影片
更多
2009-12-10
79 瀏覽
After an abortive start the last time around as I had to cancel a previous booking with short notice, it was down to pure luck that as I re-booked another session at L'Atelier's in October 2009, I discovered Mr. Robuchon himself will be present in real person on my very day of visit! His dedicated fans from Japanese, Caucasian to Asians were all queuing up for that once-in-a-lifetime photo snapping session with the most famous Chef of the Century, the only man alive to hold the Guiness record
Although I've read aplenty about the latest bargain pff-peak deal at L'Atelier, I figured underlyingly I will become ambivalent towards their L'Unique Menu anyway: afterall the weight of evidence against it seemed pretty damning! Look, I didn't walk all the way to here to experience their compartmentalised food-tray, aka Economy-class Airline styled food - I just wouldn't be too enthusiastic trying Joel's version of a 'TV Dinner' !!! Instead, we agreed to splurge out just a little more for the better MENU CLUB LUNCH COURSE. Besides, I've already eaten a similar meal before a few year ago when it 1st opened. Their much lauded Lunch Course has served plenty before me with satisfactory feedbacks!
************************
BREAD BASKET -
Honestly, pretty good but not perfect as I remembered. Some pieces were very great, but for some reason its not as perfectly satisfactory as the Tokyo's Chateau version, nor in that matter the Macau's bread basket which was the best I have tried ever! Its slightly baked too hard with some pieces. My favourite is predictable today then: the Brioche and Mini-Croissants. SCORE: 4.5/5
AMUSE BOUCHE -
A Corn-based puree, surprisingly this was nearly the same as the one I tried at Macau's Robuchon a Galera around a half-a-year ago but in comparson this was refrigeratedly cold and not as good as the version over there! SCORE: 3.0/5
SMOKED GOOSE FOIE GRAS with CARAMELISED EEL -
This is one of their Signatue Dishes from what I can gather, it has adorned the menu for a long time. The Goose Foie Gras wasn't very 'Foie' at all, it was consolidatedly rough, having spent too much time in refrigeration. It didn't melt in the mouth nor did it retain the gamey 'gras' taste after such cold treatment. The so-called Eel resembled the Jap 蒲焼 style Unagi, rather than the desirable French Fume-Smoked Eel version I had come to expect as is mentioned in French on the menu. It was beyond bearable fishy and freezing cold, ultimately left unfinished on the plate. In fact I have eaten this dish before too - I can't remember whether this time it performed different;y from the past, or perhaps nowadays my palate sensories and expectations have evolved? I can just conclude that this time, I really think it was executed far from perfection! The side of what resembled Julienned Kohlrabi was refreshing. SCORE: 2.5/5
SMOKED SALMON with CELERIAC MOUSSE & PEPPER SAUCE -
The 'Saumon Fume' was gently smoked delicately, though the Celeriac contribution was not apparent in the best sweet-bitter, freshest way! This was rolled as a Japanese maki-style, accompanied by bell pepper sauce and wrapped within some moist type of seaweed. It seemd somehow pre-made just like the above 'gras' dish. Although L'Atelier staff members deny it vehemently, to me, there is no escaping from the reality that Joel Robuchon's L'Atelier outlets and even his Tokyo Ebisu Château's food concept borrows liberally many ideas from Japanese cuisine: whereas, Macau's Robuchon a Galera in comparison is nearly purely Archaic-French and much more aligned with the pre-retirement Robuchon Style when he took a long sabbatical since 1996, before returning to triumph in the early 21st Century! As such, they need to be evaluated differently. This dish was quite as ordinary as it gets - disappointing versus the Robuchon hype and appraisal. SCORE: 3.5/5
SPIT ROASTED SUCKLING PIG, with ROBUCHON'S FAMOUS POTATO MASH -
The French are reknowned for their Bourgogne Baby Pigs - much like their neighbour Spain's Segovian interpretation. They have similarities, and both are also vastly distinguishable from the Cantonese version, which concentrates on the skin part of the equation than the meat! Today's Baby Pig was mixed with a mixture of herbal chiffonade, grilled on the rotisserie to the right texture, the skin deep-fried rather than roasted until its crisp! Unfortunately, the pig was grossly over-salted beyond reprieve by the order of 300% or more - the meat managed to pucker the mouth lining instantly and before this effect subsided eventually it'd felt uncomfortable for a few hours! In hindsight, perhaps I should have made a complaint to the staff but somehow I didn't think it appropriate to do-so on the spot, with someone else dining with me. It will ruin the overall rhythm of a meal. That's not to say I wasn't disappointed and L'Atelier really need take careful note. For a 2 Star Michelin Restaurant, this lapse of execution was not acceptable. SCORE: 2.5/5
DUCK CONFIT, MASHED POTATO AND COMTE CHEESE -
Just like the above dish, this also arrived with an abundance of the famed Robuchon's 'Potato Mash' on the side, contained in a pre-heated cast iron pot. I've actually had this a few years before RIGHT HERE, but I distinctly remember the Tokyo's Robuchon as well as Macau's Robuchon's potato mash experience to carry a much stronger potato essence as well as butteriness. (Note: Macau's Robuchon is managed by the same company as HK's L'Atelier, so its remains a mystery as to why there's such discrepancy!) My 2nd trip to HK's L'Atelier confirms my suspicion that for some unknown excuses, the mash version served here is weaker plus less satisfactory in all aspects.
