This venue has closed.
Joël Robuchon is more or less a
culinary god. With Michelin-starred restaurants spanning the globe and awards
including Chef of the Year in 1987 and Chef of the Century in 1990 under his
belt, his first foray into Mainland China was hotly anticipated, only
heightened by the fact that the renovations were a long time in the making.
After the initial opening buzz died down, we were surprised to find the dining
room only half full when we arrived on a Saturday night for dinner. Perhaps
because the man behind the brand isn’t actually here; or maybe because L’Atelier is already a
well-established brand, giving the new opening a (sort of) chain restaurant
reputation. Whatever the reason, this new addition to Bund 18 is going to have
to work hard to establish itself as a revisit-worthy destination rather than a
one-off experience.
Interiors are dark and somewhat broody, with a boudoir-esque
black and red colour scheme. Overall, it’s well executed despite
elements including rubber placemats (that are not wiped during service) and paper
napkin holders tending to cheapen the vibe.
With the majority of seats set
around a ‘teppanyaki’ bar – 32 to be precise – it’s likely you’ll sit there, even if you’ve reserved. Why it’s called a teppanyaki bar is
beyond us – there’s nothing Benihana about it;
more accurate would be an open bar. Directly in front of our seats is a glass
cabinet that’s home to a display of
astroturf, quail eggs and plastic chickens. If we cock our heads to the right,
we have a view over the open kitchen, but we certainly don’t feel among the action. If
anything, sitting at the bar just makes it difficult for the wait staff to
place dishes and fill drinks.
Nevertheless, on the food side, Executive Chef
Francky Semblat (former chef de cuisine at Robuchon au Dôme, Hotel Lisboa Macau) has
absolutely excelled in putting together a solid team of chefs successfully
cooking up the L’Atelier menu, an achievement
that can be attributed to his 19 years’ experience working with the brand.
Meals commence
with a generous basket of bread, served with butter imprinted with JR initials
(helpful if you momentarily forget where you are). Given it is homemade, we
were expecting more from the bread, but other than the miniature baguettes – adorable and crusty – you’re better off saving the stomach space.
A better indication of the kitchen’s capabilities is offered with the amuse bouche. A
light and fluffy foie gras parfait with port and Parmesan foam, this little cup
has become somewhat of a L’Atelier staple.
The menu is a manageable length
(unlike the wine list, which is huge), and it’s a relief to see a range of
prices, meaning you can experience the food without completely draining your
bank account. The first page opens onto a selection of small tasting portions – perfect for sharing and sampling
a range of dishes. Highlights include Le Foie Gras (188RMB) – a large seared liver served
with delicious cherries and fresh cherry compote with Kriek beer for an
additional fruit burst – and L’Oeuf de Poule (158RMB). The latter offers a
pan-fried egg atop a pearl rice galette served with succulent, juicy morel
mushrooms and fragrant, fresh green asparagus. If you’re a baller, opt for the
498RMB luxe version of this dish from the appetiser menu that sees a
crispy soft-boiled egg topped with a heaving pile of caviar and
plated with cubes of smoked salmon.
Across the menu page are the options for cold and hot appetisers and fish and meat. The lobster
– Le Homard ‘Frites’ (488RMB) – plates a whole roasted crustacean on
a bed of aromatic rosemary. The
rich and fleshy flavour of the
lobster is offset by a zing from sliced
green chillis, while on the side is
a dish of super thin-cut fries. It’s generous for the price, especially
considering it’s actually less expensive than
the aforementioned luxe egg with
caviar.
Also from the mains, the caramelised black cod is
perfectly cooked and served with fresh
pak choy, a Malabar pepper sauce
and sweet coconut foam (308RMB). Although there’s nothing offensive about the dish – the flavours work well together – the side of sweet coconut foam ends up being the most memorable element.
Desserts introduce a little
more creativity into the menu, with
only cryptic descriptions to guide
your choice. La Pomme (118RMB) is described as a ‘Granny Smith apple like a “tatin”, slightly’. We’re pleasantly surprised when presented with a beautifully
stacked pile of wafer thin but juicy
apple slices. The dish is teamed
with a smear of caramel sauce and a quenelle of ice cream. It’s delicious.
The brand L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is a pretty
well-oiled machine, and as such, the menu design is tried, if not perhaps a little tired, and very well
tested. It’s expensive yes, but the food is
very good, the views spectacular
and the service excellent. Whether we’d be willing to drop this kind of
cash again here is harder to say. Once
for the experience will probably
suffice.
