L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon Review or also known as (Las Vegas where dinners can hurt you as much as the poker tables)

Location:	MGM Grand- Las Vegas

1st time I heard his name was in 2001 while avidly watching the Iron Chef (the original Japanese version dubbed in English) in Food Network Canada.

Joel Robuchon (http://www.joel-robuchon.com/)

He was then called a god of French Cuisines. His restaurants are the rave of food critics and have always garnered top awards. As hospitality professional I wanted to experience an operation with chef of his caliber running the show.

When I found out in advance that he has a restaurant in Las Vegas, to be exact at the MGM Grand beside the condo that I was staying. I made plans starting with saving up money hehehe.

He had restaurants all over the world like Paris, New York, Tokyo Monaco etc so the chance of meeting him in person and him actually cooking would be very slim. But I had feedbacks from the executive chefs that I talked that his staffs are top. He personally handpicks them. So I made my reservation in advance to be exact 1 month having heard that for peak periods a year advance booking is strongly suggested, and guess what I still did not even get the time and date that I wanted.

I prepared my budget for this indulgence for $135 per head tasting (discovery) menu without wine or tax I knew it was going to dent my pocket. But the want of experiencing the talents of this highly rate Michelin Chef was something I really wanted to encounter to.
It was far cheaper then The Mansion also run by Robuchon where the tasting menus start at $295 per head and was strictly formal dinning.



Wearing my Hoian all black made suit I arrived advance for my appointment of 9 pm.
The service was quick as I was seated by the maitre de and given the wine menu and dinner menu.



The restaurant was designed to exude the informal setting of the restaurant as compared to the other Joel Robuchon restaurants. The chefs were dressed in black with red accents which blend in with the restaurant design and showcase kitchen where you can watch the food preparation.

I opted for a counter seat which gave me a bird’s view of the cooking process which was in it a dinner show. You get to also interact with the chefs who cooked your dishes. You also get to talked with other guest. I was then seated beside a couple from Florida who owned a yacht business and already dined in Joel Robuchon restaurants in New York and Paris; they have nothing but praise for the chef who was also called the Chef of the Century.



I was smitten by the fact of eating in a fine restaurant I did not have the heart to bring out my camera and start shooting my meal. But I swear that the presentation of the food was the one of the best I have seen in years of dining personally and professionally with Chef Michael Mina coming into mind.


After the bread service was done the parade of food started to began.

* L'AMUSE-BOUCHE
le concombre en gelée, à l'estragon et son yaourt au cumin
Cucumber gelée tarragon cream, cumin yogurt
* LA TOMATE
en gaspacho aux croûtons dorés
Chilled gazpacho with croutons
* LA LANGOUSTINE
en carpaccio aux graines de pavot
Langoustine carpaccio with roasted poppy seed dressing
* LES HUITRES
de Kussi pochées dans leur coquille au beurre salé
Poached baby Kussi oysters with French « Echiré » butter
* LE FOIE GRAS
de canard chaud, « jubilé » de cerises à l'hibiscus et amandes fraîches
Seared duck foie gras with cherries and fresh almonds
* LE FLETAN
avec une vierge de légumes aux fins aromates
Halibut filet steamed with lemon-thyme butter, spring vegetables
* LA CAILLE
farcie de foie gras et caramélisée avec une pomme purée truffée
Free-range quail stuffed with foie gras and served with truffled-mashed potatoes

or

* LE VEAU
en paillard et sa roquette acidulée
Veal picatta served with arugula salad
* L'ALOES
givré, crème de citron vert, petit bouquet de Granny-Smith
Aloe sorbet, lime cream and Granny-Smith apples
* LA FRAISE
en jus de fruits glacé, streusel croustillant
Strawberry « Milkshake » and sorbet, crunchy streusel
* LE CAFE
Coffee or Espresso

All the dishes were simply outstanding with the color, taste, balance and texture each dish in perfect. The balance of the sweet saltwater Oyster with fresh French butter was a delightful surprise.

The Quail for me was the highlight of the menu with the flavor of the foie gras and truffle oil potatoes rising above the gamey tastes of quail.

But to be honest I expected a little bit more in the dessert dishes, something more avant grade for the caliber and price I was paying.

It was one of the best meals I ever had with my final bill reaching over $200 with a glass of a nice 2002 Coteaux du Languedoc Bronzinelle. It was not cheap but it is still not that expensive compared to other fine dining restaurants I have heard where $500 is the norm.

I could have easily lost $250 on craps or Baccarat (games I never played) and went home depressed with an empty stomach so if you look it that way I had a bargain.

So this restaurant for me value, the interaction with other guest and chefs and of course the quality of food this was 5 spoons rating…


Would I eat there again ….hmmm maybe that’s if I hit the jackpot? But then again if hit the Jackpot I would be in his restaurant in Monaco.

Black Cat Saigon…Meow Meow … a Deli review-

Location:	Black Cat at 13 Phan Van Dat Dist 1 , HCMC , Vietnam

Been in Vietnam for almost 2 years now but I have only recently heard of Black Cat.

And it was only by word of mouth of fellow Expats that I came to know about the place.

I needed the break from the seafood, pho and other regular Vietnamese cuisine that I always had.
I craved for a piece of a good sandwich.
So on my R&R I headed to Black Cat at 13 Phan Van Dat Dist 1 , HCMC .
The restaurant was included in 2006 by CNN as one of the 10 places to eat in the World.
So it was only but natural for me to have high expectations. It was a small 2 level loft type nook that can be called both cozy and a bit cramped.

They have a very extensive menu of sandwiches , soups, salads , entrees , pitas from American , Mexican, Vietnamese and even Thai cuisine. You would have a good array of selection of that comfort food that Expats or long time visitors in Vietnam would look for after they had their fill of the local cuisine.

One of their specialties was called a Big Cheese, A monster of a cheese burger which had half a kilo of beef for its patty.Clearly it was more then I can handle. Memories of a half pounder (250 gram ) hamburger I tried to eat in a diner named Grease Spoon in Ontario , Canada still haunts me to this day , so I ll pass on that :)

I had a clam chowder as my starter and I was disappointed by its watery consistence. The taste could still be improved with more spices. It was one of those soups I would rather not write about.

For my entree I had their version of Reuben Sandwich which was made of corned beef, sauerkraut, onions parsley, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese on a dark rye bread grilled in butter.

The kosher pickle was limp and has seen better days , the potato salad was nothing special to write home about.

As for the Sandwich , the bread was grilled to perfection and from the way it crumbles in your mouth plus the smell of warm bread wafting to your nose. The bread itself shows that was it freshly baked that day and from what I heard the Black Cat bakes its own bread.

The corned beef was very good if not excellent and I am comparing it to 2 of the best deli/sandwich places in the world that I have eaten. Those are Katz and Carnegie Deli both in New York City which I never fail to visit when I am in town.

I was surprised to meet that quality of corned beef outside of the US , the salty beefy taste was simmered by the well made sauerkraut that even my former German GM would agree to have been excellently made .

From the taste and how it feels in your mouth, It was a well orchestrated symphony that will please your epicurean senses.


Overall its one of the best sandwiches I ever had. If Black Cat can improve more on its side dishes and soup. I would happily included them in of the top 20 places in the world to eat , but for now it will have to be one of the top 3 Deli Sandwich place in the world.

New Blog for Food

Some of my friends has been requesting me to place my food reviews in a separate blog from my Multiply account .

This resulted to this blog. Where I share my food adventures.