To kick off my return to blogging, I figured I would share about our meal of a lifetime in Paris this past winter. We had planned to have one "splurge meal" and received many recommendations for L' Atelier de Joël Robuchon. He is easily one of the most celebrated chefs in the world with the highest number of restaurants with Michelin Stars. Well of course we could not pass up eating at his restaurant in his home country. The kitchen was right in front of the guests so we could watch the plates being made before our eyes - quite a show!
I went with the tasting menu and The Husband ordered 3 entrees and a dessert. The entrees are designed to be similar to tapas (2-3 orders per person). I have to be honest I don't remember the exact details of each dish and what was in them. They were so artfully crafted that we couldn't place where some of the flavors were coming from. I've included the French names and descriptions (sans some accenting, which I couldn't get to show in this font).
Here was The Husband's meal:
thinly sliced scallop with sea urchin and lime infused olive oil
(special item of the day)
L' Aubergine
confite en mille - feuille a la mozzarella et au basilic
(eggplant, squash, mozzarella, and sun-dried tomato)
L' Langoustine
en ravioli truffee a l' etuvee de chou vert
(langoustine ravioli)
dessert
Coffee ice cream with a gorgeous brittle flame design
My tasting menu had over 7 courses!
L' Amuse-Bouche
little chicken lollipop lightly battered and fried over sweet and tangy sauce
Le Caviar
et sa creme aigre, sur une pomme de terre mixee a l' huile d' olive des Baux
(not your average potato soup)
La Saint-Jacques
en coquille, chou vert etuve aux truffles d' hivet
(seared scallop with black truffle shavings)
La Chataigne
en fin bouillon au fumet de celeri
(celery soup)
Le Foie Gras
de canard chaud, coing poche dans son jus acidule a l' hibiscus
L' Oeuf
cocotte a la creme legere d' ecrevisse et truffe noire
(gently cooked egg)
Le Saumon Sauvage
laque sur une vierge condimentee au sesame dore
(salmon)
L' Agneau de Lait
en cotelettes a la fleur de thym
(veal chop)
Le Parfum des Iles
cremeaux aux fruits exotiques, granite au rhum ambre, legerete a la noix de coco
(one of the best desserts I've ever had)
Le Mont-Blanc
a ma facon, sur un biscuit aux marrons, perles croquante croustillantes
(chestnut ice cream)
(chestnut ice cream)
tiny madeleines and homemade caramels
Every bite was met with "mmmmm" and "ooooohhhhh." The flavors were exquisite and so unique. It was amazing how they used such pure and simple ingredients to create such exotic and yet flavorful dishes. The service was naturally impeccable and the server was nice enough to translate all the dishes to English with each new plate served.
We definitely broke the bank with this meal, but in Paris you can easily find cheaper eats to supplement, which I will post about in the future! Thanks for reading. :)
Have a beautiful (holiday) weekend and Bon Appétit!
