I seriously am a lucky girl. First we saw Boyz II Men. And then on Sunday, we dined at Joël Robuchon Restaurant. I have already been lucky enough to go to L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (the first time with the girls, the second time with Taro) and the food was stellar then. However, it could not prepare me for the restaurant itself. To say that it was amazing does not give it enough credit. From the rich, luscious purple decor – sofas, summer place settings with gold shells, a giant chandelier – to the incredible staff constantly at your service to the flawless presentation and flavors presented in each dish, I was in heaven. I finally understand why Joël Robuchon Restaurant is a 3 Star Michelin restaurant and why it has all the other accolades – Forbes Five Star Award Winner and AAA 5 Diamond Award Winner. It is for the incredible attention to detail from the staff, both in the kitchen and on the floor, and the experience was just one of a kind.
The menu at Robuchon is either the Le Printemps (Menu 16 Courses) or the Composez Votre Menu Selon Votre Appetit (Create your menu following your appetite). There was no possible way for the two of us to tackle the 16 course menu – the thought alone made me stuffed beyond belief – so we opted for the 4-course menu: L’Amuse-bouche, Entree, Soupe, Un Plat Au Choix, Dessert, and Moka – Thé. The menu is seasonal and initially, I wasn’t bold enough to take out my camera to shoot photos of the food. However, after asking politely with the waitress enthusiastically responding “Of course,” I documented the rest of the evening (after the l’amuse-bouche) and our culinary experience. To begin, the l’amuse-bouche was Le Caviar. It was absolutely delightful – caviar on top with crab beneath it. I think with each bite, I just sighed…literally. During the caviar, a waiter rolled a cart filled with bread to our table. There were probably at least 15 different varieties to choose from and I didn’t even really know where to begin (I love bread!). After we made our selection, the waiter (The entire staff is constantly aware and waiting on each and every table.) warmed up the bread for us. Warmed it up! I was baffled and to top it off, once we were done with our bread, someone would constantly come around to check if we wanted more. That is what I mean by impeccable service.
For the appetizers, I chose Le King Crabe – un blanc-manger d’asperges, fleurie d’un bouquet de légumes aux couleurs de saison (king crab and asparagus blancmange, medley of season vegetables) while Taro ordered the La Langoustine – truffée et cuite en ravioli à l’étuvée de chou vert (truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage) The ravioli was definitely the favorite between the two of us, especially since each one had a large piece of lobster. What was nice about the dish was that the truffle was not overwhelming; it was so subtle that it didn’t take away from the dish as a whole.
On the menu there were two choices for soup, so we had one of each: Le Tofu – en fin velouté aux zestes de yuzu sur une gelée d’algue chaude à l’anguille fumée et caramélisée (delicate tofu veloute on warm smoked eel seaweed gelee) and Les Petits Pois – soupe crémeuse rafraîchie à la menthe poivrée sur un voile d’oignon doux (light green pea cream with a hint of peppermint, sweet onion cloud). The Le Tofu felt like it had some Japanese influence, especially with the pieces of eel (Yum…unagi.) layered on top of the broth and pieces of tofu. The green pea soup was definitely one of a kind, especially with the sweet onion cloud. It almost seemed to have a hint of bacon as well and digesting the cloud was interesting. It felt like it just fizzed and dissolved in your mouth. Between the two soups, the Le Tofu was the more outstanding one.
With the l’amuse-bouche, appetizer, and soup, along with the countless bread, Taro and I were headed into a comatose state. That is when our entrees came out. I ordered the Canard – et foie gras à l’aigre doux de cerises et amandes fraîches (duck and seared foie gras with cherries and fresh almonds). It was perfectly medium-rare and the foie gras melted with each bite of duck. The duck was rich, but again, not overwhelming. I liked that I was able to taste the duck flavor alone. Taro ordered the Le Veau – les joues confites avec une semoule végétale aux brocolis et un bouillon Thaï (braised veal cheeks in Thai broth, vegetable couscous with broccoli). All I can say is wow. I really enjoyed the fusion aspect of the dish and the cheeks just collapsed at the touch of the fork. There was that tang and lemongrass flavor of the broth mixed in with the beautifully braised veal cheeks. I’m not sure which was the winning dish because both were oh so good.
Our meal didn’t end there because we still had dessert! I chose the La Myrtille – une compotée rafraichie au citron, milkshake à la violette (blueberry compote and lemon brulee, finished with a violet milkshake) while Taro had the La Framboise – à la fragrance de Brandy, gelée frappée à la noix de coco (fresh raspberries and raspberry brandy granite, light coconut foam). We were in dessert heaven. The violet milkshake was definitely one of a kind (Taro wasn’t a big fan of it.) and I liked the mix of sweet (blueberries and violet) with the hint of sour (lemon). The La Framboise was very refreshing and both the desserts helped to end the dinner on a light, summer note…but we weren’t done yet! The waiter rolled another cart and this time it was filled with chocolates and pastries made in-house. There were 45 different items to choose from! 45?!? As she was explaining what each chocolate/pastry was, I was lost – completely lost in the madness of the cart. In the end we chose four different items and they all went well with our coffee and tea.
That was Joël Robuchon Restaurant. It was a treat beyond a treat, amazing, spectacular, utterly devine and romantic, a one-of-a-kind culinary experience, and just absolute goodness. I have really learned to appreciate food and also, great service at a restaurant. I think it comes with age and right now, Taro and I are at that stage where we can really appreciate hard work and service and good food. And what is even better is that we can appreciate it together.
