Las Vegas: Dining at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

This was the first proper dining destination for our Vegas trip. L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon is the sister establishment of Joël Robuchon, which incidentally was fully-booked until New Year's eve. It was a very memorable experience eating at the casual L'Atelier and a stepping stone for our taste buds to rest of this culinary trip. Never have we been wowed like that by poncy food propped atop of each other but we are getting it now. Poncy food only works well if the food is at the very least excellent, anything less can only be considered as stacked food with foam that reminds you of something unappetizing. For the uninitiated, Chef Robuchon has been named as Chef of the Century by Gault Millau so eating at any of his restaurants is indeed a privilege!


L'Atelier Joël Robuchon served us masterpieces of beautiful, intricate and delicious plates of food. P and I were delighted that the staff were so accommodating as well. P is vegetarian; and despite the little snafu made by the hostess who lead us to believe that the L'Atelier had a separate vegetarian-friendly menu like its fine dining counterpart, the wait staff quickly and ingenuously accommodated P's preference by crafting a 5-course vegetarian menu for the evening. It was very much appreciated despite it being last minute; and it did not disappoint. I had the holiday tasting menu, which had 9-courses from an amuse bouche to dessert(s as there were two for me). And bless the restaurant for they gave me a copy of their menu - I don't have P's menu however, so my dishes will have proper names while P's vegetarian courses will be identified as we go along.

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon's Menu

*** Please forgive the low quality photos, the lighting at the L'Atelier was pretty dim and I was using our old Fujifilm F10 camera to take these pictures. I know, and if it's any consolation, I took my DSLR to Tableau and Alex so expect better pictures in those reviews. :)

Appetizers

L'Amuse Bouche:

Foie gras parfait with port wine and Parmesan foam.

This was the perfect amuse bouche for me because it made me even hungrier than when I started. Good thing I still have 8 more courses to go. At first, I wanted to drink the glass like a shot then I was told by the waiter I should perhaps use the spoon because there are surprises at the bottom. Of course, a piece of foie gras swimming at the bottom of the glass with the rest of the parfait.

P's savory cream of corn with champagne gelee and white truffles

This is a vegetarian course that is not on the menu. It was created on the fly by the excellent chef at L'Atelier. You should have seen P's face when he first tasted this. He was engulfed in so much pleasure, I never thought he'd be so affected by a cup of savory cream of corn. "It's the white truffle", he said. Corn and white truffle, I'm putting that on my list of things to stock in my pantry.

La Langoustine: Langoustine carpaccio with roasted poppy seed dressing

I have had fish and beef carpaccio but never shellfish carpaccio. I missed out, obviously. I loved the fresh flavors of the sea in this dish and the poppy seed dressing was so yummy with the langoustines.

P's Les Legumes: Mediterranean vegetables layered with buffalo mozzarella with green pesto.
Vegetables are like gems in the rough. When cooked properly, it can be the most delicious stack of food you can ever put in your mouth. Evidently. The buffalo mozzarella with the green pesto is like a marriage made in heaven.

Les Huitres: Poached baby Kussi oysters with French echiré butter
This was perhaps my favorite course of the evening because I LOVE OYSTERS. These kussi oysters were lightly poached and while I would be happy with it being completely fresh, I absolutely adored how the oysters were so perfectly plump and juicy and soaked in butter. My mouth salivates still every time I look at this picture.

P's La Cebette: White onion tart with smoked bacon parmesan and asparagus

Nevermind the bacon, P thought it was going to be something of a filler-course but the white onion tart was utterly delicious. It was probably the least fancy looking thing but flavor-wise, it more than made up for it's lack of aesthetics.

L'œuf: Steamed egg in a macaroni ring with black truffle and parsley coulis

When I first saw this dish, I didn't know what to make of it. I don't exactly like foamy sauces and I could not see the steamed egg. But let me tell you that this dish spoiled me and I can never eat an egg the same away again. Nestled within the foam and macaroni ring, lies an egg, round and pure. The whole egg was like a soft, pillowy cloud - and when I cut into it, a beautiful golden stream flowed out and envelopes the dish into a beautiful and tasty mess.

