Coming out of retirement to open his first restaurant in the United States, Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, NV caters to a sophisticated palate. The restaurant is the only Three Star Michelin restaurant in Sin City, the winner of Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond, and Wine Spectator’s Grand Award. Rest assured — there is no hype, this is the real deal. Joël Robuchon was also named France’s Chef of the Century by the esteemed Gault Millau restaurant guide. You will definitely spend a very pretty penny for the Sixteen Course Degustation, but I am confident that it was worth every single cent.
Limited seating creates the intimacy one can expect from the Joël Robuchon dining room (pictured above). The 60-seat establishment can book up well in advance; even on a Sunday night. Even in this financial crisis, patrons are paying $435 per person for the signature Sixteen Course Degustation election (menu pictured below). So plan ahead, reservations are strongly recommended.
Call the restaurant a week before to secure your reservation for a complimentary limousine pick up from whichever hotel you choose to stay at. You’ll be driven through the back of the casino and dropped off at a place which the majority of people don’t even know exists — the Mansions at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. The Mansions cater to high- rollers, millionaires and beyond. To enter the restaurant, you walk through the vastness of the MGM Grand, beginning at the courtyard of The Mansions, through the hallways, and lastly through the high limit casino which pours out into the main casino. Alas, you arrive — arriving ‘in style’ is an understatement.
Now, on to the reason you have decided to spend your hard earned cash. Although you can order a la carté, I’d strongly suggest the Sixteen Course Degustation. Chances are you will rack up quite a bill ordering 3-4 dishes a la carté, so you may as well splurge a bit more and taste the very best of the best — complete with the unlimited Parisian bread cart and dessert cart selections.
[Sixteen Course Degustation Menu for Sunday June 3, 2012]
Your indulgence begins with the bread cart and a heap of delicious French churned butter and olive oil. The varieties are endless; milk bread, Saffron bread, Asiago bread, French baguetté, bacon bread are just a few that were noteworthy. As courses continue to progress, the bread cart will roll around to replenish any carb-loading desires you may have.
La Cerise: Cherry gazpacho with sheep ricotta and pistachios.
La Tomate: Salad of tomato with basil infused olive oil, tomato geleé topped with mozzarella.
Le Caviar: Red turnip and radish with yellowtail carpaccio, chilled cauliflower veloute, maki of thin couscous.
Le Grenouille: Crispy frog leg, garlic and parsley coulis.
La Saint-Jacques: Seared scallop with young leek in green curry.
Les Crustacés: Truffled langoustine ravioli, grilled spiny lobster medallion in herb sabayon sea urchin on potato puree with Blue Mountain coffee.
Les Petit Pois: Delicate green pea cream on foie gras royale with argan oil.
Le Saumon: Slightly cooked salmon filet with grain mustard seeds, mango tagliatelle.
Le Veau: Sauteéd veal chop with condiment, bone marrow stuffed palm hearts [we were supposed to have a Rib Eye, this was substituted].
Le Soja: Risotto of soybean sprouts, lime zest and chives.
La Fraise: Green chartreuse <<eggnog>> layered with strawberries, fresh herb sorbet.
La Noisette: Coffee parfait wrapped in a carmet-cookie crunch, hazelnut foam and chocolate ice cream.
After you’ve you completed the desserts from the last 2 courses of the 16 course tasting menu, you’ll also be offered an unlimited selection of chocolates, pastries and sweets off of the dessert cart. Choose any, and everything you desire!
Complete your five-star treatment with a selection of fine herbal teas. Rolled over to you table-side, the teas are picked, washed and infused for you personally.
Now, on to the part that hurts — besides your overindulged stomach, the check. Rounding out at just over $1600 for three people, without tip included. Would I do it again? Absolutely.
I simply can not think of enough wonderful things to say about the incredible food and overall experience at Joël Robuchon. If you can fork out the dough, even just once in your lifetime — I say definitely go for it! The cuisine is rich and delicious, food presentation is a work of art, and service is absolutely impeccable.
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino