Remembering the Great Robuchon - Tuesday, 2 October

For this trip I planned fancy schmantzy lunches most days (with very light breakfasts and dinners) and concerts most evenings.

Today’s was the fanciest lunch.

The great chef Joël Robuchon (perhaps the most decorated chef in history) died in August, so I decided right away that I should make a return visit to l'Atelier de Joël Robuchon this trip.  Besides, it’s been almost exactly 10 years since my last visit.  You can read about that 2008 lunch here:  https://mariellen-musing.blogspot.com/2008/09/le-plus-haute-cuisine-monday-29-sept.html  Of course, with his restaurants all over the world, Robuchon long ago delegated management of each one to other well-trained chefs.  But the Robuchon magic still shone through.

So today I took the plunge again, ordering the 10-course prix fixe lunch.  It was wonderful, but I do believe that the portions were significantly larger than last time.  With this many courses, the cook really needs to be more stingy with each one.  And the better the food is, the more the diner wants to consume it all.  I hate to admit it, but in my old age, too much of a good thing might just be too much!

The lunch with a glass of 2015 Domain Pierre-Jean Villa “Préface” (Saint-Joseph), Badoit and coffee came to 222 euros (about $260).  Really, a spectacular deal given what one gets, even if it includes some indigestion from unthinkingly eating almost all of it.  It’s quite the gastronomical experience, but next time I think I’ll just order individual dishes off the menu!

First, a trio of amuse bouche:  Warm creamy whipped foie gras with a drizzle of intense & just-salty-enough veal demi-glace and leak foam.  Seared beef tenderloin on a quenelle of some rice-shaped grain (I didn’t catch what the waiter said it was) and a petal of onion.  A tiny cone filled with a vegetable-herb crème, topped with perfectly cured salmon, and sprinkled with assorted seeds.


Next, cold creamy tomato soup (I believe it was creamed with rice ala Julia Child’s Potage Crécy) with icy crème fraîche, crispy airy well-seasoned croutons, charred parsley leaves (brilliant!), and a splash of balsamic.





Alaskan crab (it’s at the bottom of this conical bowl that's set over a spherical bowl containing dry ice - terrifically dramatic!) topped with avocado purée, green tomato & tarragon gel, and some caviar cleverly patted into a conical shape.





A perfectly poached golden-yolked egg in thick potato soup with smoked bacon, chives and, espelette pepper.






A large portion of duck foie gras, seared to crispy on the outside but not melted (a very hard thing to do since it’s almost pure fat and raw foie gras will melt with the heat of your hands), a preserved fig, cherry syrup, dots of parsley purée, Granny Smith matchsticks, and coarsely ground green peppercorns.



Chicken potstickers in a chicken-hibiscus consommé (wow!) with white sesame seeds and herbs.





Roasted seabass (sadly, a bit dry) with braised chard and shallots, a fabulous subtle verbena sabayon, white foam (I’m not sure what it was!).





Three tiny lamb chops, with Robuchon’s famous pomme purée (1/2 pound of butter to each pound of potatoes, plus whole milk!).






Cucumber granité with lemon foam







A dark chocolate truffle on a chocolate disk over milk chocolate mousse containing tiny crispy chocolate pearls, with dollops of raspberry and apricot purée.




Coffee with a mini Madeline and a caramel.