Gastronomy Joël Robuchon, 9/3/2025, Tokyo, Japan (5-Course, ¥33599 incl. Taxes, excl. Gratuity)

There are many Robuchon dining spots in Tokyo, I have always been eager to dine at Gastronomy Joël Robuchon which is the only Michelin 3-star restaurant located in Tokyo in the Robuchon empire. Before Chef Robuchon passes away, he has been awarded 30+ stars. Thru AMEX Platinum Concierge, I was able to secure a reservation and was informed to pre-order the Degustation menu with either of 1, 2 or 3 main courses along with the associated Amuse Bouche, appetizers, cheese and desserts. The selected pre-order can’t be changed once reservation is confirmed. 

Joël Robuchon is located in a large 2-stories building sharing its premises with other Robuchon establishments in this new development in Tokyo, Yebisu Garden Place, very similar to the Hudson Yard project in NYC, USA. In the dining room, staff were stationed in key posts to make sure diners’ needs was attended to. The setting is a luxurious neo-French Chateau, reminiscent of an 18-century palace with a formal atmosphere. The restaurant does require formal dress code.

Once we were seated. I notice there were carts of food being wheeled around, one cart for bread, one cart for cheese before dessert, two carts for desserts to go with the dessert course. It started with Amuse Bouche.

Amuse Bouche

1).Gaufrette/Sea Urchin and shrimp

Gaufrette is a French term meaning “little waffle” that refer to a few different foods, including a crisp, wafer biscuit or Belgian-style waffle. This dish firstly prepared Sea Urchin mousse made of sea urchin, creamy mashed potatoes, white wine and purée shrimp. Mousse sandwiched in between waffles and then deep fried the sandwich in butter. Mousse was fresh and scrumptious; coating was lightly battered and crunchy. I felt like one is not enough. Sea urchin was just tasty enough to open the palette.

2).Caviar Imperiale de Sologne

To make a simple description, it is pâté of crab layered with fennel jelly, then blanketed with caviar. Crabs are Zuwaigani crab, also known as Japanese Snow Crab, that is prized for its succulent, sweet meat and tender texture. It is a popular ingredient in various Japanese dishes.

Caviar, succulent and plump is from La Maison Nordique, renowned for their incomparable quality, caviar have a firm grain, a slightly iodized taste and perfectly balanced curing. Caviar is placed on crab meat which is surrounded by crustacean jelly made from fennel, lobster and shrimp with blobs of cauliflower cream dots and parsley dots on top. Cauliflower dots made of puréed cauliflower, potatoes and cream. This jelly, made of fennel and crustacean broth, was the amazing synthesizer. It made this dish with such a fabulous appearance, indulgent texture and flavors. Although it is served as amuse bouche which is usually in the experimental stage, it has already been recognized as one of the signature dishes. I noticed that the quantity of jelly has been increased in this version from the prior version. I was deeply impressed by all aspects of this dish. It is a miracle to be so perfect. I inquired the Director on how many cauliflowers dots are on each plate. He would not give me a straight answer. Regardless, it is a practice of patience.

Breads

Once the bread cart parked by your table, the attendant automatically gave us their signatures – a small baguette and a slice of rye bread. In addition, the restaurant served olive oil and Froment du Léon butter from Brittany. It is a high-quality dairy product with a very special yellowish luster and smooth and rich diary taste. The varieties of bread include breads with charcoal, anchovies, basil, plain, cheese, corn, sun dried tomatoes, bacon, olive, rosemary, etc. They looked so yummy, but I had to watch how much bread I ate so that I had enough room for the rest of the meal. The real game will start with the cold appetizer and then hot appetizer.

Les Entrées Froides / Cold Appetizers

La Niçoise – Soft Boiled Egg in Modern Style “Niçoise” with Macedonia Vegetables

It was green egg with gold leaf. Never had green egg before. To make dish with such a lush green color, the source has to be natural with multiple color combination and some molecular gastronomic techniques. It required Ukokkei chicken and Tokyo Bekana lettuce to make dark green sphere.

Tokyo bekana is a leafy green vegetable in the celery cabbage family. It has a mild flavor and tender texture, making it an excellent substitute for lettuce.

