Thanks to the good guys at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon for taking me in at such late hours (it was 2:10PM).
Looked like they have been tinkering the set menu a little bit but not as much as I would like. The black cod dish among others has been there for ages and I thought it's about time it has a replacement.
Tomato gazpacho jelly, avocado coulis - I can't ask for a better amuse bouche than this, can I? The tomato gazpacho jelly was just perfect for the dog days of summer (at 36 degrees). Wonderful, refreshing acidity met with a layer of silky avocado coulis. Also some paprika and crispy croutons on top. Got me all geared up for the upcoming dishes.
La Langoustine - I had a different version of this with mom last time. As I recalled, that one had a super intense langoustine bouillon served with a delicious piece of roasted scampi. By the look of it, this was a downgraded version featuring a fine spiced chicken bouillon. Floating on top of the bouillon were some scallops, lobster and shiitake mushroom. There were also a couple of scampi "tsukune", homemade scampi meat balls made with scampi and flying fish roes.
The bouillon was a little on the spicy side thanks to the strong ginger flavors. I think I want the old version back.
Le Boeuf Wagyu - I was a little curious of whether the wagyu was Japanese or Australian, and not surprisingly, it's Australian. This was beautifully prepared though, leaving each slice of beef with a nice charred crust. I love the white asparagus, pine nuts, ginger and green onion served on the side too. Very tasty. The homemade teriyaki sauce was spot on and just perfect. Definitely, the best dish of the afternoon.
La Cerise - I had a feeling it's not going to be an ordinary cheesecake and I was right.
Like the amuse bouche, this was just perfect for summer. The hibiscus cheese cake with cherry compote and beetroot ganache was bursting with refreshing flavors while the sweetened cherries, cherry sorbet and chocolate crumbs provided the dish with some additional texture and contrasting temperature.
The petite four was nice as always. It took me 30 seconds to wash them down with my English breakfast tea coz I didn't want to be the last customer leaving the dining room. Second last was okay.
The langoustine dish aside, I thought I had a pretty delicious meal today. The only thing I was slightly unhappy about was perhaps service. Unlike my previous experience at a Robuchon establishment, I found today's service a little "robotic" (but not rude) and not very Michelin-like. Quick example: when a customer came in at 2:10PM, it's quite understandable that you want to take his orders as quickly as possible (before last order!). But I waited and waited, and even signaled to a number of servers with a closed menu but no one came to my rescue. At the end, I had to wave my arms around to get someone's attention. When a female server finally came up, she told me they were all thinking that I was waiting for someone. That's just very poor communication right there coz when I arrived, the hostess already knew I was a solo diner.
Food Rating: 6.5/10
Price: $$$$
Address: Shop 315 & 401, The Landmark, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2166-9000
Website: www.robuchon.hk
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