Time and again, in Bangkok and overseas, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon has never failed to delight me with a one-of-a-kind conviviality.
As much as I treasure its highly-rated cuisine, the jocular neighbourly vibe that enlivens the kitchen counter where customers border a dynamic kitchen always draws me to this casual establishment under the stellar Joël Robuchon restaurant empire.
The restaurant opened in 2014 under the culinary helm of French executive chef Olivier Limousin, who helped open Table de Joël Robuchon in Paris in 2003 and L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in London in 2006.
For its innovative rendition of gourmet French fare prepared with a heartfelt commitment to using fresh seasonal local produce, the four-year-old Bangkok venue was among "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" in 2017 and was granted a prestigious star in the inaugural Michelin Guide Bangkok earlier this year.
Better yet, the much-coveted star hasn't made dining there a more haughty affair, my visit last week proved.
In fact, prices on the menu have been slightly decreased to offer diners a more accessible experience. A 2-course set lunch now costs 950 baht per person while a 3-course meal is priced at 1,450 baht per person.
My friends and I were there to sample the restaurant's newly-launched 3-course summer menu (2,950 baht per person) which is available for both lunch and dinner and runs until September.
All dining guests at L'Atelier are treated with an assortment of house-baked bread and a complimentary amuse-bouche.
The bread basket's warm brioches, mini baguettes, truffle rolls and L'Atelier's signature croissants were so good that I had to constantly remind myself not to overstuff my stomach just yet.
For the pour commencer, a shot glass of Royal foie gras was offered alongside a crispy quinoa ball.
The warm and sumptuous foie gras emulsion, in which tiny but firm slivers of Perigord duck liver came bathing, was marvellously flavoured by an intense, sweet and fruity reduction of aged Port wine and Parmesan foam to lend to the rich-tasting treat a frothy finish.
The crispy quinoa ball that revealed inside a mild-tasting filling of potato mousse made for the perfect accompaniment for the creamy foie gras. Of the summer menu, guests are to choose between egg and asparagus for the first dish; and lamb and scallop for the main dish.
With the privilege of coming in a nonchalant party of three diners, we intentionally diversified our order so that each of us could try a bit of everything.
The "crispy poached egg on a delicate cream and smoked Scottish salmon" featured a whole egg that had been poached before being deep-fried -- impressive evidence of precise kitchen dexterity -- on a bed of thick and tasty salmon-seethed cream with a garnish of salmon roe to give to each bite a briny, pop-in-the-mouth thrill.
Diners choosing the asperge option are promised sumptuous indulgence from Vaucluse white asparagus with Iberico ham jus.
Humongous spears of white asparagus from the southeast of France, boiled until tender yet still retaining a nice chew, exhibited a mildly sweet, juicy taste. Complementing the luxurious spring vegetable were thin and crispy fried strips of Spanish jamon Iberico, which provided a pleasantly strong porky whiff. Two choices of sauce came on the side: wasabi Hollandaise and a watery Thousand Island-like dressing.
The main course, to everyone's elation, came with a free-flow of Mr Robuchon's super smooth, super gooey mashed potatoes, praised by many as "out of this world". The legendary mash proved to flawlessly complement meat and seafood alike.
My order of scallop featured three large, supple and naturally sweet pan-seared Hokkaido shellfish atop a buttery risotto-like base made with soft and crumbly cream-hued flesh of cauliflower and enhanced with lobster bisque sauce. The lamb counterpart, from the French Pyrenees, came in perfectly-cooked fillets with a paper-thin and minty parsley crust amid an artistic presentation of summery green pea mousse.
Desserts arrived on a mind-numbing, mouth-watering trolley sporting 10 choices of gourmet French sweets.
Options currently available are baba au rhum, marmalade rolled cake with coconut cream filling, salted caramel tart, apricot floating island with vanilla sauce, chocolate-almond sachet cake, mango tart with macadamia and caramel, raspberry religieuse with vanilla creme fraîche, lemon-raspberry tart, pear and hazelnut clafoutis and chocolate mousse. Trying almost all of them, I'd say none was short of perfection.
L'Atelier's wine cellar carries a large selection of labels -- Old World and New World. Prices range from 1,200 baht to 680,000 baht per bottle. Wine by the glass costs between 400 baht to 1,000 baht.
Keen oenophiles are, however, welcome to bring their own wine as long as they are willing to pay the additional fee of 1,500 baht.
