tartar with caviar as well as the black truffle tart with onion confit. Therefore, in total I ate 19 courses (4-5 more items than the 'normal' long tasting menu) during dinner that lasted until near midnight. Honestly, this is probably the "biggest" meal I've ever had in my life. However, the quality didn't disappoint at all. As a matter of fact, it unexpectedly went down to be my best dining experience in the whole Asia (& America) excluding Japan.
Degustation Menu
Pour Commencer arlette croustilla
Le Caviar Impérial sur un velouté de chou-fleur glacé tremblotan
Le Caviar Impérial en jubilé de crabe royal dans une onctuosité de fenouil (Imperial caviar on duo of king crab with fennel lightness and sea urchin) - The crab was a combinatio
Le Caviar Impérial avec le saumon en tartare agrémenté de jeunes pousses de shiso (Salmon tartar flavored with shiso sprouts served with Imperial caviar) - This beautifull
L’OEuf de Poule mollet friand, légèreté au fin comté et “Iberico de Bellota’’ (Crispy soft boiled egg with black truffle, comté cheese mousseline and ‛‛Iberico de Bellota’’) - The crispy crust was pleasant, but the black truffle and Spanish ham, prepared in shredded form, were a bit muted compared to the harmony taste produced by wonderful egg yolk core with flavorful parmesan and truffle mousseline 'sauce'; neverthele
Accompanied by wine: Champagne Veuve Clicquot Yellow Brut Label (Bubbles with full body flavors, intense aromas and fine acidity)
Truffe Noire en fine tarte croustilla
Truffe Noire avec le foie gras en millefeuil
Langoustin
La Noix de Saint-Jacq
La langoustin
Le homard sur une royale crémeuse au “château chalon” (Lobster on a “chateau chalon” royale) - The tasty lobster (in small portion) was nicely firm in flavorful & rich foam; the asparagus and other vegetables were alright. I didn't really like the lobster flan at the bottom ...
Le king crabe kadaïf en fritto au curry vert (King crab kadaif, green curry sauce) - A uncomplica
Accompanied by wine: 2008 Domaine Alain Voge Saint-Peray Fleur de Crussol (Smooth texture with some minerality; deep, creamy with lingering aftertaste)
Les Champignon
L’Amadai en duo d’artichau
Le Turbot rôti une étuvée de champignon
Le Canard et son foie gras à l’aigre doux de cerises et aux amandes fraîches (Duck and seared foie gras with cherries and fresh almond) - For the first time that my main course at Robuchon's gastronomy places was not Japanese beef. The Challans duck breast was tender but a bit too dry to my likeness; the duck liver was, as expected, creamy and delicious. My favorite part happened to be the seasonal and fresh cherries that brought harmony to the dish. There was rich and buttery mashed potato on the side
Accompanied by wine: 2007 Chateau de Cazeneuve Pic Saint-Loup Le Roc des Mates (Sweet nose with plenty of dark ripe fruits, full body and vibrant due to high acidity)
Les Fromages frais et affinés (Your choice from the cheese trolley) - As far as I know, this place has the best cheese selection available in Singapore. I chose 4 kinds: goat cheese, 24-month old comte, camembert (smooth & buttery) and roquefort (sharp and tangy). It's been ages since the last time I consumed excellent French cheese
Le Mojito créme madame à la menthe, ganité au rhum ambré et nuage de citron vert (Mint lightness with dark rum granite and lime emulsion) - Robuchon's take on classic cocktail. It rarely happened I enjoyed the first dessert (often work as palate cleanser) more than the second one. It's bright and acidic with a good minty; sweet and sour flavor were noticeable but not overwhelmi
Le Dôme sur un lit de fruits noirs, chocolat coulant au Dulcey (Berries on a delicate chocolate fondant and dulcey smoothness
Le Moka – Le Thé escortés de mignardises (Coffee or tea served with seductive sweets) - This time I had raspberry fruit tart, canele, opera and dragee/sugar coated almonds. In addition, I savored 4 different crisp macarons flavors, named black currant, orange blossom, mint and chocolate; they're very good. I drank tea created from a mixture of thyme and mint
Accompanied by wine: 2011 Charles Hours Jurançon Uroulat (Clear in gold color, refreshing, fragrance and complex - would taste better in 3 years time)
I know I would eat very well at any Joel Robuchon fine dining restaurants, but I never imagined it could reach such high points. Every course, using the finest ingredients available, was very well executed; even some of them was near perfection. It's one thing to be creative, but another thing to have flawlessly implement it. Salute to Chef Tomonori Danzaki and his brigade for meticulously and consistently preparing delicious dishes after dishes. I was not afraid to declare that Danzaki-san was Robuchon's most capable chef; it means that he's better than Verzeroli, Le Tohic and Semblat (in order of abilities based on my visits to their restaurants). Every small detail mattered and we could see it from both the food as well as the decor. On top of the black lacquer table with dark linen, there were several well-arranged crystals. Black and beige color dominated the dining room's lavish ambiance. Grand opulent chandeliers, huge vases for flower arrangements, and several antiques/paintings etc.; all of the elements were in harmony. A memorable haute cuisine experience in luxurious setting.
The service was impeccable throughout although the fine dining restaurant was understaffed, there were only 7-8 people served more than 30 diners (Possibly one of its busiest night ever). The sommelier Duboueix was sick and the restaurant manager Raguzzi was busy helping the l'Atelier. This time the wonderful service was delivered by Asian staffs: Sherika, a Filipina maitre d' who used to work at Robuchon Macau for a couple of years, and Kohmalan, an easy going Indian gentleman. They were not only sincere and helpful, but also able to engage in meaningful conversations since both of them possessed good knowledge about the food, the restaurant and the chefs. When I finished my black truffle symphony courses, Chef Danzaki inquired whether the food had not been 'too much'. To be honest, I was half full already but the kitchen was willing to adjust/reduce my initial tasting menu - a nice gesture that I politely declined. Near 11 PM (around the cheese course), Chef Danzaki visited me to make sure that everything was fine. He was gracious and seemed happy & curious that I managed to finish up everything. We were chatting for about 15 minutes; his English has improved tremendously. He explained that his favorite food was still Japanese cuisine and sometimes still went to Tokyo for working purposes. The staffs were proud of their jobs and committed to keep getting better. More than one occasion they asked me about the food, the service, how they do (compared to their competitors or among Robuchon places) and how they could improve. I hardly remember the last time a top gastronomy restaurant brought such questions.
Please check out the link below for the dishes' pictures, https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/JoelRobuchonSingapore2ndVisit
Food (and Wine): 97 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 96 pts
Overall: 96.5/100
Degustation Menu
Pour Commencer arlette croustilla
Le Caviar Impérial sur un velouté de chou-fleur glacé tremblotan
Le Caviar Impérial en jubilé de crabe royal dans une onctuosité de fenouil (Imperial caviar on duo of king crab with fennel lightness and sea urchin) - The crab was a combinatio
Le Caviar Impérial avec le saumon en tartare agrémenté de jeunes pousses de shiso (Salmon tartar flavored with shiso sprouts served with Imperial caviar) - This beautifull
L’OEuf de Poule mollet friand, légèreté au fin comté et “Iberico de Bellota’’ (Crispy soft boiled egg with black truffle, comté cheese mousseline and ‛‛Iberico de Bellota’’) - The crispy crust was pleasant, but the black truffle and Spanish ham, prepared in shredded form, were a bit muted compared to the harmony taste produced by wonderful egg yolk core with flavorful parmesan and truffle mousseline 'sauce'; neverthele
Accompanied by wine: Champagne Veuve Clicquot Yellow Brut Label (Bubbles with full body flavors, intense aromas and fine acidity)
Truffe Noire en fine tarte croustilla
Truffe Noire avec le foie gras en millefeuil
Langoustin
La Noix de Saint-Jacq
La langoustin
Le homard sur une royale crémeuse au “château chalon” (Lobster on a “chateau chalon” royale) - The tasty lobster (in small portion) was nicely firm in flavorful & rich foam; the asparagus and other vegetables were alright. I didn't really like the lobster flan at the bottom ...