The stringy Duck Confit was ok but somehow lacks that lascivious experience one will associate with such an aromatically oily dish - way too clinical and clean in execution. The cheese sprinkled on top before being subjected to over-grilled was missing its advertised gratine's expected 'gratination', it was struggling to truly manifest the cow cheese's aroma and Comte's unique flavouring. SCORE: 4.0/5
COFFEE ICE CREAM, MASCARPONE AND MOCHA FOAM -
This was executed correctly in the technical sense but somewhat ordinary. It ate like it was literally written on the menu, nothing more, if not anything less! It lacked that smoothness and fresh mascarpone-cheese texture and taste. The so-called coffee ice cream wasn't very strong in coffeeness either. SCORE: 3.0/5
BERRIES WITH FRESH HERB SORBET, WITH CHARTREUSE SABAYON -
Topped with a Berries crisp, I still remember the very fresh herbal sorbet full of grassiness, being quite minty and refreshing, reminding me of Basil and Mint mostly, athough it didn't appear green nor herbal to the eye - very deceiving visually! The Chartreuse Sabayon beneath didn't carry a lot of alcoholic taste but was mostly yolk eggy underneath. This dessert was much more better than the above very plain concoction. SCORE: 4.5/5
MACARONS WITH CHOCOLATE PEARLS AND FRUIT PASTES -
The HK Robuchon's Macarons are made by the Japanese chef - I like them a lot, but its not perfect I suppose? The middle-layer of paste can still be fresher in preparatoin, the baked egg-white texture could still be more chewier than crispy. Its hard to pick my favourite Macaron in town too - most of them have downfalls here and there, long story, but this is quite good. The Chocolate pearls taste just like generic Valrhona versions, which means its great. The Fruit Paste candies aren't overly sweet, but could do more if it carried more of their respective flavours. SCORE: 3.8/5
CAFFE LATTE & CAPPUCINO -
If there is one thing that I give applause to at Robuchon outlets - its their coffee making skills! The Cappucino was better than the much more milky Caffe Latte however. I've now tried Macau Robuchon and HK Robuchon L'Atelier and must conclude that unlike the other so-called 2-3 Micheline Starred Restaurants - here as well as in Macau's restaurant, Robuchon's really do know how to extract coffees near enough to perfection! Made up of a Kona and Blue Mountain blending with partial Sumiyaki roasted-level beans, this is exclusive to the HK/Macau restaurants and different to other international Robuchon outlet offerings. To a Coffee purist, it proves a Taboo in terms of 'wasting' such great, expensive beans by roasting them beyond recognition of its original terroir and bean genetics. Nevertheless and thinking beyond its blending & roasting flaws, on a 'relative' comparison, the barista(s) at HK and Macau's Robuchon really carry enough skills to execute and produce a very decent coffee! Caprice and Amber is honestly despicable in their coffee executions compared to here, whereas Pierre is one of the only other restaurant which I can tell you knows how to make an acceptable coffee.
CAPPUCINO SCORE: 4.5/5
CAFFE LATTE SCORE: 3.5/5
********************
IN SUMMARY - Not a convincingly stimulating meal despite me not even blinking at the cheapest L'Unique option! A Perfunctory experience at most when measured against a Michelin 2 Star venue. In fact, this was much worst than my meal at the non-starred 坂井 宏行's La Rochelle in Shibuya around 3 years ago.
However, this review shouldn't be read as a true valuation of the restaurant, since it merely reflects my experience of this very particular meal! Ordering off the full Degustation menu costing a few times of what I paid for, especially from the Le Jardin side, might just prove to be more reflective of its true potential! I therefore refuse to write off this restaurant with rose-tinted glasses at such an early stage, but this meal certainly left a lot of unfulfilled satisfaction. So let's see how it will all pan out 1 day should I decide to visit again and experience one of their most expensive courses in the future! Nevertheless, this Individual Meal = Low '3' - High '4' at the most!
張貼
