Spices: L 'Atelier de Robuchon (Hong Kong) - Dining at Asia's Best Restaurant for 2010

 Joel Robuchon...to foodies like me, it's impossible not to know him. A celebrated chef who has written several cookbooks, has hosted cooking shows, he owns different restaurants all around the world which has earned him Michelin stars. To top it all off, he is considered France's top chef of the century.

L'Atelier de Joel Rocuchon is a french resto located at The Landmark Hong Kong. It was named Asia's Best Restaurant for 2009-2010 by The Miele Guide (http://mieleguide.com).

It started out as a casual joke that I never thought would actually happen but thanks to my cousin Achi Leslie, (www.shootfirsteatlater.com) one of my dreams came true. Thanks to her and Ms.EMC for making it a reality. I hope I'll be able to return the favor soon. I apologize for the poor photos, there was poor lighting and I had a hard time with the point and shoot camera I used.

Entering the restaurant, the first thing that you would notice is Black, everything is in black.The walls, tables, chairs and the uniform of the servers. It exudes a very elegant, chic and elite vibe. Upon being seated at the bar, different kinds of complimentary bread with a block of rich and silky butter is served.

The breads were a treat. Dinner roll was soft and moist, croissant was flaky, sour dough has the perfect balance of sourness and sweetness but the one thing i fancied the most was the bread shaped like a wreath. As you pull out each leaf and take a crunchy bite, the surprise was inside..there was a piece of bacon in each leaf.

Different Breads

You can choose from two menus, the menu bar or the main dining room menu. We were treated to the menu bar, a person would have to shell out HK$ 390. It was a four course meal that includes an amuse bouche, an apertiff, a main course and a dessert. One can select different choices from the menu and pair your courses to your hearts desire...

The Amuse Bouche was presented in a nice glass plate with a cracked egg shaped bowl on top. It was a carrot soup with mango puree and foie gras custard at the bottom.

Amuse Bouche - Carrot Soup with Mango Puree and Foie Gras Custard

The initial thing that hits me was an amuse bouche was supposed to be eaten in one bite and this course was just supposed to tingle or amuse your palete.. The combination of all the ingredients in this dish was so rich and flavorful that this definitely cannot be considered as an amuse bouche. I'm not complaining though, it tasted great. The saltiness and richness of the foie gras compliments the sweetness of the carrots and mangoes. It leaves you begging for more. A glass of Chardonnay would be the perfect match, the sweetness of the soup would compliment the dryness of the wine.

The scallop tartar dish came out literally smoking, it was cleverly presented on a plate of dry ice depicting an impression of freshness. The scallops were indeed so fresh, it was juicy and sweet. The dish tasted pleasantly simple. Using Bergamot made the dish taste just right, it didn't leave a piercing sour after taste. A nice glass of Zinfandel or a sweet Sauv Blanc would be the perfect match for the tartar.

Scallop Tartar with Red Peppers and Bergamot

Dining in a French resto wouldn't be complete without eating foie gras. Since the foie gras was already mixed with the terrine, it didn't really give you a melt in your mouth butter feel. Though this was the case, it still tasted superb. The duck liver delicately tasted sweet, salty and bitter. An Australian Shiraz is the perfect match for the dish.

Duck Foie Gras Terrine with Toast

Veloute is one of the four basic sauces in French, Its made up of equal parts of flour and butter with a light soup stock. The word Veloute means velvety, the dish tasted light and fluffy making it indeed taste like velvet. Together with the sweet fillet chunks of Alaskan King Crab, a nice bottle of Sauv Blanc is the perfect company for this dish.

Alaskan King Crab Meat in Fennel Veloute

Among all the main courses we had, this one was my least favorite. I felt the risotto was not cooked to my liking, it wasn't creamy enough just like how I want my risotto to be. Though the flavor was delectable, the strong scent and taste of cheese was in the dish. I'm not sure what cheese they used but my guess would be Gorgonzola and Parmesan. I would pick a fruity semi-sweet Sauv Blanc to pair up with the dish to balance the saltiness of the risotto.

Risotto with Cheese, Spring Vegetables and Olive Oil

Upon researching what verjus is, i was surprise to find out that the major component of the sauce was grapes, initially I thought the flavor came from sweet vinegar and lemons. Though verjus has lemon in it, the grapes' sweet and sour components gave the sauce its major character. The sauce was just splendid, it tasted divine with the cod fish which was cooked to perfection, moist and tender to the last morsel. A bottle of Sauv Blanc Semillon is the recommended pairing for this dish. The dryness and saltiness of the wine will bring out the sweetness of the verjus sauce.

Cod Fillet with Eggplant and Aromatic Verjus

 
This dish brought the house down, it was everybody's "guilty" favorite. The dish was so rich and succulent, shreds of flavorful braised duck meat layered with butter-rich mashed potato and top with Comte cheese. Just imagine chewing and tasting everything at the same time, the flavor and richness of the dish bursting in your mouth, it was absolutely heavenly. Two kinds of wine comes to my mind in pairing up with this dish. Its either a Pinot Noir or a Shiraz. Both wines are flavorful that enough to compliment the richness of the dish.