Ukokkei chickens(烏骨鶏), originally brought to Japan from China, also known as Silkie chicken, is a unique and highly prized breed of chicken in Japan. Renowned for its distinctive black skin, bones, and white fluffy feathers, long been treasured for their rarity and rich nutritional value, has a vibrant and deep orange color yolk. Silkie chickens are known for laying very few highly prized eggs and being very expensive. While a typical chicken lays 280 to 300 eggs annually, a Silkie only lays around 40-80.

Egg was sitting on top of tomato purée which was surrounded by dots of potato purée (one of Robuchon’s signature dishes) and pea purée, a trio appearance. I have had Ukokei chicken (It means dark bone chicken) and am familiar with the taste. In this course, diner could feel the richness of the running yolk in the mouth. Taste of chicken blended well with other ingredients. The highlight of this course was the green chicken egg and the rich taste of the egg yolk.

Le Sauman – Wasabi Smoked Salmon, Delicate Mousse Served with Wasabi Scented Cream

It was wasabi smoked salmon wrapped around salmon mousse and adorned with salmon roe on top, with slightly scented wasabi cream served on the side. Smoked salmon was juicy and fresh. It was with gentle wasabi flavor; some diners probably would prefer a stronger taste of wasabi.

Les Entrées Chaudes / Hot Appetizers

L’Asperge Verete – “Jet Farm” Green Asparagus Creamy Velvety with Ricotta Cheese Raviolis Flavored by Fresh Mint

Baby Ricotta cheese ravioli was very tasty, served with fresh asparagus and other micro vegetable. What made the difference was the creamy, slightly minty sauce.

L’Escargot – Snail Accompanied with Parsley and Garlic Purée Breading  

It was prepared with the “Panure” process. It is a French term for the breadcrumbs or breading used to coat food before cooking, such as fish or chicken, involves dredging food in flour, dipping it in egg, and then coating it with breadcrumbs before pan searing. Chef Robuchon had his variation, his cooking method used dry roasted garlic and parsley in making croquette and then baked the croquette. Chef used the local escargot, not imported from France. Snails were juicy, tender and succulent.

Les Plats Chauds / Main Courses

Le Hata – Iberique Steamed Hata with Sage Blossom, Served with Kamonasu and Chorizo Mousseline

Hata, also known as the Japanese Grouper, has a translucent white meat with its delicate and sweet flavor, similar to sea bass. Best season is in winter.

Two different types of sauce were served, tomato sauce and Chorizo sauce. Herbs and julienned fresh vegetable and coriander served on the side of fish filet. In addition, fried eggplant pockets and steamed Hata made a balanced taste. Eggplant was from Kyoto; it was a special type of eggplant with fewer seeds and smoother taste. I have seen it in the market place. It is smaller than the original western eggplant and shorter than the Oriental eggplant. It was the best eggplant that I have ever had. The texture and the seedless feature definitely please diners’ tastebud. I originally requested medium Hata but was prepared well-done. However, the 2^nd attempt was delivered mediumly cooked. 

Le Carré d’Agneau – Roasted Rack of Lamb with Thyme, Vegetable Calissons in a Rich Juice

Lamb was from France, 3-month-old baby lamb which required great care. Since it was roasted with skin on, it required baby lamb be kept in an environment without too much movement to damage the skin. Baby lamb was served with roasted red pepper covering potatoes reminiscent of Calisson (Calisson is a diamond-shaped sweet made with ground almonds). In addition, the famous mashed potatoes served on the side. The mashed potatoes were outstanding. Before I dined at Robuchon, I used to think Chef David Bouley in NYC made the best mashed potatoes. It is sad, Chef Bouley has passed away a few years ago, so did Chef Robuchon.

I have had baby lamb in other fine dining restaurants. It is distinctive in its texture and flavor. It was roasted (medium) and it was tasty, tender, succulent, adequately spiced with perfect flavor. I was very satisfied with my choice. 

Cheese

Cheese course is where every great French restaurant differentiate itself. To offer cheeses in various state of ripeness and served at the right temperature. I selected a few varieties – 2-year-old aged Comté, medium flavored Goat cheese, strong flavored Goat cheese, Brillat-Savarin (a decadent soft-ripened French triple-crème) and a slice of nut and dry fruit bread. My priority - I needed to conserve space for the complete dessert courses.