P's La Courgette:Roasted zucchini with eggplant caviar and Parmesan crisp

"So beautiful", we said in unison. This roasted zucchini was absolutely delicious and surprisingly rich. The eggplant caviar gave this dish a different dimension to it with a nice tartness that cuts into the richness of it all. P was raving, and raved some more the next day, about it.

La Sole: Dover sole fillet, baby leek with ginger

Who would have thought fish could taste this god-awesome good? I believe it was the lemon oil and combination of the sweetness of the leek that did it for me. It was the perfect palate cleanser for what is to come.


Main Courses

La Caille: Foie Gras stuffed free-ranged quail with truffled-mash potatoes

OR

Le Chevreuil: Venison with sweet and sour cranberry and chestnuts - I picked this one because I didn't feel like foie gras

The venison was cooked to medium rare and when I sink my knife for a bite, I gasped in surprise at how tender it was. It was like cutting into butter, and it melted in my mouth. The venison was not gamey as I thought it would be either, it was just utterly delicious.

P's Les Spagetti: L’Atelier style spaghetti with truffle oil

Do not let this unassuming pasta dish fool you, it was perfumed with truffle oil and bathe in a rich tomato sauce.

Dessert:

La Passion: Fresh passion fruit in a coconut meringue, Champagne brut - P's menu did not have La Passion, which was a pity. But thankfully for him, I shared.

This dessert was the most divine pleasure at L'Atelier. As everything else was perfectly delicious, the sweet and tartness of the passion fruit ice cream enclosed in a cloud of crispy meringue atop a wafer atop a brut was the perfect ending to our meal. But in the spirit of hedonistic decadence, our waiter brought us our final blow....

La Noisette: Hazelnut dacquoise, gianduja crunch and chocolate ice cream.

Decadent, rich chocolate ice cream on hazelnut dacquoise a nutty crunchy wafer deck with a gold leaf. The entire plate was powdered in gold circular patterns - yes, it is real powdered gold on our plates.

Overall, it was an excellent experience from food to service. L'Atelier Joël Robuchon was an exciting experience that opened up our gastronomical horizons leaving us hankering for more. And thankfully, this is just our first stop.

Next, I'll write about Tableau (the best breakfast and brunch spot in the whole of Vegas).

A Wish

*** Edit [29th Dec 2009]: Las Vegas was a culinary adventure. I can't wait to share with you my experiences at Alex, L'Atelier Joel Robuchon, Raku (who said sushi and ramen were the only things Japanese ate?), Stratta, Pizza Place and Tableau (best brunch and breakfast). And because I stayed at the Wynn, most of these restaurants are located within the vicinity. Wynn is by far, the best hotel experience I have ever had and that is saying a lot because I've stayed in Many hotels (granted most of them are in South East Asia with a sprinkling in the south island of New Zealand, and Canada). The service at the Wynn was top-notch and full of class, even the casual dining places had very commendable service. This is it for me. The Wynn, Las Vegas has spoiled me rotten and the seductive gastronomical and fine dining experiences has left me wanting me more. Even my first experience in Au Pied de Cochon paled in comparison - no, APDC is out of their league.

---

A Series of Kitchen Experiments would like to wish all of you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

I won't be updating this blog till the New Year, I'll be in Vegas and hopefully I'll get to try ALL the restaurants I want to go to. Joel Robouchon, Michael Mina, et. al. here I come!

xoxoxo,
Elaine

Christmas Gift Idea: Biscotti - three kinds.

It's almost that time of the year!

I have three biscotti recipes to share and they do make wonderful gifts. Shipping them overseas is not a problem at all because biscotti last for weeks! I don't know about you but I like to give things that are made instead of bought - at least, for me, I appreciate gifts like that a bit more because of the personal touches put into it.



So, back to the biscotti recipes, I have three that I'd like to share;

1) Pistachio and cranberry biscotti,

2) Orange-flavored Chocolate chip and hazelnut biscotti and

3) Japanese Green Tea and chocolate chip biscotti.

All three are delicious and goes extremely well with coffee and tea.

1) Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

This is a very cheerful and colorful biscotti, perfect for the Christmas season, it also has the holiday colors with the green pistachios and red cranberries studded in every golden bite. Imagine receiving a package of these colorful biscotti at your door steps - it would warm even the coldest days. :)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter, unsalted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
Rind of 1 lemon
1 vanilla bean, scraped and pods discarded - or use 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 cup of pistachio
1 cup of dried cranberries

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F or 180C. Spray baking sheet with some oil/coat with butter. Sift, the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

1. Cream butter with sugar until it turns into a pale creamy consistency. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.

If you have a stand mixer or a hand mixer this would be a breeze but to be quite honest, it is very doable by hand too.

2. I like adding my flavoring in the butter mixture, I feel that it's better incorporated that way. So, add your vanilla and lemon rind in here and stir to perfume the butter mixture.

3. Now it's time to add the dry ingredients; I like to add the flour mixture and the pistachio and cranberries alternately into the butter mixture so it gets incorporated well.

At the end, your batter will have a chocolate chip cookie batter consistency. If it's too sticky, chill the batter in the fridge before baking for 30 minutes.

4. With your spatula, half the batter and shape it into logs on your baking sheet. Flatten it until it's about 1 inch thick and approximately 9-inches in length. You will have two logs from this one batch of batter.

5. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven. After that, cool the batter for 30 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Slice the biscotti logs into approximately 3/4 inch thick cookies and bake for 15 minutes minutes in the same oven temperature.

Let the biscotti cool completely before storing.

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It's simple, isn't it? :)

Next biscotti recipe!

2) Orange-flavored Chocolate and Hazelnut Biscotti

This is a very traditional take on flavor. Orange and chocolate? Can't go wrong with that :)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter, unsalted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
Rind of 1 large orange, grated
1 vanilla bean, scraped and pods discarded - or use 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
1+3/4 cups of flour
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 cup of hazelnuts, whole

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F or 180C. Spray baking sheet with some oil/coat with butter. Sift, the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

1. Cream butter with sugar until it turns into a pale creamy consistency. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.

2. I like adding my flavoring in the butter mixture, I feel that it's better incorporated that way. So, add your vanilla and orange rind in here and stir to perfume the butter mixture.

3. Now it's time to add the dry ingredients; I like to add the flour mixture and the hazelnuts alternately into the butter mixture so it gets incorporated well.

4. With your spatula, half the batter and shape it into logs on your baking sheet. Flatten it until it's about 1 inch thick and approximately 9-inches in length. You will have two logs from this one batch of batter.

5. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven. After that, cool the batter for 30 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Slice the biscotti logs into approximately 3/4 inch thick cookies and bake for 15 minutes minutes in the same oven temperature.

Let the biscotti cool completely before storing.

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3)Japanese Green Tea and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

This is a very unique flavored biscotti. The flavor of the green tea powder gives it a very pleasant bitterness, almost like dark chocolate with a hint of floral tea leaves that green tea imparts. And with chocolate chips, it's quite delicious with a glass of cold milk! Here's to all the green anti-oxidant goodness in a bite! :)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter, unsalted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, scraped and pods discarded - or use 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
1+3/4 cups of flour
1/4 cup of green tea powder, also known as Matcha
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 cup of chocolate chips

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F or 180C. Spray baking sheet with some oil/coat with butter. Sift, the flour, matcha powder, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

1. Cream butter with sugar until it turns into a pale creamy consistency. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.

2. I like adding my flavoring in the butter mixture, I feel that it's better incorporated that way. So, add your vanilla beans/extract in here and stir to perfume the butter mixture.

3. Now it's time to add the dry ingredients; I like to add the flour mixture and the chocolate chips alternately into the butter mixture so it gets incorporated well.

4. With your spatula, half the batter and shape it into logs on your baking sheet. Flatten it until it's about 1 inch thick and approximately 9-inches in length. You will have two logs from this one batch of batter.

5. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven. After that, cool the batter for 30 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Slice the biscotti logs into approximately 3/4 inch thick cookies and bake for 15 minutes minutes in the same oven temperature.

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Let the biscotti cool completely before storing.