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| - My 1,100th review goes to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Compared to other 1-Michelin-star restaurants, L'Atelier is one of the best in its category. However, it did not meet or surpass it's brother and neighbor, Joël Robuchon's 3-Michelin-star namesake flagship restaurant, in flavor, decadence, and wow factor.
Whenever I travel, I try to squeeze in one high-end meal. During my last visit to Vegas in October, I decided L'Atelier would be the best fit based on my budget. Reservations were made via OpenTable and we were seated immediately at the counter after checking in with the hostess.
The open kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Steve Benjamin, providing a unique experience for those sitting at the counter and allowing diners to see the staff work their magic. L'Atelier does mean "workshop" after all, and it was fun watching how certain dishes were constructed and beautifully plated. The rest of the restaurant is colored in a sexy red and black theme. After perusing the menu, we each decided on Menu A, which included 4-courses: two appetizers, one main entree, and a dessert. The menu also offers two other prix fixe menus, a tasting menu, and à la carte.
Libations
Yuzu Smash ($17)
Moscato ($16)
Amuse-Bouche
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#8beMPdnzkGj-3NKX1lePRw
Fois Gras Parfait, Port Wine Reduction & Parmesan Foam
Bread Service
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#9ThJaNj4YpSW_B7GzuBOmA
Unlike Joël Robuchon, there is no bread cart. You get a small basket of bread, served with delicious melt-in-your-mouth butter.
4-course Prix Fixe Menu A ($81 pp)
Les Calama es, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#wCCUWzkiLxzDlmZdkwSGGg
L uf de P ule, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#jfrxupnEHxiIiQxJ-0bx g
Le Foie Gras (suppl. 10), http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#1AIVnjls42x-wIV6SqRF w
Le eau, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#vxxka9IVuAmzLEEP-omg A
Le Ca ard, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#aw2i7GSwTGGlTFEy5FQf Q
Le uf, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#ITSgnvyxjTuznzPBvd-2 g
Les T rtes, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#5zJywgl7VWzzqcNZj5u iw
La Fram oise, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/l-atelier-de-joel-robuchon-las-vegas-4?select=NIs3ak1RaWVnIt_kXY9jNQ#Sf02PYdy3iKLvP0ZBYkSiQ
Ever thing was tasty. There wasn't a dish that I didn't like. Most of the flavors were subtle and all the ingredients worked well together. My favorite appetizer was L'uf de Poule, followed by Le Foie Gras. The first is a crispy semi-soft fried egg with a creamy veloute of black beans and chipotle -- so many flavors and textures working together in harmony made my mouth want to sing and dance. The foie gras came with Kabocha pumpkin gnocchi and chestnut confites, which surprisingly complemented the duck liver. For our mains, both Le Canard and Le Buf were great. Craig P. preferred the roasted duck fillet more, and I really liked the tender glazed beef short ribs. Robuchon's famous mashed potatoes were also served with our mains, which were so soft and fluffy, could easily be mistaken for butter, and actually went great with the bread. The five dessert tarts were a hit or miss and my Framboise (substituted from the regular dessert menu as the prix fixe options weren't appealing to me) was very fun and pretty, however way too sweet. There were unfortunately no mignardises afterwards.
The service was fantastic. My boyfriend joked with our servers, attempting to bring the "stuffy" atmosphere down (we were there early, so it was pretty quiet), and the staff responded really well, joshing back with him. We could tell that the staff enjoyed interacting with us way more than the snooty couple next to us, who were quite frankly, pretentious Debbie Downers. The staff was also so great with the menu and knew the dishes and it's ingredients like the palm of their hand.
L'Atelier didn't give me the best meal I've ever had, but still a special and memorable experience nonetheless. If you have a choice between Joël Robuchon or L'Atelier, I'd definitely recommend going with the first. If you're on a budget or want something more casual, L'Atelier will fit that bill nicely and still offer a very fine tasting meal.
Michelin: 1 star (2009)
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