L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon--The Baron is Back
The Baron is back by popular demand. Rest assured, the Baron has not stopped eating and drinking. Indeed, the Baron is recently returned from Las Vegas (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, unless your physician tells you otherwise), and has a series of reviews in the pipeline. First off is L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, a spin-off of the Paris restaurant. If you want to pop in to the original, it's in the Seventh, and Zagat's gives it a 26. And yes, it's that Joel Robuchon--France's "Chef of the Century." L'Atelier is located in the MGM Grand, right next to Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, Robuchon's more formal establishment in Vegas. L'Atelier differs from most restaurants in that the bulk of the seating is set at a counter surrounding the open kitchen. Much like sitting a sushi counter. Or a diner. Except most diners don't serve quail, foie gras, and black truffles. There is significant interaction with the staff, and service is excellent. The room is modern, all blacks and reds.
The menu is essentially divided between small plates and entrees. Most of the small plates also come in entree-size portions. The staff recommends the tasting menu, which is probably the way to go given the large number of appealing selections. However, due to the availability of a special not found on the menu degustation, the Baron went a la carte.
Crispy langostine fritter with basil pesto. A single langostine (more than a shrimp, less than a lobster in both size and flavor) llightly battered, served atop microgreens and topped with a bit of basil pesto. The batter was much like a tempura, and not at all greasy.
Poached baby Kumamoto oysters with French "Echire" salted butter and micro chives. Four Kumamotos served atop a bed of sea salt. The oysters were raw but the warm butter drizzled atop each served to gently poach them. The micro chives added some additional flavor, but the intermix of the briny oysters with the warm butter was just perfect. And what is Echire butter, you ask? Echire is a famed artisan French butter, from the milk of cows of the small village of Poitiers and La Rochelle. Echire is known as one of the best butters in France, which is why the greedy French keep 85% of the production for domestic use. These are the sort of details that separate the good from the great in the restaurant industry. Even better was a bit of L'Atelier's top-notch Parisian-style bread dipped into the remaining butter.
The Baron's neighboring diners were enjoying some interesting selections, including fresh cod in vegetable broth, roast quail, and scallops. But nothing was getting as much attention as the evening special, the special that steered the Baron away from the tasting menu but resulted in a similarly punishing l'addition (that's "check" in French)--black truffle spaghetti. Spaghetti in a cream sauce spiked with flecks of black truffles. Additional black truffles were shaved on top. That is perhaps an understatment. The truffle shavings were so generous that they completely covered the spaghetti. Rich, decadent, and well, yes, expensive. But come on, its black truffles from Joel Robuchon. Perfect with champagne by the glass.
You may also want to try Robuchon's famous mashed potatos, which seem to be a 50/50 mix of potato to butter. Just a few years ago, the food press was suggesting that Robuchon was yesterday's news, but he is back with a vengeance. Word is that another L'Atelier will be opening in New York. Welcome news for East-coasters and anyone who enjoys food done right.
The Baron is back by popular demand. Rest assured, the Baron has not stopped eating and drinking. Indeed, the Baron is recently returned from Las Vegas (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, unless your physician tells you otherwise), and has a series of reviews in the pipeline. First off is L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, a spin-off of the Paris restaurant. If you want to pop in to the original, it's in the Seventh, and Zagat's gives it a 26. And yes, it's that Joel Robuchon--France's "Chef of the Century." L'Atelier is located in the MGM Grand, right next to Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, Robuchon's more formal establishment in Vegas. L'Atelier differs from most restaurants in that the bulk of the seating is set at a counter surrounding the open kitchen. Much like sitting a sushi counter. Or a diner. Except most diners don't serve quail, foie gras, and black truffles. There is significant interaction with the staff, and service is excellent. The room is modern, all blacks and reds.
The menu is essentially divided between small plates and entrees. Most of the small plates also come in entree-size portions. The staff recommends the tasting menu, which is probably the way to go given the large number of appealing selections. However, due to the availability of a special not found on the menu degustation, the Baron went a la carte.
Crispy langostine fritter with basil pesto. A single langostine (more than a shrimp, less than a lobster in both size and flavor) llightly battered, served atop microgreens and topped with a bit of basil pesto. The batter was much like a tempura, and not at all greasy.
Poached baby Kumamoto oysters with French "Echire" salted butter and micro chives. Four Kumamotos served atop a bed of sea salt. The oysters were raw but the warm butter drizzled atop each served to gently poach them. The micro chives added some additional flavor, but the intermix of the briny oysters with the warm butter was just perfect. And what is Echire butter, you ask? Echire is a famed artisan French butter, from the milk of cows of the small village of Poitiers and La Rochelle. Echire is known as one of the best butters in France, which is why the greedy French keep 85% of the production for domestic use. These are the sort of details that separate the good from the great in the restaurant industry. Even better was a bit of L'Atelier's top-notch Parisian-style bread dipped into the remaining butter.
The Baron's neighboring diners were enjoying some interesting selections, including fresh cod in vegetable broth, roast quail, and scallops. But nothing was getting as much attention as the evening special, the special that steered the Baron away from the tasting menu but resulted in a similarly punishing l'addition (that's "check" in French)--black truffle spaghetti. Spaghetti in a cream sauce spiked with flecks of black truffles. Additional black truffles were shaved on top. That is perhaps an understatment. The truffle shavings were so generous that they completely covered the spaghetti. Rich, decadent, and well, yes, expensive. But come on, its black truffles from Joel Robuchon. Perfect with champagne by the glass.
You may also want to try Robuchon's famous mashed potatos, which seem to be a 50/50 mix of potato to butter. Just a few years ago, the food press was suggesting that Robuchon was yesterday's news, but he is back with a vengeance. Word is that another L'Atelier will be opening in New York. Welcome news for East-coasters and anyone who enjoys food done right.
posted by TheBaronOnTaste at 8:46 PM
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