One of the first places Taro took me to when we first started dating was Maison Akira. At the time, I was quite impressed. However, we haven’t been back since then and within the past two months, we rediscovered this quaint Japanese-French fusion restaurant. The first time we went back it was on a spur of the moment without my camera. However, this past weekend, we asked my parents if they wanted to go – I feel like my dad is now much more open to different types of food – so I was camera ready and also ready to enjoy some great food, especially since pulling out my wisdom teeth was a handicap to my eating abilities!
This month’s Menu Molière featured veal. My mom and I decided to order from this menu while Taro and my dad ordered from the Menu Rabelais. I decided on the Sautéed Crispy Veal Sweet Bread with Green Salad in a Honey Pepper Sauce and the Roasted Medallion of Veal Tenderloin in a Shiitake Mushroom Sauce. Taro decided on the Crispy Soft Shell Crab Tempura on a Hijiki Potato Mousseline, Japanese Hamachi Sashimi and Momotaro Tomato Appetizer, and the Snake River Farm “Kobe” New York Steak in a Bordelaise Sauce.
The dinner started with an amuse-bouche, which was salmon. It seemed like a weird mixture – was it sashimi or smoked? The texture itself was different and I am not quite sure whether I liked it or didn’t. However, the Sautéed Crispy Veal Sweet Bread was delicious! It was juicy pieces of veal, light and crispy. The only downside was the salad was filled with carrots (I am allergic to carrots.), but the upside was that I just ate the veal, which I was perfectly content with! The Crispy Soft Shell Crab Tempura was good as well, but pretty similar to the type of dish found at a sushi restaurant or bar. What I enjoyed most about the Hamachi Sashimi was the wasabi infused masago. It was very different and provided a nice pop of spice into your mouth.
The Roasted Medallion of Veal Tenderloin in a Shiitake Mushroom Sauce followed next and the veal was oh so tender. And since I love mushrooms, I made sure that each piece I cut had some mushroom sauce on it. Taro’s Kobe New York Steak was equally as tender and it was nice to have a duo of meat. In the end, I don’t think you can have too much veal…or steak. I also had a bite of the fish my dad ordered and it was a nice piece of bass.
To finish off, each of our dinners had dessert so we decided to order one of each! It is awesome eating as four because I can try a bite (or two or more) of each dessert. So at the end of the night, we ended up with Brioche Pudding with Raisin and Cream Fraîche, Macha Green Tea Cream Brulée, Grand Marnier Soufflé Classic, and Baked Alaska with Green Tea Ice Cream and Raspberry Sauce. I love that the Baked Alaska comes out on fire and you get a nice charred meringue as you dig your spoon into the packed green tea ice cream underneath. This one is a favorite, but the soufflé definitely rivals it. I love soufflé and this (so far) is one of my favorites next to the raspberry soufflé from Arnie Morton’s.
It was a great dinner with Taro and my parents. I can’t wait to go back to Maison Akira. I really enjoy the quiet environment, the staff – I love their French accents! – who really help to make the night enjoyable, and the sheer fact that Chef Akira (who studied under Joel Robuchon, who I love, love, love!) walks around every table to say hi and ask how things are.
Until next time…next month for Scottish Salmon, perhaps?
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.
The second place that Vivian recommended (in addition to Oyster Bar) for my bachelorette party was L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. All the girls ordered from the L’Unique menu, consisting of three courses served within 15 minutes. It was quick, easy, and I remember how tasty the veal was.
Fast forward: I enjoy watching Top Chef and on the last season, Top Chef Las Vegas, they talked about the Chef of the Century. As Taro and I were watching, the footage showed MGM Hotel and I saw a glimpse of L’Atelier and I exclaimed, “Hey, I ate there!” Taro looked at me in surprise…possibly with a hint of disappointment just because we love experiencing new places together. (Telling him we also ate at Nobu brought a sad face as well.) I did not realize that I ate at a restaurant created by the world renowned, Chef of the Century, Joel Robuchon. All I could say afterward was, “It was pretty good.” So when we went to Vegas after the wedding in September, I actually booked reservations at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon so my family could experience L’Unique; however, we had a late lunch and since that particular menu is only offered before 6:45 p.m., I had to cancel. It was a disappointment, but I vowed that the next time we were in Vegas, I would take Taro there.
And so came New Years in Vegas. We did not want to make the same mistake of eating too much prior to Robuchon, but we did; we had lunch at Bouchon so we actually pushed our reservation until 8 p.m. and played blackjack to let ourselves become a bit more hungry. By the time we sat, we were ready to enjoy some French cuisine. From the decor to the presentation to the service to the food, everything was the same as the first experience, but even better! L’Unique was perfect to enjoy with girlfriends, but the winter tasting menu was perfect to experience with Taro. We ordered different main dishes so we could share and the portions were larger than expected; we were close to giving up before the cheese was brought out because we were stuffed! But we made it to dessert and really enjoyed our experience at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. I am curious to try the other side of the restaurant, but we will have to wait until the next time we are in Vegas…
A tiny Christmas tree displayed on the counters and in the background, vegetables and delicacies displayed in containers. After we ordered, the waiter brought out bread and I fondly said, “The bread is soooooo good here.” Of course, Taro gave me the “Are you kidding, it’s bread look,” but he quickly understood once he took a bite into the fluffiness.
Foie Gras Parfait with Port Wine and Parmesan Foam: This was the perfect starter to our meal and seemed to set the tone for the rest of the night.
Mussels and Mimolette Veloute with Croutons, which we quickly finished and even dipped our bread into. I think Taro could have licked the bowl clean. Compared to the mussels I had from the L’Unique menu (it was served cold), this dish completely surpassed it.
Crispy Langoustine Fritter with Basil Pesto, which had a tempura-like texture. I ordered the Scottish Salmon with Aromates and Crispy Potatoes. It was good, but I am going to have to say that it did not stand out compared to Taro’s main dish and also, the salmon at Providence.
Beef Cheek Burgundian Style served with bacon chunks on the side:
Alongside the main dishes, we were also served Pommes Puree (Mashed Potatoes). Similar to Bouchon, these potatoes were perfection! They were creamy, buttery, and served in a rich, red ramekin. It inspired me to want to present in a similar fashion – and wouldn’t it just be ideal for a small dinner party? Hmmmm… After our main course, we were served a selection of imported cheese. At first I thought our waiter heard me say, “I am so full!” and decided to give us a moment to breath, but it turned out that there was a delay in our cheese platter. What was nice was that he noticed, even though Taro and I were quite content with taking a break, and poured us each a glass of wine to enjoy. We did enjoy the cheese once it was brought out, but we really wanted to leave room for our dessert, which stunned us. It was not just a small slice, but an assortment of tarts! That was just Taro’s dessert because again, we like to get different things when possible.
My dessert was an assortment of ice cream and sorbet:
The next time we dine here, I am definitely going to try the souffle. If I had room, I would have ordered it, but like I said, until next time…
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