Gastronomie Joël Robuchon Ebisu (Tokyo, JAPAN) ★★★★★

I could have waited until the last few days on the trip to have this meal. But forget about the wait, it's Christmas. It's never too early to celebrate Christmas so let's kick off this journey in Tokyo with a bang.

We got a little tangled up at the hotel this morning. Part of the reasons was the extra time we spent on dressing ourselves up, and sharing a single bathroom certainly didn't help.

Château Joël Robuchon has become synonymous with haute cuisine in Tokyo over the years. It was the first number I called when I got our flight tickets back in November. Although they were fully booked on 23, 24 and 25 Dec, I was able to find ourselves the last table on 22 Dec.

Once we checked ourselves in at the reception, the staff here took over our coats and escorted us to the second floor where a culinary journey at three-Michelin starred Gastronomie Joël Robuchon awaits.

We were first started with a small basket of mini-bread. This included a black truffle brioche, charcoal milk bun and pumpkin bread.

Le Cigare – While we were munching on our mini-bread, our amuse bouche was ready to be served. The beautifully decorated cigarette was a crispy biscuit rolled into the shape of a cigarette with fillings of cream cheese and black truffle ashes. I was amazed with the chefs' attention to details which included the tiny condiments on top of the cigarette in the form of cauliflower and Japanese vegetables emulsion.

Le Caviar Impérial – Just when everybody was still in a state of uncontrolled excitement (excited to be in the luxurious dining room of Gastronomie Joël Robuchon and excited about the amuse), our server unexpectedly arrived with our first starter. And talk about wasting no time to make a strong impression. It's the longstanding signature dish from Joël Robuchon.

The small tower of Sologne imperial caviar and crab meat, topped elegantly with gold foil, was served up on a layer of crustacean jelly and light cauliflower cream.

When even mom tried to bring her phone out for a photo, you knew something was special. And this would always be a very special dish in many people's heart. A perfect match of flavors and textures with a harmonious balance. 

L’Oursin – Next up was beautifully cooked sea scallop topped with sea urchin both from Hokkaido. The dish was finished off strongly with melt-in-mouth cheese gnocchi, sautéed baby spinach, squid-ink tuile and a buttery spinach cappuccino. 

Some of us were totally blown away.

Le Homard – Roasted lobster on a saffron flavored fennel mousse perfumed with Pastis was paired with pearl onions, broccolini and green peas. Another very impressive showing from the talented kitchen.

Le Filet de Bœuf – Our main dish was pan-seared wagyu beef served medium rare with fresh black truffle and a touch of pepper.

The succulent beef fillet was complemented brilliantly by a mixed herb salad and mushroom “cake” with French mushrooms and crunchy celery root.

Of course, it won't be complete without Robuchon's killer mash.

La Boule de Neige – Dessert provided another highlight and instagrammable moment for everyone. The sugar ball filled with white cream cheese and strawberry sorbet, was accompanied by fresh strawberries, nuts and a refreshing strawberry coulis.

We cracked the "snowball" open with our spoon and started mixing all the ingredients together. It was nice to have a fruity dessert like this instead of something heavy like chocolate or a soufflé.

The excitement never seemed to end and as soon as the mignardises cart pulled over in front of us, everybody's eyes were glowing with anticipation. This was like a giant treasure box full of goodies.

I had a couple of festive mignardises along with my favorite praline chocolate, vanilla macaron and strawberry marshmallow.

And a nice cup of warm tea to wash them down.

To say that this was a very very good meal would be a huge understatement. The culinary experience provided by the team here was meticulously crafted, taking French fine-dining to an extraordinary level. Every detail, from the impeccable service to the distinctive ambience, was carefully considered to create a harmonious and memorable dining experience. The food itself was exceptional, with exquisite flavors and presentation that showcased the artistry and skill possessed by the chefs. We will sure remember this one for a long long time.

Food Rating: 9/10

Price: ￥￥￥￥￥

Address: Yebisu Garden Place, 1-13-1 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0062, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Ebisu

Tel: +81 3-5424-1338

Website: www.robuchon.jp/en/shop-list/joelrobuchon

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 3:00pm (Sat - Sun), 5:30pm - 10:00pm (Mon - Sun)