DESSERTS  

I.Dessert Course on the Menu

1).Coconut Chocolate Shell Served on a Passion Fruit Jelly

The inflated white ball, Espuma, was achieved by pumping gas into the mixture of coconut and white chocolate, a practice of Molecular Gastronomy pioneered by Ferran Adria. It was served with delicious nectarine of passion fruit, pineapple and mango at the bottom of the plate. Flavor was also enhanced by dices of tropical fruits displayed around the plate as well as the chocolate fence around the Espuma. It involves using a whipping siphon with gas cartridge to incorporate air into purées, soups or creams. A delightful and refresh palette cleaner.

2).Light Lemon Soufflé with Creamy Fromage Blanc Ice Cream

It was light lemon soufflé with creamy fromage ice cream. A very light weight soufflé with fine texture.

II.Trolley 1- Pastries, Cakes and Mignardis

They are all delicious and temptation. With my stomach being in overloaded condition, I still had a few “wanted”, it was too difficult to resist the temptation. I knew I can’t possibly have every type among displayed in the trolley: lemon cream tart, grapefruit tart, raspberry chocolate tart, opera cake, chocolate cake, Napoleon, vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, raspberry sorbet and St. Honoreé cake, etc. My favorite was Napoleon (Mille-Feuille). Chef made the layers of crust so fine and so crunchy, one of the best Napoleon that I have ever had.

III.Trolley 2 – Fantasies and Chocolate

The selection of desserts is gargantum. I was so full, but my palette still not satisfied. I got pleasure simply by looking at the trolley which displayed more temptation such as chocolate caramel, chocolate with sea salt, raspberry chocolate, chocolate praline, noisette, crispy hazelnut, dark chocolate hazelnut, ice candies almond, brownies, meringue, madeleines, truffles, yuzu white chocolate bon bon on a lovely lemon biscuit, etc. My favorite was Yuzu bon bon.

Among all the fine dining restaurants that I have visited, Gastronomy Robuchon and William Frachon/Chapeau Rouge in Dijon are the two still using the glass dome to cover the dinner plate while food being brought from kitchen to table. It was a great pleasure to enjoy the aroma and smelt upon the moment of serving when dome was removed.

Upon departure, the restaurant gave us a pineapple cake. We ate it the following day, it was yummy and different from all other pineapple cake. According to the Director, the restaurant does have a bakery, but not for retail. A customer will get his/her baked goods by invitation only.

Restaurant Patrick Guibaud, Dublin, 12/12/2024 (2-Course, 155€ excl. Taxes and Gratuity)

Restaurant Patrick Guibaud, Dublin, 12/12/2024 (2-Course, 155€ excl. Taxes and Gratuity)

Restaurant Patrick Guibaud first opened its door in 1981 and was awarded for the 1^st star in 1988. It was awarded the 2^nd star in 1996, which it has retained ever since. Currently, it is located in the center of Dublin inside the 5-star Merrion Hotel, a block away from Oscar Wilde Park. It is Ireland’s only 2-star restaurant.

The atmosphere receives its accolades for its brilliance, especially the dining room with its lofty ceilings and quite a few pieces of paintings and tapestries. One of the tapestries, resembling Picasso style art works, was done by an Irish artist Louis le Brocquy. It was contributed by Merrion Hotel’s owner. A copy #9 of the same tapestry titled “Allegory Ta” was identified and sold at the latest auction at Christie. It is a blessing that PG is located inside the Merrion Hotel where security system is on around the clock to safeguard the high valued art objects.

Co-owner Patrick Guibaud, semi-retired, visited the restaurant while we were dining there. Mr. Guibaud is a very talented, astute entrepreneur and restaurateur. He was not only the chef created most of the signature dishes in the past 40 years, but also participated in the design and construction of the restaurant throughout his career. He decorated the dining room with its lofty ceilings, modern paintings and placed a small distinctive showcase stature on each table. Being located inside the swanky Merrion Hotel also helps with safeguarding the expensive art works from theft.