Le king crabe kadaïf en fritto au curry vert (King crab kadaif, green curry sauce) - A uncomplica
Accompanied by wine: 2008 Domaine Alain Voge Saint-Peray Fleur de Crussol (Smooth texture with some minerality; deep, creamy with lingering aftertaste)
Les Champignon
L’Amadai en duo d’artichau
Le Turbot rôti une étuvée de champignon
Le Canard et son foie gras à l’aigre doux de cerises et aux amandes fraîches (Duck and seared foie gras with cherries and fresh almond) - For the first time that my main course at Robuchon's gastronomy places was not Japanese beef. The Challans duck breast was tender but a bit too dry to my likeness; the duck liver was, as expected, creamy and delicious. My favorite part happened to be the seasonal and fresh cherries that brought harmony to the dish. There was rich and buttery mashed potato on the side
Accompanied by wine: 2007 Chateau de Cazeneuve Pic Saint-Loup Le Roc des Mates (Sweet nose with plenty of dark ripe fruits, full body and vibrant due to high acidity)
Les Fromages frais et affinés (Your choice from the cheese trolley) - As far as I know, this place has the best cheese selection available in Singapore. I chose 4 kinds: goat cheese, 24-month old comte, camembert (smooth & buttery) and roquefort (sharp and tangy). It's been ages since the last time I consumed excellent French cheese
Le Mojito créme madame à la menthe, ganité au rhum ambré et nuage de citron vert (Mint lightness with dark rum granite and lime emulsion) - Robuchon's take on classic cocktail. It rarely happened I enjoyed the first dessert (often work as palate cleanser) more than the second one. It's bright and acidic with a good minty; sweet and sour flavor were noticeable but not overwhelmi
Le Dôme sur un lit de fruits noirs, chocolat coulant au Dulcey (Berries on a delicate chocolate fondant and dulcey smoothness
Le Moka – Le Thé escortés de mignardises (Coffee or tea served with seductive sweets) - This time I had raspberry fruit tart, canele, opera and dragee/sugar coated almonds. In addition, I savored 4 different crisp macarons flavors, named black currant, orange blossom, mint and chocolate; they're very good. I drank tea created from a mixture of thyme and mint
Accompanied by wine: 2011 Charles Hours Jurançon Uroulat (Clear in gold color, refreshing, fragrance and complex - would taste better in 3 years time)
I know I would eat very well at any Joel Robuchon fine dining restaurants, but I never imagined it could reach such high points. Every course, using the finest ingredients available, was very well executed; even some of them was near perfection. It's one thing to be creative, but another thing to have flawlessly implement it. Salute to Chef Tomonori Danzaki and his brigade for meticulously and consistently preparing delicious dishes after dishes. I was not afraid to declare that Danzaki-san was Robuchon's most capable chef; it means that he's better than Verzeroli, Le Tohic and Semblat (in order of abilities based on my visits to their restaurants). Every small detail mattered and we could see it from both the food as well as the decor. On top of the black lacquer table with dark linen, there were several well-arranged crystals. Black and beige color dominated the dining room's lavish ambiance. Grand opulent chandeliers, huge vases for flower arrangements, and several antiques/paintings etc.; all of the elements were in harmony. A memorable haute cuisine experience in luxurious setting.
The service was impeccable throughout although the fine dining restaurant was understaffed, there were only 7-8 people served more than 30 diners (Possibly one of its busiest night ever). The sommelier Duboueix was sick and the restaurant manager Raguzzi was busy helping the l'Atelier. This time the wonderful service was delivered by Asian staffs: Sherika, a Filipina maitre d' who used to work at Robuchon Macau for a couple of years, and Kohmalan, an easy going Indian gentleman. They were not only sincere and helpful, but also able to engage in meaningful conversations since both of them possessed good knowledge about the food, the restaurant and the chefs. When I finished my black truffle symphony courses, Chef Danzaki inquired whether the food had not been 'too much'. To be honest, I was half full already but the kitchen was willing to adjust/reduce my initial tasting menu - a nice gesture that I politely declined. Near 11 PM (around the cheese course), Chef Danzaki visited me to make sure that everything was fine. He was gracious and seemed happy & curious that I managed to finish up everything. We were chatting for about 15 minutes; his English has improved tremendously. He explained that his favorite food was still Japanese cuisine and sometimes still went to Tokyo for working purposes. The staffs were proud of their jobs and committed to keep getting better. More than one occasion they asked me about the food, the service, how they do (compared to their competitors or among Robuchon places) and how they could improve. I hardly remember the last time a top gastronomy restaurant brought such questions.
Please check out the link below for the dishes' pictures, https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/JoelRobuchonSingapore2ndVisit
Food (and Wine): 97 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 96 pts
Overall: 96.5/100
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Robuchon au Dome
At the end of 2006, I had my first meal at Joel Robuchon's establishment and this happened to take place at his fine dining restaurant in Macau called Robuchon a Galera. Actually I was not too impressed with the meal even though I was still at the early stage of gastronomy experience. The food was alright with the only spectacular dish was oscetra caviar with smooth cauliflower in gelee. The service was average; I was rushed even when the time just passed 10 PM (I was the only diner left at that time and the restaurant was only filled about 1/3 of its capacity). The decor, predominantly in blue with thick carpet, was aged and 'gloomy'; the worst part to me was the live music that kinda cheapened the fine dining experience (Gaddi's at Peninsula was even worse with loud live band). With all these, actually I might not have any reason to return to Macau. However, in the past few years, I read plenty of positive reviews about the restaurants in particular after Robuchon a Galera has been shifted to Robuchon au Dome, located at the top floor of Grand Lisboa hotel. Some even said that both the food and the ambiance were even better than before. Thus, during my Hong Kong visit in early Spring this year, I made an effort to take a ferry to Macau with the sole purpose to re-visit Robuchon Macau.
To make sure that I will optimize my lunch meal at Robuchon au Dome, I contacted the restaurant as early as February with the intention to devise my own menu derived from the Menu Degustation. After having exchanged a few emails, the menu was eventually confirmed only a couple of days prior to my reservation date. Unlike my first meal at the Galera, this time guest had to submit a form and gave the restaurant his Credit Card number to guarantee the reservation - I didn't have to do this when I ate at several 3-star establishments in Paris. In addition, I also requested for 4 glasses of wine to accompany my tasting menu. Everything looked good on paper and I really looked forward to having a wonderful meal in Macau. Theoretically, this had to be my ultimate meal during this Hong Kong trip that included dinners at Tenku Ryugin and Sushi Yoshitake. Let's find out what I had in my multi courses meal below,
L’Asperge blanche en blanc-mang served with shredded almonds and tomato coulis ) - The amuse
bouche; you could taste some combinatio
Le Caviar
part 1: en fine gelee de corail au parfum anise servi en surprise (Caviar in fine coral jelly served with aniseed cream) - Generous serving of briny caviar, that's necessary to tone down the dominance of coral flavor, with plenty of sweet crab meat and some hint of anise cream underneath
part 2: Legerete de chou-fleur rafraichi d’une infusion iodee aux croutons dores (Caviar on cauliflowe
part 3: lamelles de noix de Saint Jacques tiedies a la citronnell
Le King Crabe en duo d’avocat en mozzarella dans un coeur de romaine relevee a l’huile d’olive vierge (Duo of king crab and mozzarella in the heart of romaine seasoning served with virgin olive oil) - The big and succulent crab was imported from Azerbaijan
Accompanied by wine: 2007 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac Leognan - Bordeaux (well balanced with some acidity and moderate finish)
Le Homard
part 1: en royale fleurie d’une emulsion aux aromates, pinces en tempura (Lobster royal served with aromatic and claw tempura) - I've had high expectatio
part 2: dans une coque de pate enrobee de beurre lie au corail avec des cebettes, en soupe parfum de fenouil (Stuffed pasta with Boston lobster and coral butter & lobster bisque perfumed with fennel) - The lobster bisque was not hot and light flavor while the pasta was Ok; there was hardly any crustacean below the pasta
Les Spaghetti a notre facon a l’oeuf mollet aux langues d’oursins (Spaghetti served with a poached egg and sea urchins) - After eating excellent uni at Hong Kong's Ryugin and Yoshitake, the sea urchin here was a bit pale in comparison
La Morille en raviole mitonnee aux asperges de pertuis et fleuri d’une brume vegetable au jus (Morel mushroom in ravioli served with green asparagus and vegetable foam) - After the truffle, morels are probably the most precious and delicious mushroom in French cuisine. The morels were fresh, earthy and a bit sweet - an elegant type of mushroom, seriously. The asparagus on the sides was ordinary
Le Foie Gras poele aux aromates, puree de kumquat et nectar de grenade reduit (Seared duck liver served with aromatic condiments
Accompanied by wine: 2007 Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets (easy to drink wine with some minerality and a hint of butter on the nose)
L’Amadai en cocotte aux artichauts epineux et un jus barigoule (Pan-fried Tilefish fillet with its crispy skin served with baby artichoke and barigoule jus) - The amadai was delicate in both taste and texture; the flavorful taste would come from the barigoule jus with some combinatio
Le Boeuf “Kagoshima
L’Epeautre du pays de Sault en risotto a la feuille d’or fin (Sault spelt prepared in risotto style served with gold leaf) - I surprising
Accompanied by wine: 2000 Bond Matriarch Napa Valley (cabernet sauvignon - good wine with vivid black cherry and wild berry that are focused; the tannins are ripe and smooth)
La Sphere en sucre souffle, mousse lactee aux fraises, gelee a la liqueur de citron et sorbet au basilic (Blow sugar sphere served with mascarpone mousse, strawberry limoncello jelly and basil sorbet) - Finally, I got a chance to savor Robuchon's famous dessert. The sugar ball was as good as it looks; inside there were mousse, cream and strawberry
Les Choux Princesse a la vanille de Tahiti glacee, gelee de cacao et laques d’un onctueux lait chocolate (Princess puff stuffed with Tahiti vanilla ice-cream, cacao jelly and topped with hot chocolate coulis) - The ice cream between the puffs were average while the vanilla cream on the sides was tasty. The chocolate coulis was a bit cold by the time this dessert reached my table; it's more pleasing to the eye than at the palate
Some other desserts - At the last minutes, I decided to switch my cheese course with the restaurant
Accompanied by wine: 1991 Domaine Touchais Coteaux du Layon - Loire Valley (lovely and smooth in honey color, also not too sweet)
Food-wise in general was almost as good as my experiences at the other Joel Robuchon's fine dining establishments; as expected there were plenty of very good dishes and a few ordinary ones (a bit coarse sadly). Francky Semblat, the head chef, produced typical Robuchon cooking that combined classical and modern French cuisine with some (Asian) twist. I find the flavor and the 'sauce' here were a bit milder compared to the French cooking I've had in Europe. So, if I had to choose which one is the best among Robuchon's four gastronomy places, I would give a slight edge to Robuchon Tokyo followed closely by Robuchon Singapore surprisingly. Alain Verzeroli, Robuchon Tokyo director de cuisine, is more creative and executes most of the dishes with high precision; probably it's due to his diverse background (having worked at Taillevent and becoming Alain Passard's main sous chef at l'Arpege) as well as excellent support from his Japan's team lead by the gifted executive chef, Watanabe-san. Tomonori Danzaki, mainly responsible for the success of Robuchon Vegas, was allowed to bring the top sous chefs from MGM to support him in Singapore and generated dishes without compromise - a typical among Japanese chefs.
