Having never dined at any of the L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, I was very interested in Hong Kong’s location since it’s the only L’Atelier that garnered 3 Michelin stars. I was also intrigued about the difference between this “workshop” and Macau’s full-on Robuchon styled restaurant, Robuchon Au Dôme. Therefore, I HAD to find a random excuse to try this place for lunch and I just happen to have to right one! I treated my local HK friend, a fine-dining virgin, to thank him being my tour guide of sort.
The restaurant is located inside The Landmark Atrium, in the heart of Central. An escalator takes you to the upper floor occupied entirely by L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.
Moah butta = moah better
A great bread basket is a constant for all the JR restaurants that I’ve been to. This one is no different in featuring 8 different kinds of bread.
Amuse bouches coming up
Amuse Bouches: Artichoke coulis, cep mushroom custard
Superbly earthy and creamy custard spiced up with mild nutty notes from the artichoke puree. The various garnishes of olive oil, porcini, croutons, and herbs layered in variations of flavors and contrasting textures with each bite.
Mini-Croissant
Brioche
Cheese Roll
Bacon Epi Bread
Baugette
Apricot Bread
Course #1: Le Saumon de Norvege | Norwegian Salmon tartare with avocado and Sologne Caviar
This appetizer starts off with a bang and hit all the right notes. Light, creamy, savory, sour, sweet, crunchy. Even though my friend traditionally dislikes anything raw, which means virtually the entire dish, he loved every element of it.
Walnut Roll
Mini Baugette
Composed soup is always a nice touch
Course #2: La Langoustine | Langoustine bouillon with scampi ravioli
The use of langoustine and porcini created this amazingly flavorful sauce capturing perfect essence of the ocean.
Meanwhile, the two accompany raviolis contain chunks of perfectly cooked langoustine, its own roes, and fine brunoise of celery for crunchy texture. To cap things off, a squid ink tuile is included to add even more contrasting crunchy texture and nuttiness to the dish.
Course #3: Les Spaghettis | Maine lobster spaghetti with coral emulsion
An extremely generous, in terms of a tasting menu, portion of meaty lobster is paired with dried spaghetti that are flawlessly al dente. Everything is dressed in a lobster roe emulsion, think an intense bouillabaisse with the most pure and deep lobster flavor, that further highlighted the sweet delicate flavor of lobster.
Course #4: La Caille | Free-range quail with foie gras, mashed potato
You really can’t go wrong with nicely caramelized quail and quail skin. Leg is perfectly cooked once again but I feel that the foie stuffed quail breast is a touch overcooked. JR mashed potato is decadent as always…especially when it’s topped with several shavings of fragrant black truffle. Finally, the salad, comprises of parsley, dill, and scallion, adds a much needed freshness, acidity, and acts as a palate cleanser of sort.
Course #5: Le Cochon Iberique | Roasted Iberico pork “pluma” with aromatics, Chinese yam, wood ear
This beautifully cooked pepper crusted iberico pork dish is a bit pedestrian in terms of creativity or flavor combination but the quality of the ingredients shine through nonetheless.
My friend, who doesn’t appreciate undercooked pork, did a double take but devoured this dish in a matter of seconds!
More famous JR mashed potato
Can you really have too much of these stuff? The answer is YES! I couldn’t finish. I really shouldn’t have added the quail course.
Course #6A: Le Mont Blanc | Classic Mont blanc with chestnut cream, black fruits and crispy meringue
A classic seasonal dish with various crunchy elements like crispy meringue and cookie crisps to counter the softness of the fresh chestnut and creamy chestnut cream. However, I especially adore the burst of rum fragrance hidden in the center of the dessert.
Course #6B: Le Chocolat | Chocolate sable with white chocolate mousse and chocolate ice cream
The final dessert course is essentially a chocolate study with the entire dish, save for the caramelized hazelnut, composes of various forms of chocolate like cream, cake, cookie, crumble, ice cream, etc…
Petit Fours: Lemon macaron, passion fruit gelée, chocolate tart, madeleine
Perfect bites to finish the meal.
Earl Grey Tea
Aromatic but don’t know how to appreciate it.
@PorkyBelly Not a bad restroom sitch
@PorkyBelly A fine specimen
It’s unfair to compare a much cheaper lunch menu at L’Atelier to a full dinner experience at Robuchon Au Dôme or Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas. Nevertheless, the lunch tasting menu here is fantastic in its own right, albeit lacking a bit of creativity and flair that usually accompany its pricier dinners. Most importantly, my friend thoroughly enjoyed every course and had nothing but praises for this meal. I guess it doesn’t hurt to start off your fine-dining experience at a 3 Michelin starred restaurant? 
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Shop 401, 4/F, The Landmark
15 Queen’s Road Central
Central, Hong Kong