WOW. Totally lives up to the hype. First off, this is the more casual (and "cheaper") version of the Joel Robuchon franchises. They're right next door to each other and located right near the Cirque Du Soleil theater.
Due to time, we opted for the a la carte menu (although I'd love to try their seasonal menu sometime). For the a la carte, there's one side that's "small bites" and another side that's regular appetizer and entree portions.
Here were the highlights (almost everything we ordered):
1. Sea urchin with green sauce - Ok I don't know the name but it's basically a small dish that comes with a generous amount of sea urchin with a gelee and it's covered in a green sauce. There's a slight hint of mint flavor but the whole dish was pretty inventive and something different that I've never had before. For that reason alone, I'd order this dish. It's always fun to try an inventive dish
2. Le Foie Gras - The traditional seared foie is a must if you're from CA and it's simple and really makes you realize you hate that CA banned it.
3. Le Burger - Oh my gosh the foie burger is one of their most popular dishes and I can totally see why. It's basically 2 small bites of a burger that's got a big chunk of foie in it. SO damn good. MUST order this. You won't regret it
4. La Langoustine - You get 3 pieces if you order the appetizer version (1 piece if you get the small tasting, I think). THIS is how langoustines are supposed to taste. Well done.
5. La Caille - One of their signature dishes is the foie gras stuffed quail with mashed potatoes. The sauce for the quail is pretty amazing and the quail itself is pretty good too (although with all the flavor, it's a little hard to decipher the foie inside). However, the mashed potatoes on the side? TOTAL WIN. It was so buttery and good that I'd order that in itself.
6. La framboise - The raspberry surprise inside the white chocolate sphere is a bit of a show but it's so delicious and savory but still maintains a lightness to it (that makes no sense. Just order it and you'll see).
SKIP (don't get me wrong, it was still good but I probably wouldn't order it again)
1. The tuna belly confit - Looked like a fresh tasting salad and honestly, I was pretty confused as to where the tuna was. Good but probably the least memorable out of all the dishes.
Service was impeccable --everything down to the very last detail. Love the decor and the open kitchen (sit at the bar).
The whole meal will put a huge hole in your wallet but it's a hole worth having.