I was not sure who mainly assisted chef Semblat, but I suspected that his team is not as strong as the other Robuchon restaurants. This was also reflected in the dining room service. The majority of the waiters were from mainland China; they worked hard to serve their guests but many of them was not that fluent in English and often lacked knowledge about the food. The good things they're smile most of the time, but when you asked them about the dishes, they looked timid somehow. Only a handful of staffs understood the dishes and did not simply describe them through memorization. Lukas Song, the restaurant manager, got plenty of homework to improve the overall restaurant's hospitality although he himself delivered excellent service during a few visits to my table. I enjoyed my 'wine pairings' prepared by the assistant sommelier; the price was also reasonable. The wine collection was fantastic, but the mark-up was a lot higher compared to my first visit. People have talked about the extravagant dining room here with the most outstanding part of the restaurant decor got to be the Austrian-made suspended (Swarovski) crystal chandelier hanging down at the entrance. There were also some European paintings and Chinese arts. Essentially, money is no object to the owner however I felt that these expensive stuffs were not integrated that well to the overall ambiance. I liked Robuchon's dining rooms that were designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon better; all elements are in harmony. Morever, the distance between tables in Macau was not as spacious as the one in Singapore; the chair was nowhere as convenient as the sofa booth I sit on at Tokyo and Singapore restaurants. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fabulous dining room compared to many other gastronomy restaurants. Overall, it's a pleasant lunch meal and I intend to return here only if I happen to be in Macau area. Readers may see the pictures of the dishes here,
https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/RobuchonAuDomeMacauChina
Food (and Wine): 95 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 92 pts
Overall: 94/100
To make sure that I will optimize my lunch meal at Robuchon au Dome, I contacted the restaurant as early as February with the intention to devise my own menu derived from the Menu Degustation. After having exchanged a few emails, the menu was eventually confirmed only a couple of days prior to my reservation date. Unlike my first meal at the Galera, this time guest had to submit a form and gave the restaurant his Credit Card number to guarantee the reservation - I didn't have to do this when I ate at several 3-star establishments in Paris. In addition, I also requested for 4 glasses of wine to accompany my tasting menu. Everything looked good on paper and I really looked forward to having a wonderful meal in Macau. Theoretically, this had to be my ultimate meal during this Hong Kong trip that included dinners at Tenku Ryugin and Sushi Yoshitake. Let's find out what I had in my multi courses meal below,
L’Asperge blanche en blanc-mang
Le Caviar
part 1: en fine gelee de corail au parfum anise servi en surprise (Caviar in fine coral jelly served with aniseed cream) - Generous serving of briny caviar, that's necessary to tone down the dominance of coral flavor, with plenty of sweet crab meat and some hint of anise cream underneath
part 2: Legerete de chou-fleur rafraichi d’une infusion iodee aux croutons dores (Caviar on cauliflowe
part 3: lamelles de noix de Saint Jacques tiedies a la citronnell
Le King Crabe en duo d’avocat en mozzarella dans un coeur de romaine relevee a l’huile d’olive vierge (Duo of king crab and mozzarella in the heart of romaine seasoning served with virgin olive oil) - The big and succulent crab was imported from Azerbaijan
Accompanied by wine: 2007 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, Pessac Leognan - Bordeaux (well balanced with some acidity and moderate finish)
Le Homard
part 1: en royale fleurie d’une emulsion aux aromates, pinces en tempura (Lobster royal served with aromatic and claw tempura) - I've had high expectatio
part 2: dans une coque de pate enrobee de beurre lie au corail avec des cebettes, en soupe parfum de fenouil (Stuffed pasta with Boston lobster and coral butter & lobster bisque perfumed with fennel) - The lobster bisque was not hot and light flavor while the pasta was Ok; there was hardly any crustacean below the pasta
Les Spaghetti a notre facon a l’oeuf mollet aux langues d’oursins (Spaghetti served with a poached egg and sea urchins) - After eating excellent uni at Hong Kong's Ryugin and Yoshitake, the sea urchin here was a bit pale in comparison
La Morille en raviole mitonnee aux asperges de pertuis et fleuri d’une brume vegetable au jus (Morel mushroom in ravioli served with green asparagus and vegetable foam) - After the truffle, morels are probably the most precious and delicious mushroom in French cuisine. The morels were fresh, earthy and a bit sweet - an elegant type of mushroom, seriously. The asparagus on the sides was ordinary
Le Foie Gras poele aux aromates, puree de kumquat et nectar de grenade reduit (Seared duck liver served with aromatic condiments
Accompanied by wine: 2007 Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets (easy to drink wine with some minerality and a hint of butter on the nose)
L’Amadai en cocotte aux artichauts epineux et un jus barigoule (Pan-fried Tilefish fillet with its crispy skin served with baby artichoke and barigoule jus) - The amadai was delicate in both taste and texture; the flavorful taste would come from the barigoule jus with some combinatio
Le Boeuf “Kagoshima
L’Epeautre du pays de Sault en risotto a la feuille d’or fin (Sault spelt prepared in risotto style served with gold leaf) - I surprising
Accompanied by wine: 2000 Bond Matriarch Napa Valley (cabernet sauvignon - good wine with vivid black cherry and wild berry that are focused; the tannins are ripe and smooth)
La Sphere en sucre souffle, mousse lactee aux fraises, gelee a la liqueur de citron et sorbet au basilic (Blow sugar sphere served with mascarpone mousse, strawberry limoncello jelly and basil sorbet) - Finally, I got a chance to savor Robuchon's famous dessert. The sugar ball was as good as it looks; inside there were mousse, cream and strawberry
Les Choux Princesse a la vanille de Tahiti glacee, gelee de cacao et laques d’un onctueux lait chocolate (Princess puff stuffed with Tahiti vanilla ice-cream, cacao jelly and topped with hot chocolate coulis) - The ice cream between the puffs were average while the vanilla cream on the sides was tasty. The chocolate coulis was a bit cold by the time this dessert reached my table; it's more pleasing to the eye than at the palate
Some other desserts - At the last minutes, I decided to switch my cheese course with the restaurant
Accompanied by wine: 1991 Domaine Touchais Coteaux du Layon - Loire Valley (lovely and smooth in honey color, also not too sweet)
Food-wise in general was almost as good as my experiences at the other Joel Robuchon's fine dining establishments; as expected there were plenty of very good dishes and a few ordinary ones (a bit coarse sadly). Francky Semblat, the head chef, produced typical Robuchon cooking that combined classical and modern French cuisine with some (Asian) twist. I find the flavor and the 'sauce' here were a bit milder compared to the French cooking I've had in Europe. So, if I had to choose which one is the best among Robuchon's four gastronomy places, I would give a slight edge to Robuchon Tokyo followed closely by Robuchon Singapore surprisingly. Alain Verzeroli, Robuchon Tokyo director de cuisine, is more creative and executes most of the dishes with high precision; probably it's due to his diverse background (having worked at Taillevent and becoming Alain Passard's main sous chef at l'Arpege) as well as excellent support from his Japan's team lead by the gifted executive chef, Watanabe-san. Tomonori Danzaki, mainly responsible for the success of Robuchon Vegas, was allowed to bring the top sous chefs from MGM to support him in Singapore and generated dishes without compromise - a typical among Japanese chefs.
