Mr. Robuchon @ Robuchon~

Friday. The single word that fills people with excitement as it signifies the end of a hectic work week and a time to unwind, relax and have a little fun. Or in my case, a lot of food haha..

I had a booking with L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon that night and despite having been a few times already was still highly anticipating the coming dinner. What made it even more special was the fact that Mr. Robuchon himself would be there that night so I was interested to see whether the standard of the food would be better with his presence. 

As I was dining for one, the manager suggested a series of small portions for me so that I could try more variety which was very thoughtful.

The amuse bouche that night was a combination of warm and cold. The cold part consisted of an artichoke and morel mushroom puree which had a very earthy flavour and the warm part was fois gras with port wine and bacon foam. This was really good, texture was smooth and the slight sweetness of the port wine complemented the richness of the fois gras. 

La Tomates. This is a seasonal dish, and I had been looking forward to seeing this colourful array of tomatoes in front of me again, There are five different varieties each with a different colour and texture. Some were more juicy while some had a more meaty texture to it. The sharpness of the flavour really helped to whet the appetite for the other dishes.

Le Fois Gras. Two perfectly cylindrical rounds of pale pink fois gras terrine accompanied with two dots of date jam. This was served with slices of thinly toasted bread. The simpleness of the presentation was just a mask to the intense richness of this dish. The way the terrine melted in the mouth contrasted with the crunchiness of the toast and the slight sweetness of the date.. it was so good!

L’Oursin. The pale colours of the sea urchin souffle with the wasabi foam was visually very pretty. The briny flavour of the sea urchin was very bold with the wasabi foam giving a subtle flavour. However I found the dish to be overly salty.

La Langoustine. Initially I was reluctant to try this dish as I am not a fan of lobster or any of its close relatives as I find the meat too chewy, however as it is considered one of Robuchon’s signature dishes, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Presented very simply, one plump ravioli stuffed with fresh scampi and truffles, coated in fois gras sauce with a side of sauteed cabbage to cut the richness. I was not expecting anything spectacular, but was most intrigued when my knife was able to slice through the scampi meat in the ravioli with no resistance at all. When I had my first bite, I was stunned. The scampi was sweet and tender, the ravioli skin was al dente and the fois gras sauce was luscious. This was the best dish of the night.

La Saint-Jacques. One plump scallop sitting in a sauce of coriander and coconut, topped with a crisp sesame tuile. The scallop was fresh and the coriander sauce reminded me a little of the flavours used in Thai cuisine. To me, this was just ok.

La Piece de Boeuf Wagyu. This was my main of the night. Pan seared Wagyu beef with ribbons of marbling. The part where the meat had been seared was quite chewy in texture, but the middle part with the marbling was melt in your mouth. At this point I was already quite full, so the richness of the beef was a little overwhelming for me. If I wasn’t as full, I think I would be more appreciative of this dish.

Time for dessert~ My favourite part of the night as usual 🙂

I was able to try their newest creation La Litche Rose. This was also something that I was not planning to order as I prefer something more chocolatey rather than fruity, but after seeing it being served to the couple next to me, I decided I wanted one for myself. It was such a pretty dessert. Essentially a layer of clear lychee jelly lined the base, with a tube of raspberry mouse next to a quenelle of grapefruit sorbet. A raspberry candy-like tuile sat like a hat on top and around it was pieces of lychee fruit, strawberry slices and raspberries. So summery and refreshing, it was actually a perfect ending to a heavy meal.

Or so I thought, until I was presented with a cheese plate 🙂 A selection of three cheeses, the one on the left was my favourite, I can’t remember the name, but it was all gooey and creamy the kind of texture I love in cheese with quite a strong flavour. The middle was a 24 month aged brie which was quite good as well, but not as soft. The top most was a goat’s cheese with quite a light flavour, the texture was slightly firmer, but was still to my taste.

And a perfect latte and petite fours to end my meal. Oh pistachio macaron I adore you~

To be honest, the standard and quality of the meal was just as impeccable as it usually is, the fact that Mr. Robuchon was there probably just made the general atmosphere more ‘alert’. However, it was still a great experience to be able to meet such a renowned chef.

Merci beaucoup Monsieur Robuchon 🙂