  Duck Confit Over-Grilled with Mashed Potatoes and Comte Cheese

I'm not really a dessert person but just looking at the 3 dessert, it was hard to resist such an artwork. It tasted just like how it looks, grand and magnificent. Choosing the lychee sorbet and strawberry compote was the perfect way to cleanse your palete, it was refreshing, simple and light.

Lychee Sorbet with Grapefruit and Dita Jelly

The Strawberry Compote with the aged Balsamic tasted interesting. It tasted pleasantly sweet, salty and sour at the same time. I'm pretty sure that they let the aged balsamic reduced in a pan to bring out the sweetness of the vinegar. The Lavender ice cream tasted floral and fruity, the dairy ice cream complemented the Strawberry Compote really well.

 Fresh Strawberry Compote with Aged Balsamic, Mascarpone and Lavender Honey Ice Cream

For chocolate lovers, it will be hard to snub the brownie. For a non-chocolate lover like me, I absolutely adore the brownie, if there would be more of it I'll gladly partake on eating it again and again. As Achi Leslie pointed out, anything chocolate that Robuchon serves, it is absolutely a spectacle to the taste buds. Among the three desserts, it's also the one that is perfect for the espresso.

Almond Ice Cream on a Brownie with Glanduja cream

Upon seeing my espresso, my eyes widened and I started to salivate. The first sign of a great cup of espresso is the crema on top, the crema was so thick and frothy. As I took a whiff of the hypnotizing smell and have my first sip, i heard a voice in my head saying "OH YES! this is the best espresso you ever had." The Espresso also came with Petite Fours. Macaroons, Fruit Pastilles and Chocolate covered Corn Flakes.

Espresso

Petite Fours

Even after emptying my cup, the crema was still as thick and frothy as ever, now that's an excellent cup! I asked the server from where the coffee beans are, expecting to hear him say something Italian, I was surprised to find out that they use 3 kinds of beans. A Kenyan bean, a Sumatran bean and a Japanese bean. He also added that Joel Robuchon is very picky about his coffee, it's no surprise at all.

Empty Coffee Cup with Crema

Dining at Robuchon is something that you'll never forget. The food was absolutely top notch, ingredients was fresh and the flavors was exquisite. Imagine a full band of orchestra playing in your mouth, the string section provides the soothing taste of sweet, the horn section provides the exciting taste of sour and bitter and the percussion section gives you the thumping feel of texture. Till my next meal...bon apetite!

Spices: Comfort Food in HONG KONG

I always have considered Chinese food as my comfort food. I grew up eating it thus I know what to expect and I'm familiar with the flavor, taste and texture. I don't really get excited anymore when eating Chinese food, to me it is just a matter of it being cooked well or not. But still I was looking forward to HK's comfort food because it has been said that where ever you dine in HK, you can always expect to partake in good food.


When we arrive HK in the morning, we were looking for a restaurant that was already open. We ran into Taiwan Kitchen, the place was packed so we decided to give it a try. The menu didn't have english printed on it so we ended up pointing and looking at what others were ordering.

Taiwan Kitchen

We waited anxiously, when our order arrived we were surprised to find slices of ham and luncheon meat with a fried sunny side egg on top of a bowl of steaming noodles. Every order also came with half a slice of thick-cut buttered bread.

Breakfast Noodles

It kind of look weird but it tasted ok. The noodles were firm and the processed meat as toppings complimented the seafood broth well.

Noodle Soup with Ham

Noodle Soup with Luncheon Meat

We also ended up with a typical Western Breakfast, Sausage and Eggs.

Sausage and Eggs

The three dishes came with hot flavored tea. The flavored tea was too sweet.

Apple, Strawberry and Raspberry flavored Tea

I notice this plaque on the wall. I've no idea who Chua Lam is and in my opinion I think HK has a lot more to offer than this.

Address: 199 Wan Chai Road Ground Floor
 Price: Under HK$ 40



Cafe de Coral is not your ordinary fast food chain. The food they serve absolutely taste fantastic, it's comparable or even better than the expensive chinese restos found back here in Manila. Located all over HK and food prices range from HK$ 26 to HK$ 45, it is a must try.

Cafe de Coral

Ordering is a breeze, you have to choose from the menu board (the menu has english written...) and pay the cashier. A number will be given to you, when the number is called you have to claim the food from the counter.

Choosing, Ordering and Paying

Cafe de Coral's Menu Board

Picking up the Order

One of the bestsellers is the Roast Duck with Rice. Tender pieces of Duck Breast glazed with a sweet, salty and tangy sauce. So Good!!! Cant have enough of this.

Roast Duck with Rice

Cafe de Coral's Milk Tea is a must try! The balance of the tea's bitterness and the milk's sweetness hits the spot.