I was not sure who mainly assisted chef Semblat, but I suspected that his team is not as strong as the other Robuchon restaurants. This was also reflected in the dining room service. The majority of the waiters were from mainland China; they worked hard to serve their guests but many of them was not that fluent in English and often lacked knowledge about the food. The good things they're smile most of the time, but when you asked them about the dishes, they looked timid somehow. Only a handful of staffs understood the dishes and did not simply describe them through memorization. Lukas Song, the restaurant manager, got plenty of homework to improve the overall restaurant's hospitality although he himself delivered excellent service during a few visits to my table. I enjoyed my 'wine pairings' prepared by the assistant sommelier; the price was also reasonable. The wine collection was fantastic, but the mark-up was a lot higher compared to my first visit. People have talked about the extravagant dining room here with the most outstanding part of the restaurant decor got to be the Austrian-made suspended (Swarovski) crystal chandelier hanging down at the entrance. There were also some European paintings and Chinese arts. Essentially, money is no object to the owner however I felt that these expensive stuffs were not integrated that well to the overall ambiance. I liked Robuchon's dining rooms that were designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon better; all elements are in harmony. Morever, the distance between tables in Macau was not as spacious as the one in Singapore; the chair was nowhere as convenient as the sofa booth I sit on at Tokyo and Singapore restaurants. Don't get me wrong, it's still a fabulous dining room compared to many other gastronomy restaurants. Overall, it's a pleasant lunch meal and I intend to return here only if I happen to be in Macau area. Readers may see the pictures of the dishes here,
https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/RobuchonAuDomeMacauChina
Food (and Wine): 95 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 92 pts
Overall: 94/100
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Joel Robuchon Restaurant
Having been to all three of Joel Robuchon's finest establishments (Galera, Chateau and Mansion), actually I should not have any particular motivation to visit his latest formal dining place in Singapore. However, I simply have not had any time/opportunity to go to Europe or Tokyo in the past 2 years. I did crave for some great French cuisine at times and the closest one I could think of will be Robuchon's Singapore. As we all know, the island's fine dining places will cost our wallets as much as New York these days. Hence, prior to visiting, I decided that I would devise my own menu in such a way that I would savor as many new dishes as possible. In the initial degustation menu, I have tried more than half of the dishes offered. Thankfully, the restaurant front staffs were all prompt & helpful and Tomonori Danzaki, the Executive Chef, was also flexible in accommodating my request. Finally, my gastronomy adventure became a reality near Christmas time in 2011.
Located in the Resort World Sentosa (the home of Universal Studio and Casino), Joel Robuchon restaurant might not be the kind of place that will attract many crowds especially after people observe the menu and its price at the front of the entrance. The whole restaurants' concept (the foyer, dining room and kitchen) is apparently inspired by Robuchon Vegas with more generous space. It should not be surprised since Pierre Yves-Rochon, the famous French designer, is the leading architect. The restaurant is dressed in mainly beige and black creating a modern and luxurious atmosphere. In addition to the chandelier in main dining room, pay attention to the details the staff set up in the guests' table. My table was meticulously decorated by sparkling crystals and crystal candle stand, essentially everything is brand new. Dining at Robuchon always began with the bread trolley and during the 4-hour meal I had the chance to savor saffron and basil focaccia, milk, rosemary, bacon with mustard and brioche. There was only unsalted butter available with sea salt on the side. Then come, the 14-course degustation menu (it used to be 16 dishes including cheese tray when I ate at Tokyo)
Le Caviar Impérial sur un velouté de maîs glacé tremblotant, croutons dorés (Imperial caviar on a shivering corn veloute served with golden croutons) - Sweet and chilled corn soup was nice to be mixed with salty caviar, sour cream and crunchy crouton while the beef did not contribute much. A decent opening, but not as good as Robuchon's other caviar dish
Le Truffle Blanche en duo mêlé de pomme ratte comme un carpaccio aux copeaux de foie gras (Shaved white truffles and potatoes topped with duck liver carpaccio) - The potato is earthy and tasty; it went well with the rich foie gras, cheese and the rather pungent white truffle. Like it
Accompanied by wine: Bruno Paillard Brut “Première Cuvée” Rosé MV
Le Foie Gras en copeaux, salade de haricots verts mimosa au parmesan (Green bean mimosa salad served with shavings of foie gras and parmesan) - Good presentation, but I wish they would prepare the duck liver differently from the previous dish. Savor by mixing all the ingredients to enjoy the contrast of earthy parmesan, a few vegetal flavors (beans and mushroom) as well as rich foie gras
L’Œuf de Poule mollet et friand au caviar et saumon fumé (Crispy soft boiled egg served with smoked salmon and oscetra caviar) - One of Robuchon's signature dishes. The warm and runny egg-yolk was 'absorbed & balanced' by the salty salmon and briny caviar (served in generous portion). The crunchy pastry also soaked up the soft egg and the cauliflower cream below. An interesting dish to remember and I truly enjoyed it
Le Noix de Saint-Jacques poêlée aux fregolas avec une emulsion coralline (Pan-fried scallop served with fregola on a coral emulsion) - The US scallop was not that sweet; the pasta was a bit hard while the seafood emulsion was alright. Overall, not too bad, but not as flavorful as the one I had in Tokyo
Accompanied by wine: Alsace Riesling “Clos Himmelreich” Domaine Lucien Albrecht 2005
Les Spaghettis à notre façon, œuf à la coque sans coque et une râpée de truffe blanche d’Alba (Homemade spaghetti served with soft poached eggs and shaved Alba white truffle) - An excellent dish. It seemed straightforward yet impressive. The al dente spaghetti was around the poached egg. To make the most out of it: break the egg yolk and mixed it together with the pasta, cream sauce and the white truffle. Then enjoy this delicious dish and its texture and temperature contrast. The stronger the truffle, the better the dish
L’Oursin crémeux tremblotant sous un voile mousseux au wasabi (Sea urchin served in a tender consommé jelly with wasabi cream) - Japanese influence on Robuchon's dish. I've never had uni prepared this way, especially the consomme's texture - quite a new experience. The Hokkaido sea urchin was creamy and sweet while the wasabi was slightly hot
Le Homard en cocotte lutée aux châtaignes et asperges vertes (Lobster in a sealed cocotte served with chestnut and asparagus) - The Maine lobster was not as firm and sweet as its Brittany's counterpart. The lobster taste was enhanced with its own juice; the chestnut added new dimension. It's OK
La Châtaigne en velouté sur une royale de céleri rave à la caradamone (Chestnut soup served on a royal celeriac with cardamom) - The veloute was velvety and a bit sweet. It had crisp bacon inside, was served with cappuccino foam and scented by the alba truffle
Accompanied by wine: Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières Domaine Vincent Girardin 2003
La Sole poêlée à la citronnelle avec une étuvée de jeunes poireaux (Pan-fried dover sole served with lemongrass and stewed baby leeks) - I quite enjoyed the contrast between the lemon grass and citrus. However, the sole was not that firm and a bit bland. I like this dish better when they used 'Le Bar' instead
Le Boeuf l’entrecôte cuite sur du gross sel aromatisé (Premium beef rib-eye cooked on a bed of flavored rock salt) - The Wagyu beef was perfectly cooked at medium rare and delicious, except I found that the fat/skin part was a bit too salty. The beef was put on top of bacon and prepared teppanyaki style. The mushroom, asparagus and mashed potatoes (silky and smooth texture with tasty flavor) complemented the ribeye
Les Pousses de Soja comme un risotto aux yuzu et ciboulette (Soy sprouts as a yuzu and chives risotto) - Nothing spectacular here, just a simple and unique soy bean 'risotto' to wind down at the end of my meal, quite decent actually
Accompanied by wine: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Beaurenard 2007
Le Parfum des Iles crémeux aux fruits de la passion, granité au rhum ambré, onctuosité à la noix de coco (Smooth passion fruit served with dark rum granite and light coconut foam) - A great tropical dessert showcasing different flavors: sour passion fruit cream, sweet coconut and bitter rum granite. Overall, it's very refreshing
Le Chocolat chuao sable friable aux graines de sesame, nuage de pistache de Sicile (Chuao chocolate served with sesame seeds biscuit and Sicilia pistachio) - The chuao cocoa (from Venezuela) was awesome combined well with the biscuit below. Eat the pistachio ice cream before it quickly melted
Le Moka – Le Thé escortés de mignardises (Coffee or tea served with sweets) - The famous sweets trolley. I had macaroons (lemon and cinnamon), hazelnut cream, chocolate millefeuille, opera and chocolate rhum. I also drank Rosemary tea cut directly from its leaves
Accompanied by wine: Sauternes Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2005
I could confidently say that the food at Robuchon Singapore is as good as its Tokyo and LV counterparts. This is probably expected since the leading Chef Danzaki has been working with Joel Robuchon for nearly 2 decades. He started his apprenticeship in Chateau Robuchon Tokyo in '94, then participated in the opening and becoming Chef de Cuisine at Robuchon Mansion Vegas in '05 before coming to Singapore a year ago. Chef Danzaki described working in LV under Claude Le Tohic was probably the most challenging part of his career. He's a friendly gentleman and obsessed to execute every single dish perfectly. My favorite dishes from this meal are Crispy soft boiled egg with salmon & caviar as well as Spaghetti with poached egg & white truffle. One thing really stood out at Robuchon Singapore is the hospitality offered. The service here is impeccable and the best among all of Robuchon fine dining places. The staffs were courteous, friendly, informative and professional. Since the restaurant was only 60% full, I was often served by the Restaurant manager (he used to work at Robuchon Monte Carlo) and the Sommelier/Assistant manager (he is from Montpellier and happened to recognize me from my visit to Robuchon Vegas). Somehow, the service rendered by these European gentlemen particularly from France suit me the best, probably because they're not only great at making guests feel comfortable, but also knowledgeable and passionate about food - they had many experiences dining at Europe best restaurants. The sommelier also kindly gave me an extra glass of wine as part of my wine-pairing.
The dining room at Robuchon restaurant consisted of a main dining hall and a "winter" garden (don't worry about the rain as it's covered). Diners who have never been to any Robuchon fine dining places will certainly be impressed with the luxurious decor. I even heard that the newly renovated Robuchon Macau au dome has the most incredible atmosphere. However, I find that all of Robuchon's decor has been too similar. I prefer Alain Ducasse's dining rooms, usually designed by Patrick Jouin. One can see & feel different characters and styles between different places such as when comparing Ducasse at Plaza Athenee vs Dorchester. There is no doubt that Robuchon is able to produce top notch dishes. People often recalled their meal at Jamin Paris was the best they've ever had. When the Mansion opened in '05, some said it reminded them of Robuchon's peak performance in the 90's. I was not lucky enough to have the opportunity to dine at Jamin, but from the meal I've had in the past 5 years - I don't think Robuchon's cooking is the best. If any of you have dined at L'Arpege, L'Ambroisie or Le Louis XV, you probably understand what I'm talking about. Anyway, the fact that Robuchon is capable of creating and replicating four restaurants that consistently serve high quality French cuisine is already remarkable by itself.
Please check out the link below for the dishes' pictures,
https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/JoelRobuchonSingapore
Food (and Wine): 95 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 95 pts
Overall: 95/100
Located in the Resort World Sentosa (the home of Universal Studio and Casino), Joel Robuchon restaurant might not be the kind of place that will attract many crowds especially after people observe the menu and its price at the front of the entrance. The whole restaurants' concept (the foyer, dining room and kitchen) is apparently inspired by Robuchon Vegas with more generous space. It should not be surprised since Pierre Yves-Rochon, the famous French designer, is the leading architect. The restaurant is dressed in mainly beige and black creating a modern and luxurious atmosphere. In addition to the chandelier in main dining room, pay attention to the details the staff set up in the guests' table. My table was meticulously decorated by sparkling crystals and crystal candle stand, essentially everything is brand new. Dining at Robuchon always began with the bread trolley and during the 4-hour meal I had the chance to savor saffron and basil focaccia, milk, rosemary, bacon with mustard and brioche. There was only unsalted butter available with sea salt on the side. Then come, the 14-course degustation menu (it used to be 16 dishes including cheese tray when I ate at Tokyo)
Le Caviar Impérial sur un velouté de maîs glacé tremblotant, croutons dorés (Imperial caviar on a shivering corn veloute served with golden croutons) - Sweet and chilled corn soup was nice to be mixed with salty caviar, sour cream and crunchy crouton while the beef did not contribute much. A decent opening, but not as good as Robuchon's other caviar dish
Le Truffle Blanche en duo mêlé de pomme ratte comme un carpaccio aux copeaux de foie gras (Shaved white truffles and potatoes topped with duck liver carpaccio) - The potato is earthy and tasty; it went well with the rich foie gras, cheese and the rather pungent white truffle. Like it
Accompanied by wine: Bruno Paillard Brut “Première Cuvée” Rosé MV
Le Foie Gras en copeaux, salade de haricots verts mimosa au parmesan (Green bean mimosa salad served with shavings of foie gras and parmesan) - Good presentation, but I wish they would prepare the duck liver differently from the previous dish. Savor by mixing all the ingredients to enjoy the contrast of earthy parmesan, a few vegetal flavors (beans and mushroom) as well as rich foie gras
L’Œuf de Poule mollet et friand au caviar et saumon fumé (Crispy soft boiled egg served with smoked salmon and oscetra caviar) - One of Robuchon's signature dishes. The warm and runny egg-yolk was 'absorbed & balanced' by the salty salmon and briny caviar (served in generous portion). The crunchy pastry also soaked up the soft egg and the cauliflower cream below. An interesting dish to remember and I truly enjoyed it
Le Noix de Saint-Jacques poêlée aux fregolas avec une emulsion coralline (Pan-fried scallop served with fregola on a coral emulsion) - The US scallop was not that sweet; the pasta was a bit hard while the seafood emulsion was alright. Overall, not too bad, but not as flavorful as the one I had in Tokyo
Accompanied by wine: Alsace Riesling “Clos Himmelreich” Domaine Lucien Albrecht 2005
Les Spaghettis à notre façon, œuf à la coque sans coque et une râpée de truffe blanche d’Alba (Homemade spaghetti served with soft poached eggs and shaved Alba white truffle) - An excellent dish. It seemed straightforward yet impressive. The al dente spaghetti was around the poached egg. To make the most out of it: break the egg yolk and mixed it together with the pasta, cream sauce and the white truffle. Then enjoy this delicious dish and its texture and temperature contrast. The stronger the truffle, the better the dish
L’Oursin crémeux tremblotant sous un voile mousseux au wasabi (Sea urchin served in a tender consommé jelly with wasabi cream) - Japanese influence on Robuchon's dish. I've never had uni prepared this way, especially the consomme's texture - quite a new experience. The Hokkaido sea urchin was creamy and sweet while the wasabi was slightly hot
Le Homard en cocotte lutée aux châtaignes et asperges vertes (Lobster in a sealed cocotte served with chestnut and asparagus) - The Maine lobster was not as firm and sweet as its Brittany's counterpart. The lobster taste was enhanced with its own juice; the chestnut added new dimension. It's OK
La Châtaigne en velouté sur une royale de céleri rave à la caradamone (Chestnut soup served on a royal celeriac with cardamom) - The veloute was velvety and a bit sweet. It had crisp bacon inside, was served with cappuccino foam and scented by the alba truffle
Accompanied by wine: Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières Domaine Vincent Girardin 2003
La Sole poêlée à la citronnelle avec une étuvée de jeunes poireaux (Pan-fried dover sole served with lemongrass and stewed baby leeks) - I quite enjoyed the contrast between the lemon grass and citrus. However, the sole was not that firm and a bit bland. I like this dish better when they used 'Le Bar' instead
Le Boeuf l’entrecôte cuite sur du gross sel aromatisé (Premium beef rib-eye cooked on a bed of flavored rock salt) - The Wagyu beef was perfectly cooked at medium rare and delicious, except I found that the fat/skin part was a bit too salty. The beef was put on top of bacon and prepared teppanyaki style. The mushroom, asparagus and mashed potatoes (silky and smooth texture with tasty flavor) complemented the ribeye
Les Pousses de Soja comme un risotto aux yuzu et ciboulette (Soy sprouts as a yuzu and chives risotto) - Nothing spectacular here, just a simple and unique soy bean 'risotto' to wind down at the end of my meal, quite decent actually
Accompanied by wine: Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Beaurenard 2007
Le Parfum des Iles crémeux aux fruits de la passion, granité au rhum ambré, onctuosité à la noix de coco (Smooth passion fruit served with dark rum granite and light coconut foam) - A great tropical dessert showcasing different flavors: sour passion fruit cream, sweet coconut and bitter rum granite. Overall, it's very refreshing
Le Chocolat chuao sable friable aux graines de sesame, nuage de pistache de Sicile (Chuao chocolate served with sesame seeds biscuit and Sicilia pistachio) - The chuao cocoa (from Venezuela) was awesome combined well with the biscuit below. Eat the pistachio ice cream before it quickly melted
Le Moka – Le Thé escortés de mignardises (Coffee or tea served with sweets) - The famous sweets trolley. I had macaroons (lemon and cinnamon), hazelnut cream, chocolate millefeuille, opera and chocolate rhum. I also drank Rosemary tea cut directly from its leaves
Accompanied by wine: Sauternes Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2005
I could confidently say that the food at Robuchon Singapore is as good as its Tokyo and LV counterparts. This is probably expected since the leading Chef Danzaki has been working with Joel Robuchon for nearly 2 decades. He started his apprenticeship in Chateau Robuchon Tokyo in '94, then participated in the opening and becoming Chef de Cuisine at Robuchon Mansion Vegas in '05 before coming to Singapore a year ago. Chef Danzaki described working in LV under Claude Le Tohic was probably the most challenging part of his career. He's a friendly gentleman and obsessed to execute every single dish perfectly. My favorite dishes from this meal are Crispy soft boiled egg with salmon & caviar as well as Spaghetti with poached egg & white truffle. One thing really stood out at Robuchon Singapore is the hospitality offered. The service here is impeccable and the best among all of Robuchon fine dining places. The staffs were courteous, friendly, informative and professional. Since the restaurant was only 60% full, I was often served by the Restaurant manager (he used to work at Robuchon Monte Carlo) and the Sommelier/Assistant manager (he is from Montpellier and happened to recognize me from my visit to Robuchon Vegas). Somehow, the service rendered by these European gentlemen particularly from France suit me the best, probably because they're not only great at making guests feel comfortable, but also knowledgeable and passionate about food - they had many experiences dining at Europe best restaurants. The sommelier also kindly gave me an extra glass of wine as part of my wine-pairing.
