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2011-08-24
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It’s not every day that you get a call from one of your good friends with an invitation to dine at an acclaimed Michelin Star restaurateur's Singapore rendition of: L’Atelier Joël Robuchon. Having previously dined at a restaurant with food prepared by a Michelin star chef, I knew what to expect: clean tasting, beautifully presented food with a respect for ingredients. It was something that I used as my bench mark for the evenings dining, I honestly couldn’t wait!The entrance to the restaurant
The entrance to the restaurant is an impressive sight in itself! Walking through the door we were greeted by our maitre d' who lead us through the ‘casual’ dining area of the restaurant; as a matter of fact L’Atelier is divided into to restaurants the casual and full service restaurants.
L’ InteriorThe interior of the restaurant remains consistent with L’Atelier’s around the world; the signature black and red décor and the synonymous open concept kitchen ensure a standard ‘familiarity’ no matter which L’Atelier restaurant you visit in different parts of the world. We were seated at the counter, though I thought it more conducive to sit at a table and chit chat; perhaps if it were just two people dining the counter made more sense.
Bread, bread, bread!
A lot can be said of an eating establishment based on the bread that they serve. I have to say I was very impressed with the wide variety of bread, just a note here to those of you who love butter with your bread, you’ve got to ask your waiter for the butter as they don’t usually serve it with the bread basket (oh and it’s unsalted butter)
Amuse Bouche - Foie Gras Custard with Red Porto wine and Parmesan FoamThe amuse bouche was divine; all the lovely sweet tasting goodness of foie gras in a custard with a little dash of the tart wine which was then balanced out by the creamy saltiness of foam! I could have eaten a dozen of these and still not be sick!
Le Vitello Tonato – Veal Carpaccio Topped with a Tuna SauceThis dish was delicious, the mild flavor of the veal coupled with the tuna sauce was soft and silky. I was too engrossed with eating this that I forgot to add these delectable morsels to the lettuce hearts!
L’Hamachi – Yellowtail Tuna Tartar with Spicy Tomato SauceI absolutely loved the tomato sauce, it was so nice, refreshing and complemented the tuna so well each bite left my mouth refreshed and wanting more.
Les Encornets – Squid and Artichokes Fried with Iberian FlavorsCooking a squid is a delicate task; undercook the squid and it’s semi slimy, overcook it and you get yourself rubber bullets. Luckily the squid here was cooked to perfection, coupled with the smooth texture of the artichokes and the saltiness of the Iberian cubes I was in a happy place
Le Cochon De Lait – Milk Fed Pig with Braised Green Cabbage and Fresh GingerMmmmm milk fed pork! What’s the difference I hear you ask? Well I don’t know if it was just me but the dish again seemed very ‘clean’ in that eating the pork it was well seasoned yet not overpowering on the palette, there wasn’t too much of the pork taste and the meat itself was smoother and sweeter, if that makes sense? Coupled with the crispy fried pieces of ginger and the soft creamy mash it was absolutely delicious!
La Sphere – Caribbean, Hazelnut Dacquoise, Thin Orizaba Chocolate Leaves (before)Have you ever had anything on your plate that looked just so nice that you avoid eating cause you don’t want to ruin it? La Sphere was a thing of beauty; a pristine chocolate ball sitting atop halved raspberries..
Pour over it a warm pot of raspberry compote (yes I really did it) and you get a warm cold chocolatety melted ball of yumminess! After reluctantly sharing some of it with my friends I ate the remainder of my desert in gleeful silence!
Aside from the amuse bouche and the desert (which were really way over the top) I kind of expected a little more flare or ‘specialness’ from the other dishes; perhaps I was expecting too much? But hey this is just my opinion / my review. I do highly recommend you going there to try the food, the excellent service and the ambiance for yourself. It was a fantastic experience; thankful most for the company that evening!
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