Beautiful seabass dish at L'Atelier de Robuchon

16 Sep 2010: Last night Richard treated me to dinner at L'Atelier de Robuchon, which is normally our treat to each other when it's either of our birthdays.....

We started with a glass of 1999 Bruno Paillard Brut Millesime Assemblage (29% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir and 29% Pinot Meunier and 9 years of ageing in the cellar, plus 12 months in the cellar after disgorging).  A glorious golden colour.  The "noir" content and the extended bottle age character are both very evident on the nose and the palate.  A marriage of floral and ripe fruit character makes up the complex and rich bouquet, bolstered by intense autolytic and smoky notes: jasmine, acacia, honey, dried fruit (apricot and persimmon), macadamia nuts, marzipan, pear tart and tobacco.  On the palate, the spiciness is more noticeable.  Full-bodied, well-textured with fine and persistent bubbles.  No question a rich style champagne, with plenty of freshness, complexity, depth, rounded character and lengthl.  I wonder whether it would be more suitable as a wine to go with food, rather than as an aperitif.  It was frankly a little too rich, and didn't offer the raciness and minerality that we typically look for in an aperitif.  18/20

I am afraid I did not pay much attention to the amuse-bouche that was brought round. I was rather distracted by the fascinating bread selection, bacon, spinach, cheese, croissant, brioche, etc!

I then had the scallops with coriander sauce and Richard had the caviar (yes, a grand evening for him!).  My scallops were beautifully cooked, to perfection, and the sauce tangy and spicy at the same time, with a very fitting lightness that paired well with the freshness and texture of the scallops, just enough to coat the succulent meat.  Very yummy!  Richard gobbled up his caviar - but one tip, he did ask for hot toast and he said it made a big difference to the dish!

We had a half bottle of 2008 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Clos de La Mouchere.  This is one of our favourites and this half bottle did not disappoint.  It had the forward character of the 2008 vintage, with pineapple, tropical fruit, orange blossom character, as well as good dose of minerality to balance.  Lengthy finish.  I saved some to go with the cheese course at the end and it worked beautifully with the maroilles and epoisses - the wine made the cheese taste so sweet, especially the epoisses! 18/20

For main course, I had the line-caught seabass in red wine sauce (a classic signature dish made famous by the late Bernard Loiseau, and which I had the opportunity to try and compare with this interpretation by Robuchon).  It was like the perfect dish that made you think about it afterwards (and want to go back to the restaurant for, quite soon!) Quoting Benoit the sommelier, he said that the test for a good restaurant was how memorable the dishes were! Well said, Benoit! The fish was fresh and cooked to perfection, retaining a lot of moisture, with a slightly golden crust.  The sauce was sensational, with a subtle balance of richness and acidity, to make it a perfect accompaniment to the fish. What was better was that the restaurant was quite happy to give me a second helping of sauce. I just had a small dollop of the extremely rich mashed potato that Robuchon is famous for...... When comparing this dish to the one I tried at Bernard Loiseau, I felt that the dish there was a little too rich, the sauce tasted much more of butter, the acidity a touch too poignant, and just a bit too much sauce making it too overwhelming for the fish.  I was told the red wine sauce would take at least 24 hours to make, with lots of reductions.  I think I prefer the version at Robuchon, and the portion size just perfect as well. 

Richard had the lamb cutlets, which had been slow cooked.  They looked and tasted ok but he said not sensational.

For red wine, we ordered a bottle of the 2003 Sociando-Mallet.  I rather liked it, though perhaps it could do with more years of bottle age to soften the tannins.  Deep ruby colour.  Aromas of blackcurrant leaf, violets, dried fruit (raisins), baked blackberries and some cedar beginning to emerge.  Well-structured.  Fine tannins needing time to soften.  Less on the acidity given the heat that year.  Drinking well now, but will develop further and continue to drink well for 8+ years.  I actually thought there was a fair amount of similarity between this wine and some of the New World Cabernet Sauvignon, such as the Cab Sauv from cool climate regions in Australia.......17/20

Richard was getting palate fatigue from the Sociando-Mallet.  So he ordered a glass of the 1989 Louis Remy Clos de La Roche, which unfortunately was so bretty that we had to send back......and swapped for a glass of 2001 Guiraud, which he was quite happy with. 

We promised Benoit we would be going back soon!  He just arrived in HK about 15 months ago - so welcome and hope you enjoy Hong Kong!