The dining room at Robuchon restaurant consisted of a main dining hall and a "winter" garden (don't worry about the rain as it's covered). Diners who have never been to any Robuchon fine dining places will certainly be impressed with the luxurious decor. I even heard that the newly renovated Robuchon Macau au dome has the most incredible atmosphere. However, I find that all of Robuchon's decor has been too similar. I prefer Alain Ducasse's dining rooms, usually designed by Patrick Jouin. One can see & feel different characters and styles between different places such as when comparing Ducasse at Plaza Athenee vs Dorchester. There is no doubt that Robuchon is able to produce top notch dishes. People often recalled their meal at Jamin Paris was the best they've ever had. When the Mansion opened in '05, some said it reminded them of Robuchon's peak performance in the 90's. I was not lucky enough to have the opportunity to dine at Jamin, but from the meal I've had in the past 5 years - I don't think Robuchon's cooking is the best. If any of you have dined at L'Arpege, L'Ambroisie or Le Louis XV, you probably understand what I'm talking about. Anyway, the fact that Robuchon is capable of creating and replicating four restaurants that consistently serve high quality French cuisine is already remarkable by itself.
Please check out the link below for the dishes' pictures,
https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/JoelRobuchonSingapore
Food (and Wine): 95 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 95 pts
Overall: 95/100
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Joel Robuchon Mansion
Joel Robuchon is the name that should be familiar to chefs cooking serious foods as well as people loving gastronomy. When he retired in 1996, it took him only 5 years before making a come back. It might be surprising that among all places, he opened his fine dining restaurant in Macau with the strong support from the Ho's family. Then, come big waves of all Robuchon's dining places in Tokyo beginning in 2003. And ultimately, Gamal Aziz, MGM Grand President, managed to persuade Robuchon to open another fine dining restaurant in Las Vegas two years later. Well, apparently this will not be the last one, as there will be other Joel Robuchon restaurants opening early 2011 in Singapore. I have been to both: the Macau's Galera and the Tokyo's Chateau - love the later one but not really the early one. So, the Mansion in Las Vegas will be my final judge about Joel Robuchon's cuisine.
Normally, there are a long and short degustation menu in addition to the a la carte menu at Joel Robuchon's fine dining restaurant. However, due to the economy crisis that affect nearly all industries, Robuchon took a quick step introducing several set menu priced as cheap as USD 89 for a main course and a dessert. The a la carte dish is always ridiculously expensive, for instance: soft egg with salmon and caviar ($235) or kobe beef with rock salt ($215) - it's even more than London/Parisian haute cuisine price. To give a fair chance in comparison with Robuchon Macau and Tokyo, I ordered its full tasting menu for Spring - 22 May 2009 - and let's discuss each dish one by one.
Le Caviar Oscietre en fine gelee de corail anisée, servie en surprise (Osetra Caviar on a coral gelee served as a surprise) - Robuchon is a master of creating caviar-based dish and this is without exception. Ample briny and crisp caviar on top, the surprise is below - fresh dungeness crab layered in fennel cream. A beautiful and balanced combination of crab's sweetness, caviar's saltiness plus some exploration of contrast in textures
La Tomate en salade, huile d’olive au basilic, tomate et mozzarella en gelee (Salad of tomato, basil infused olive oil, tomato gelee topped with mozzarella) - An imported tomato from Japan is rather sour tonight; the tomato gelee is executed in high precision and pleasing to the eyes. A refreshing dish
Les Asperges un blanc-manger aux substances d’agrumes, brouillarde cremeuse dans une voilette de pain dore, royale tremblotante de morille au vin d’Arbois (Pana cota with citrus oil, scrambled egg in golden toast, morel royale with yellow wine) - Asparagus with pana cota is alright; I like the creamy egg eaten together with the asparagus and the toast crust; lastly "the soup" has fragrant aroma, but the morels' flavor is not as intense as I want it to be
La Grenouille la cuisse en fritot à la purée aillée et au coulis de persil (Crispy frog leg, garlic and parsley puree) - One of Robuchon's famous dish. The frog leg is tasty by itself, the fried shell is crisp while the parsley sauce adds different flavor
Noix de Saint-Jacques a la plancha, condiment au kumquat et au caviar (Sea scallop a la plancha with a sauce of kumquat and caviar) - A butter poached of diver scallop is sweet and almost flawless. The kitchen enhances it with the buttery kumquat sauce and a dollop of Iranian caviar. It's about as good as my scallop dish (with fregola pasta) in Chateau Robuchon
La langoustine truffée et cuite en ravioli a l’emince de chou vert (Truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage) - A perfectly cooked langoustine (meaty and succulent) is delicious with truffle's pungent smell and creamy & sweet sauce. The cabbage balances the prawn's rich flavor. This dish is consistently good!
L'oursin a la puree de pomme de terre au café torrefie (Uni on mashed potato with roasted coffee beans) - An intelligent combination of ingredients that nicely complement one another. The uni is creamy and sweet, with buttery potato that thankfully not really sinful this time
Le homard rôti au curry et fines graines de chou-fleur (Roasted lobster on cauliflower with green curry) - The typical blue lobster taste is there except it's rather overdone for me. Decent contrast from the cauliflower
Les Petit Pois en fin veloute rafraichi a la menthe poivree sur un voile d’oignon doux (Light pea veloute with peppermint on top of delicate onion cloud) - It's a surprisingly complex dish ... warm pea veloute is mixed with bacon's strong flavor while balanced with some mint sensation - interesting
Le Bar poele a la citronelle avec une etuvee de jeunes poireaux (Pan-fried sea bass with a lemon grass foam and stewed baby leeks) - A tender, flaky and delicious piece of Brittany sea bass prepared with Asian twist. The lemon grass and citrus produce slight contrast and generate piquant flavor. This is much better than bar with red wine sauce I had in Tokyo
Le Boeuf de Kobe, noix d’entrecote eminceem epinards au wasabet poivrons arlequins (Kobe beef ribeye, spiced spinach and crispy vegetables) - The marbled beef (A4) us prepared in Asian style with many different vegetables. The kobe beef was delicious and melted in my mouth, this entree was rather light which is nice after eating more than 10 courses
Les Racines Maraicheres couleurs de saison melees d’une semoule de ble perfume a l’huile d’Argan (Spring root vegetables stew with Argan oil couscous) - This seems to be a new regular dish at any Robuchon's fine dining tasting menu, except the vegetables vary according to the season. The rare argan oil match well with the several different crispy veggies - oh, it's also somewhat intense
Le Fraise confite au sirop de citron vert, rafraichi au sorbet Tequila (Strawberry compote infused with lime, tequila sorbet) - As expected that fresh dessert to cleanse the palate would come first. It displays a flair of the stewed strawberry's sweetness and the lime & tequila sorbet's sourness - not bad
Le Chocolat aux noix de Pecan, onctuosite au gianduja (Nyangbo chocolate cake, light gianduja cream) - Beautiful presentation accompanied by wonderful flavor in the palate. The chocolate is both bitter and sweet mixed well with some gianduja (aka refined version of nutella) intensity. A good ending ...
Similar to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon concept, chef Robuchon would like to make his 3 top establishments to serve almost exactly the same menu and dishes; they are indeed very much consistent. Some of the dishes I have were in fact the same as the one I had in Tokyo such as langoustine ravioli, lobster and sea urchin. As I checked Robuchon Galera's menu at that time, more than 75% of the items are the same as the one I had here. The meal itself is very pleasant in general. The caviar surprised with fennel and crab is excellent; the langoustine ravioli creamy sauce is delicious while the poached scallop is divine. Some weaknesses - the lobster is overcooked for my taste while 3 different asparagus preparation is nothing to be particularly memorable. The main difference I felt was that Robuchon LV long tasting menu excludes les fromages (one had to pay $30 extra) whereas Tokyo and Macau counterpart would give you for free. To save my wallet, I only drank 2 glasses of wine: Far Niente Chardonnay Estate Bottled 2007 (clean and creamy, layered with apple pear and having a long toasty finish) and Faust Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (complex yet precise, dry and firm integrating lush black cherry with intense taste and long finish).
As one can see, nothing is spared in decorating the dining room of Joel Robuchon restaurant. Pierre-Yves Rochon, a famous designer doing Four Seasons George V, was called to create a luxurious dining room that would remind diners of Paris in the 1930s. The first thing that most diners will notice is a dramatic black and white marble floor at the foyer that will bring guests entering the main dining room whose ceiling is more than 5 meter high. Then, there are turquoise and white Irish linens, turquoise water goblets and unique electric battery powered candles added a bit of fancy to the otherwise formal atmosphere. Despite providing over the top decor, there is a small fundamental issue - space; accommodating approximately the same number of guests, the dining room area here is only about half of the size of Chateau Robuchon. I could not help to fell a bit crammed. Moreover, I could clearly hear a conversation of a dating couple sitting next to me. It should not happen in the 3-star place generally. The service is like one would expect - polite, attentive and professional. The dining room and kitchen staffs were quite flexible when I requested to modify 2-3 dishes from the long degustation menu. While I enjoyed the hospitality provided, no maitre d' or waiter was particularly stand out (including the restaurant manager). Lastly, if I were picky and had to choose which Robuchon restaurant cooks the best food, it will be the one handled by Alain Verzeroli - perhaps his background leading Petrus HK and working for L'Arpege & Taillevent gave him more finesee. On the other hand, Jamin-alumnus Claude Le Tohic, like other Meilleur Ouvrier de France winners including Eric Frechon and Michel Roth, tends to cook in orthodox and monotone ways hence may lack creativity. It will be interesting to see how the current Robuchon Mansion no 2, Tomonori Danzaki doing as he will be chef de cuisine of Robuchon's 4th fine dining establishment starting in Spring 2011.
Please click here if you want to see the dishes I have,
http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/JoelRobuchonLasVegasUnitedStates#
Food (and Wine): 95 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 93 pts
Overall: 94.5/100
Normally, there are a long and short degustation menu in addition to the a la carte menu at Joel Robuchon's fine dining restaurant. However, due to the economy crisis that affect nearly all industries, Robuchon took a quick step introducing several set menu priced as cheap as USD 89 for a main course and a dessert. The a la carte dish is always ridiculously expensive, for instance: soft egg with salmon and caviar ($235) or kobe beef with rock salt ($215) - it's even more than London/Parisian haute cuisine price. To give a fair chance in comparison with Robuchon Macau and Tokyo, I ordered its full tasting menu for Spring - 22 May 2009 - and let's discuss each dish one by one.
Le Caviar Oscietre en fine gelee de corail anisée, servie en surprise (Osetra Caviar on a coral gelee served as a surprise) - Robuchon is a master of creating caviar-based dish and this is without exception. Ample briny and crisp caviar on top, the surprise is below - fresh dungeness crab layered in fennel cream. A beautiful and balanced combination of crab's sweetness, caviar's saltiness plus some exploration of contrast in textures
La Tomate en salade, huile d’olive au basilic, tomate et mozzarella en gelee (Salad of tomato, basil infused olive oil, tomato gelee topped with mozzarella) - An imported tomato from Japan is rather sour tonight; the tomato gelee is executed in high precision and pleasing to the eyes. A refreshing dish
Les Asperges un blanc-manger aux substances d’agrumes, brouillarde cremeuse dans une voilette de pain dore, royale tremblotante de morille au vin d’Arbois (Pana cota with citrus oil, scrambled egg in golden toast, morel royale with yellow wine) - Asparagus with pana cota is alright; I like the creamy egg eaten together with the asparagus and the toast crust; lastly "the soup" has fragrant aroma, but the morels' flavor is not as intense as I want it to be
La Grenouille la cuisse en fritot à la purée aillée et au coulis de persil (Crispy frog leg, garlic and parsley puree) - One of Robuchon's famous dish. The frog leg is tasty by itself, the fried shell is crisp while the parsley sauce adds different flavor
Noix de Saint-Jacques a la plancha, condiment au kumquat et au caviar (Sea scallop a la plancha with a sauce of kumquat and caviar) - A butter poached of diver scallop is sweet and almost flawless. The kitchen enhances it with the buttery kumquat sauce and a dollop of Iranian caviar. It's about as good as my scallop dish (with fregola pasta) in Chateau Robuchon
La langoustine truffée et cuite en ravioli a l’emince de chou vert (Truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage) - A perfectly cooked langoustine (meaty and succulent) is delicious with truffle's pungent smell and creamy & sweet sauce. The cabbage balances the prawn's rich flavor. This dish is consistently good!
L'oursin a la puree de pomme de terre au café
Le homard rôti au curry et fines graines de chou-fleur (Roasted lobster on cauliflower with green curry) - The typical blue lobster taste is there except it's rather overdone for me. Decent contrast from the cauliflower
Les Petit Pois en fin veloute rafraichi a la menthe poivree sur un voile d’oignon doux (Light pea veloute with peppermint on top of delicate onion cloud) - It's a surprisingly complex dish ... warm pea veloute is mixed with bacon's strong flavor while balanced with some mint sensation - interesting
Le Bar poele a la citronelle avec une etuvee de jeunes poireaux (Pan-fried sea bass with a lemon grass foam and stewed baby leeks) - A tender, flaky and delicious piece of Brittany sea bass prepared with Asian twist. The lemon grass and citrus produce slight contrast and generate piquant flavor. This is much better than bar with red wine sauce I had in Tokyo
Le Boeuf de Kobe, noix d’entrecote eminceem epinards au wasabet poivrons arlequins (Kobe beef ribeye, spiced spinach and crispy vegetables) - The marbled beef (A4) us prepared in Asian style with many different vegetables. The kobe beef was delicious and melted in my mouth, this entree was rather light which is nice after eating more than 10 courses
Les Racines Maraicheres couleurs de saison melees d’une semoule de ble perfume a l’huile d’Argan (Spring root vegetables stew with Argan oil couscous) - This seems to be a new regular dish at any Robuchon's fine dining tasting menu, except the vegetables vary according to the season. The rare argan oil match well with the several different crispy veggies - oh, it's also somewhat intense
Le Fraise confite au sirop de citron vert, rafraichi au sorbet Tequila (Strawberry compote infused with lime, tequila sorbet) - As expected that fresh dessert to cleanse the palate would come first. It displays a flair of the stewed strawberry's sweetness and the lime & tequila sorbet's sourness - not bad
Le Chocolat aux noix de Pecan, onctuosite au gianduja (Nyangbo chocolate cake, light gianduja cream) - Beautiful presentation accompanied by wonderful flavor in the palate. The chocolate is both bitter and sweet mixed well with some gianduja (aka refined version of nutella) intensity. A good ending ...
Similar to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon concept, chef Robuchon would like to make his 3 top establishments to serve almost exactly the same menu and dishes; they are indeed very much consistent. Some of the dishes I have were in fact the same as the one I had in Tokyo such as langoustine ravioli, lobster and sea urchin. As I checked Robuchon Galera's menu at that time, more than 75% of the items are the same as the one I had here. The meal itself is very pleasant in general. The caviar surprised with fennel and crab is excellent; the langoustine ravioli creamy sauce is delicious while the poached scallop is divine. Some weaknesses - the lobster is overcooked for my taste while 3 different asparagus preparation is nothing to be particularly memorable. The main difference I felt was that Robuchon LV long tasting menu excludes les fromages (one had to pay $30 extra) whereas Tokyo and Macau counterpart would give you for free. To save my wallet, I only drank 2 glasses of wine: Far Niente Chardonnay Estate Bottled 2007 (clean and creamy, layered with apple pear and having a long toasty finish) and Faust Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (complex yet precise, dry and firm integrating lush black cherry with intense taste and long finish).
As one can see, nothing is spared in decorating the dining room of Joel Robuchon restaurant. Pierre-Yves Rochon, a famous designer doing Four Seasons George V, was called to create a luxurious dining room that would remind diners of Paris in the 1930s. The first thing that most diners will notice is a dramatic black and white marble floor at the foyer that will bring guests entering the main dining room whose ceiling is more than 5 meter high. Then, there are turquoise and white Irish linens, turquoise water goblets and unique electric battery powered candles added a bit of fancy to the otherwise formal atmosphere. Despite providing over the top decor, there is a small fundamental issue - space; accommodating approximately the same number of guests, the dining room area here is only about half of the size of Chateau Robuchon. I could not help to fell a bit crammed. Moreover, I could clearly hear a conversation of a dating couple sitting next to me. It should not happen in the 3-star place generally. The service is like one would expect - polite, attentive and professional. The dining room and kitchen staffs were quite flexible when I requested to modify 2-3 dishes from the long degustation menu. While I enjoyed the hospitality provided, no maitre d' or waiter was particularly stand out (including the restaurant manager). Lastly, if I were picky and had to choose which Robuchon restaurant cooks the best food, it will be the one handled by Alain Verzeroli - perhaps his background leading Petrus HK and working for L'Arpege & Taillevent gave him more finesee. On the other hand, Jamin-alumnus Claude Le Tohic, like other Meilleur Ouvrier de France winners including Eric Frechon and Michel Roth, tends to cook in orthodox and monotone ways hence may lack creativity. It will be interesting to see how the current Robuchon Mansion no 2, Tomonori Danzaki doing as he will be chef de cuisine of Robuchon's 4th fine dining establishment starting in Spring 2011.