Combination of Chicken and Duck with Milk Tea

The Baked Thick-Cut Pork Chop with rice serving was huge, even if the dish was doused with tomato sauce on top, the breading was still crunchy.

Baked Thick-Cut Pork Chop Rice

 The Beef Curry was flavorful and hearty, just like how Chinese curries should be.

Beef Curry

We always pass by this Food Stall before heading back to the Hotel. We decided to give the spread a try. With no English signs and with the vendor not understanding English, we just pointed to what looked interesting. Prices range from HK$ 4 to HK$ 12.

Food Stall

Different Street Food 

I'm not sure what kind of innards we ate but it wasn't as tasty compared to what I'm use to having back in Manila. The bacon-wrapped squid or fish ball tasted ok. The grilled octopus was my favorite among the three skewers.

Innards, Bacon-Wrapped Squid/Fish Ball and Grilled Octopus

The 1st thing I always noticed when i pass by the food stall is the aroma of the curried squid ball. The squid balls are stewed in curry oil the whole day turning the these colorless balls into a flavorful golden yellow delights. The balls were delicious, I wanted to try making these when we go back home.

Curried Squid Balls

The steaming mushroom soup was perfect for the cold weather when we were there. Warm, hearty and filling.

Mushroom Soup

The cut up waffles was soggy and tasted bland.

Waffles

We washed all the food down with a bottle of Guinness Beer and a can of Tsing Tao.

The next day we met up with our cousin, (www.shootfirsteatlater.com) we ate at the best restaurant in Asia,  L'Atelier de Robuchon. (click the link to view the blog). After lunch, she gave us a tour around Mong Kok Area. She pointed out different interesting food places in the area.

Bao Dim Sim Seng is a bake shop that sells Chinese Buns. Buns of different sizes, shapes and fillings.
Buns costs HK$ 6 to HK$ 15, depending on what filling you choose. Located all around HK

Bao Dim Sin Seng

Different Kinds of Bun

We tried the Chinese Sausage Bun, the bun was soft and moist.

Chinese Sausage Bun

The Dessert Buns caught my eye. The porcupine, fish and chick shaped dessert buns were so cute and colorful.

Chick Shaped Bun

Fish and Porcupine Shaped Buns

We passed by a Chinese Deli shop that sells different kinds of bread, biscuit and cookie. It reminded me of the deli shops in Macau.

Chinese Deli Shop

When I saw the freshly baked egg tarts I got excited and quickly bought three pieces. The egg tarts turned out to be a big disappointment, the pastry was too dry and the egg flan in the middle tasted bland.

Egg Tarts

This shop sells whole dried ducks for people to take home and cook with it.

Whole Dried Ducks

Hui Lao Shan is a place that sells different desserts, their most famous of which is the mango shake. Though it tasted ok, I still prefer the mango shakes back in Manila.

Hui Lau Shan

Mango Shake - HK$ 20

After an afternoon of food dining,  tasting and shopping, we headed to Hang Heung for a dinner with relatives and VIP guests. The place serves typical Family Chinese lauriat dishes, the dishes are the perfect example of Chinese food being cooked well.

Sweet and Sour Por

Polonchay with Oyster Sauce

Broccoli with Scallops

Soy Chicken

Congee

Adress: 18-24 Salisbury Road Shop 303, 3/F New World Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui


While walking home from a whole day of eating, we pass by a snack shop and got a whiff of steaming dim sum. I have no idea what's the name of the store but the place was packed. The dim sums were being cooked in bamboo steamers outside the store. A very clever ploy to invite people in.

Dim Sum Restaurant

Steaming Dim Sum

I don't know how to speak Cantonese so I had no clue on what and how to order. I went up to the Lady and mouthed.."Siomai (Pork Dumpling) and Hakaw (Shrimp Dumpling)..." She smiled and told me something I didn't understand but I got what I want.

The dim sum treats were absolutely delicious. Even with no soy sauce as dipping sauce, the dim sum were so flavorful and tasty.

Hakaw and Siomai

Before leaving for HK, we had a chance to take one last quick bite. Of all the restaurant that we can try, we looked for a restaurant that had english on the menu. We ended up in Tsui Wah , it a small snack shop that sells different dim sums and noodles. Located all around HK. Prices range from HK$ 28 to HK$ 45

Tsui Wah Restaurant

The Spinach and Meat Dumpling Noodles Soup tasted ok. The dumpling was delicious, noodles were firm but the only problem about the dish is the bland tasting broth.

Spinach and Meat Dumpling Soup

The Braised Beef with noodles was delicious. The beef was flavorful and has that 'melt in your mouth' texture.

Braised Beed with Noodles

The Stir Fried Pork Noodles was delectable and savory.

Stir Fried Pork Noodles

From street food to eating at the best restaurant in Asia, I'm glad to experience it all in a country that serves the best comfort food...Hong Kong.