The Travel Monologues

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Sigh. Just the mention sends me into wistful happy memories. Every once in a long long while, you get to taste a little bit of perfection which startles and excites your taste buds in ways you never thought possible. I dare not say I know everything there is to food, and while we’re at it, neither am I qualified to make any critical assesments. But goddamnit, this is a blog and I can say whatever I want and for now, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas is my idea of heaven.

It’s like eating works of art.

Due to my procrastination, L’atelier de Joel Robuchon has changed their menu so I can’t get the actual names. So I’ll just describe it best I can.

Pic 1 (top left clockwise): cumcumber yogurt something, tuna with guacomole, scallops with caulliflower couscous (I have fond memories of this one!), lobster cream soup (and this!)

Pic 2 (top left clockwise): asparagus cappuccino with parmesan cheese, fried cod with squid, beef cheek (is it?) with mashed potatoes, squab/quail with truffled mashed potatoes

Pic 3: Screw it. I give up. All I remember is that the green thing has a pistachio theme.

I’m especially inspired by the asparagus cappuccino with parmesan. I never knew the cheese and asparagus soup were such great complements. Joel Robuchon is especially famous for his mashed potatoes and I know you are probably thinking, ” Mashed potatoes?? Any kid knows how to make mashed potatoes. OMG, what a n00b. lolz,” but this is one special dish. It’s so buttery and smooth that it just slides around in your mouth and down your throat (cue a “That’s what she said” joke). It’s just a whole new texture and flavour and don’t get me started on the truffled mashed potatoes. Truffles will give the dish a whole new dimension in taste. Love the scallops and the lobster soup since the scallops gave me an idea how to cook cauliflowers differently. Wasn’t too crazy about the desserts but they were still good.

I’m not going to do a rating anymore, because I just get tired trying to compare it with other places I’ve eaten. How do you compare such a meal with say, Tian Tian chicken rice at Maxwell Market when they are obviously in different leagues of their own? Also, I got a suspicion that food is so subjective that my aged grandmother will probably declare loudly that this angmoh food is quite inedible. So, there is no way I can come up with an impartial rating system and I’ll just leave it at that. Just take it that L’atelier de Joel Robuchon is one hella dining experience, albeit way over my budget, but definitely worth it in my book.

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I miss Las Vegas already. I lost money at the blackjack tables, which has convinced me that I’m not fated to do any form of gambling. Cirque du Soleil Ka was amazing, and so was the Hard Rock hotel. The weather was crazy hot though, but then again, no one goes Vegas for the weather, do they?