Please click here if you want to see the dishes I have,
http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/JoelRobuchonLasVegasUnitedStates#
Food (and Wine): 95 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 93 pts
Overall: 94.5/100
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Château Restaurant Joël Robuchon
Joël Robuchon is one of the most revered Chefs in the world. When Gault Millau bestowed the highest rating of 19.5/20 to Robuchon’s legendary Jamin in 1988 (only Marc Veyrat surpassed it in 2004 by receiving a perfect 20/20), I was still in primary school and too young to understand any gastronomy world. Who expects a boy that used to eat KFC and fried eggs almost everyday would sit and savor the foods of the French living legend two decades later. After having a great lunch and experiencing the best hospitality at Genyana Hamadaya, I did not waste my time to go and dine at the famous Château Robuchon four hours later. This grand palace, located at the Ebisu garden, is truly the ultimate place for Robuchon’s fans; there is also La Table as well as Rouge Bar de Joel Robuchon inside this chateau. Outside this palace, one could also pamper himself with Robuchon’s foods by visiting Café, La Boutique or L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon; these many Robuchon’s establishments could be enjoyed together in one city - Tokyo, the new culinary capital of the world.
Originally, I secured my dinner reservation on 21st December 2007, but upon learning that they only serve the 8-course Christmas tasting menu that night whose price was closed to the L’Arpege’s set meal, I decided to dine there one day earlier and it saved me about USD 100. As I entered Château Robuchon, a lady from the reception warmly greeted and escorted me to the 3rd floor. On the way up, I passed the red-black color bar with little touch of gold that reminds guests of this castle’s luxury as well as the pre-dominantly purple-black color dining room of Robuchon’s La Table providing the chef’s modern French cuisine. Once I was seated at the extravagant dining room, dominated by the gold color, a glass of Bruno Paillard’s champagne was offered. My dining experience at the Parisian’s palaces certainly helped me to stay calm inside this castle that’s done away with the ornate of Louis XVI furniture blends with some of Tokyo’s fresh and contemporary style decoration. While zipping my champagne, I observed the menu; in addition to the a la carte, there are 12-course and 6-course degustation menu. To maximize the experience of Joël Robuchon‘s cooking, I ordered the bigger one and here what I had.
L’Avocat dans une infusion juste prise aux herbes et une caillebotte à l’huile d’olive (Avocado purée in a thin herb gelée and olive oil flavored curd cheese) - a fresh, slightly sour and creamy avocado amuse that would ignite one’s appetite
Le Caviar Osciètre petit œuf mollet et friand, flan mœlleux au fumet d’asperges, fines graines de couscous iodé (Crispy soft boiled egg, flan of asparagus, thin couscous and oscetra caviar) - the one with crunchy salmon and quail egg is divine and balance, the one with asparagus, showing contrast between land and sea creatures, needs a bit “more” caviar especially inside, and the last part with couscous is in right texture and temperature with subtle flavor. Once again, Robuchon shows his expertise in caviar dish
Accompanied by wine: Bruno Paillard Blanc de Blancs Reserve Privée
Les Crustacés la langoustine truffée à l’étuvée de chou vert, le homard rôti à la citronnelle avec une semoule végétale, l’oursin accompagné d’une purée de pomme de terre au café (Truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage, lemon grass roasted lobster with vegetable semolina, sea urchin, potato purée with a hint of coffee) - This is the best dish of the night - a combination of delicious and solid lightly cooked blue lobster; intense and succulent Brittany langoustine accompanied by fragrant truffle and foie gras reduction; as well as sweet and creamy Hokkaido sea urchin along with Robuchon’s famous mashed potatoes which are decadent
La Saint-Jacques la noix poêlée aux fregolas avec une émulsion coralline (Pan seared scallops with fregolas pastas and her emulsion) - The scallop is tasty and juicy, integrated with nice pastas. The emulsion’s intensity is just about right, very good
Le Gorgonzola en royale avec une vierge de poire et de tomate à la sauge (Custard of Gorgonzola with a pear vierge and sage tomatoes) - This buttery and warm Italian blue cheese is served warmed while the tomato, almond and pear neutralize the cheese's overly rich taste; very colorful and pleasing to the eye
L’Avoine veloutée aux amandes torréfiées et aux sucs de chorizo (Wild-oat velouté with roasted almonds and chorizo) - A unique and uplifting dish. The bland and sticky oat flavored by the “bacon’s” smokiness and almond’s“crunchyness”
Accompanied by wine: 2001 Chassagne-Montrachet Jean-Marc Morey
Le Saumon Sauvage d’Ecosse confit avec une nage au gingembre et une fleurette légèrement fume (Salmon with ginger marinière and lightly smoked cream) - the Scottish salmon is quite light but fresh while the rests of the elements do not mix very well. It’s just OK
Le Bar cuit sur la peau aux épices avec une sauce verjutée (Seabass cooked on its skin with spicy red wine sauce) - The Seabass’ quality is not that good (lack in freshness) and soft while the red wine sauce is too intense/sweet. I don’t really like this dish
Le Bœuf grillé, cristalline au poivre, cresson en tempura, raifort à la moutarde (Grilled Sendai beef, watercress tempura, horseradish mustard) - The “steak”, cooked perfectly (medium), is delicious and marbled (far superior than Australian wagyu) worked well with the fragrant tempura. It goes well with the mustard’s “spiciness”
Les Racines Maraîchères mitonné à l’huile d’Argan (Garden vegetables simmered in Argon oil) - Nice combination of fresh winter vegetables to clear any previous flavors before the desserts, very similar to the one I had in L’Arpege served with couscous
Accompanied by wine: 2003 Gevrey-Chambertin en Reniard Domaine Alain Burguet
Le Yuzu Vert en granite avec une gelée à la verveine et un voile au cachaça ambré (Young citrus sherbet with verbena jelly and soft goat cheese) - A combination of yuzu’s bitterness and citrus’ sourness that yield goat cheese’ slight sweetness. Not too over the top, but pleasingly fresh
La Châtaigne en soupe parfumée au rhum brun avec des billes de chocolat fondant et une glace au lait (Chesnut soup flavored with dark rum, bittersweet melting chocolate and milk ice cream) - The chocolate is fantastic with its bitterness balanced by the sweetness from the chesnut and ice cream. There's also a contrast of hot and cold
Le Café express ou le Thé et ses douceurs sucrées (Espresso or tea served with sweets and pastries) - The madeline and cannele are good, so are the chocolates (earl grey is my favorite). The best part is the macaroons especially pistachio, lemon and orange. All of these are accompanied by Darjeeling tea, it’s thin-bodied, with light floral aroma and musky spiciness
Accompanied by wine: 1998 Chateau Doisy-Vedrines Grand Cru
Overall, I am very satisfied with my meal here - the most delectable feast during my winter holiday in Tokyo and Hong Kong. The cooking here is simple yet tasty and balanced with beautiful yet non-traditional presentation; don’t expect to eat intensely flavored dish or one will be disappointed. The chef de cuisine, Alain Verzeroli is very talented and successfully merging French cuisine with some Asian sensations that generates a stimulating and adventurous tasting menu. The wine collection is extensive, comparable to many great French restaurants even in France and as expected, very expensive. I enjoyed all of my wines by the glass which varied from Reims’ champagne, white and red Burgundy as well as Sauternes’ sweet wine. And if your wallet allows, Takehiro Nobukuni-san, the sommelier, could pair each course with different wines by the glass according to your taste and budget.
The service throughout the evening was friendly and comforting despite the fact that a few of them did not speak English that well. However, they never missed to replenish my water and change my napkins. By 10:30 PM, I was the only diner left (Japanese had dinner quite early), but they never rushed me at all when I still enjoyed my desserts followed by tea and petit four. The restaurant’s decoration built in harmony with the architectural traditions of the 18th century is arguably one of the most elegant places in Tokyo. My sofa is spacious and comfortable, but one can still hear when the guests in the next table talk (one table spoke a bit too laud for fine dining restaurant standard). A year earlier, I ate at Robuchon a Galera in Macau and did not really like it. This Château Robuchon has changed my opinion about the cuisine of Joël Robuchon; he indeed is capable of producing exceptional dishes even though he is hardly in the kitchen himself - only once every quarter. Joel Robuchon at the Mansion in Las Vegas would probably do the justice whether his cooking suits my palate and taste. Please click this link for the pictures of the dishes http://picasaweb.google.com/Andi.Chahyadi.Hermawan/ChateauJoelRobuchon#
Food (and Wine): 95 pts
Service (and Ambiance): 94 pts
Overall: 95/100
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