Thank you, Taro, for making Vegas a super awesome trip. To end it with Robuchon…a girl couldn’t ask for anything more.
After the engagement session at Cal Poly Pomona, Taro and I headed off to Vegas. We arrived in the wee hours of the morning so we pretty much checked in (Aria is a beautiful hotel!) and slept. When we woke up Saturday morning, we were refreshed and ready to eat and gamble. The first place on our list was the Oyster Bar at Palace Station. Even though it wasn’t a crowded weekend in Vegas, there was still a line, but we thought we made the count (The bar only sits 18 people at a time.) for the first batch of people to sit down. Unfortunately there were 17 ahead of us and instead of sitting down right at 11 a.m. (when it opened), we had to continue to wait. Good thing we weren’t starving or else the smell of the food alone would have killed us! We eventually did sit down and we ordered a dozen oysters (We were smart this time.) and the combo pan roast. It was another delicious meal at the Oyster Bar and a must stop every time now.
After lunch, we played some blackjack, but eventually headed over to The Orleans Casino. Why, might you ask? As we were driving into Vegas, Taro and I were contemplating whether to watch Viva Elvis or not. And then I noticed Boyz II Men on a billboard. I jokingly said that we should go watch them perform and during lunch at the Oyster Bar, Taro managed to contact someone selling tickets on Craigslist! So that is what we decided to do for the night – watch a group that we loved when we were in junior high can you say…oh…nearly 20 years ago?!? We were excited and I was dying to bring our camera along. However, we called and they said professional cameras were not allowed. I was extremely bummed out, but figured I would enjoy the concert regardless. However, midway through the show, the girl next to me sneaked out her SLR and started shooting! Darn, darn, darn! Even though I don’t have photos, I won’t forget their amazing performance – women were swooning over “I’ll Make Love to You” and everyone sang to “End of the Road” – and the women who were wildly screaming for Boyz II Men – literally grabbing their legs and expressing their adoration. Over a decade later -almost two!?! (Where did the time go?) – , I can still remember the lyrics to “4 Seasons of Loneliness” and “Motown Philly.” Insane, don’t you think?
After the concert, we headed back to Aria to grab a late dinner. I love that in Vegas, anytime is a good time to eat. We picked Julian Serrano, which serves tapas, and Taro and I each made selections: Fisherman’s Soup – shrimp, mussels, whitefish, and sofrito; White Ceviche – fresh white fish, red onion, jalepeno pepper, cilantro, and lime juice; Creamy Risotto – wild mushroom, manchego, and natural jus; Grilled Lamb Chop – alioli sauce; Marinated Garlic Chicken and Mushroom Skewer – chilindron sauce; and Mediterranean Stew in Deconstruction. All the dishes were rich in flavor – an explosion of flavor in your mouth, especially the risotto with the truffles. It might have even been too rich at times, but luckily they were tapas so it wasn’t an excessive amount of food. By far the Fisherman’s Soup and White Ceviche were the outstanding dishes of the night. The soup was hearty and had a nice variety of seafood in it – we even took the shrimp from the Mediterranean Stew and put it in the creamy broth – and the ceviche was light and refreshing, especially with the taro chips. We ended dinner with a dessert of churros. Overall, it was a nice dinner to sit down to after the shouting and sing-along with Boyz II Men.
Mediterranean Stew in Deconstruction:
Fisherman’s Soup and Creamy Risotto:
White Ceviche:
Garlic Chicken and Mushroom Skewer and Grilled Lamb Chop:
When we finished dinner, our night continued with Blackjack Switch, our new favorite card game in Vegas. If you haven’t tried it, it is addicting! If you know me well, I’m not a huge gambler and tables easily intimidate me – all adding skills are lost once I sit down – but even I want to sit down and play…ALL NIGHT LONG. So that is what Taro and I did for the rest of the evening and into the early morning hours of Sunday.
Up next…Joel Robuchon.
Kyle went to Alhambra. Paula went to Mark Keppel. Despite being at different schools, they developed a friendship and attended the Sweethearts Dance together (For those of you who were in the Tri-Hi-Y Clubs in the San Gabriel Valley, you know that dance across schools at Quiet Cannon…memories!). It remained a friendship and they eventually went off to college. He went to Cal Poly Pomona. She went to Riverside. And then three years ago, they both reconnected with each other. The friendship was still there, but there was just more…and the timing was right.
Kyle proposed to Paula in the Rose Garden at Cal Poly Pomona last December. For them, the campus holds a special place and to revisit the gazebo and garden – with the roses in bloom this time – brought back the memory of Kyle asking Paula to be his wife. It is easy to see why the two of them fit together – each brings out the smile in the other – and since Paula described the two of them as easy-going, they both have a relaxed ease and attitude about them…except during the Lakers-Celtics finals when both were rooting for the Lakers! Paula and Kyle are both avid basketball fans (We even talked about LeBron’s decision to go to Miami.) and as a kid growing up, Kyle played for the Mustangs.
Kyle and Paula are a lovely couple and it felt like such a small world once I got to know the two of them more! We actually happen to know the same people, just showing that there is such a small degree of separation even when you think you might be strangers. Thanks for allowing me to get to know the two of you more, Kyle and Paula; it was a fun-filled evening exploring Cal Poly’s campus together!
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