There was a wide range of menus. Our server recommended a la carte two courses at 155€ to be the ideal choice. For the evening, restaurant has offered Lobster Ravioli as a special due to guest’s overwhelming requests for reinstating Lobster Ravioli to the menu. Lobster Ravioli has not been on the menu for a while. We were auspicious to hit the jackpot.

CANAPÉS

Parmesan Gougère

Gougère is French cheese puff pastry, a baked savory choux pastry made of choux dough mixed with grated cheese (Gruyère, Comté, Emmentaler, cheddar, or other semi-firm cheeses). They were tasty, fluffy, light and delightful, perfect for pre-dinner munching. (19/20)

Salmon Rillette Tart

Mini-tart filled with salmon preserved in butter for 4-10 hours, then slow cooked with spices in oven. It was tender and fresh. Salmon filling was topped with toasted nori and salmon caviar. It was refreshing. (19/20)

AMUSE BOUCHE

Foie Gras Parfait, Peach Espuma, Dried Strawberries 

It was Foie Gras mousse topped with whipped peach juice served in foam, in a petit gold-plated spoon. Dried strawberries helped to balance the overall taste. It had the perfect texture and flavoring. I wished the portion had been more generous. (20/20)

Ravioli of Blue Lobster

This lobster is not ordinary lobster, it was the famous Blue Lobster from Annagasson, County Louth, Ireland. Louth is nicknamed “the Wee County” because it is the smallest county in Ireland. The blue coloration in lobsters is the result of a genetic anomaly.  Bright blue lobsters are very rare, occurring 1 in every 2 million. The Blue Lobsters have to strive in the icy cold English Channel water or North Atlantic coast, and grow at slower pace and smaller size with tender and flavorful flesh in slight blue tint. In order to keep all these good characters, the processing procedures had to be strict with high standard. During the shipping, it may require dry ice to maintain certain temperature and the blue tint. Shelling needs to be done in ice in order to keep lobster meat blue. The whole community also has been principled to keep the tradition alive.

The Blue Lobster meat was wrapped in home-made pasta, topped by a crispy coronet and a twig of parsley. It looked like a bee hive with many compartments filled with chunks of lobster when cut open. These chunks of lobster were cooked to perfection, tender but not tough with adequately spiced ingredients. Lobster was first poached in coconut juice/cream. Then, lobster, along with some juice/bisque, was wrapped in the pasta.  Timing was important, otherwise pasta would turn into a soggy ravioli. Sauce was prepared including some Indian spices, cooked lobster broth and other seafood condiments. The quality, coloring and texture of the pasta was so smooth, it probably was ½ of the thickness of the ordinary pasta, however, the diner still can feel the physique of the home-made pasta. Since there were layers inside the ravioli, there were generous portion of lobster meats served in the plate. I appreciated the perfection of this dish so much that I requested for an extra order. Unfortunately, their kitchen did not allow a 2^nd order of Blue Lobster ravioli. I noticed the sauce with obvious and beautiful orange tint. It was done by poaching lobster in coconut juice/cream. Orange color/accent can be extracted out by this simple step. Blue Lobsters are precious because of their flavors, texture and scarcity. Once it is cooked, its shell looks like the shell of an ordinary lobster.

The signature Blue Lobster was pasta perfect, fresh and moist, as a tradition paired with local produce and flavor, prepared by culinary artists (cooking as an art not just science). (20/20)

BREAD

Varieties of bread – seaweed, rolls of onion and bacon, rolls of walnut and cranberry and sour dough baguette. Butter had the unusual yellowish luster like Froment du Léon. Quality of bread was superb; they were extra crunchy. Our server informed me the extra crunchiness was accomplished by cold salted water or by placing a pan of water for the 1^st 15 minutes of baking. (19/20)

MAINS

Mellow Spiced Castle Dermot Lamb, Potato Croissant, Jalapeno, Avocado and Kohlrabi

It was beautifully presented including a few detailed prepared vegetables in addition to the center piece lamb.

Croissant of nori and potatoes slices was crested on top. Layers of treated raw potatoes was used alternately with nori and rolled into croissant shape. It was the smallest croissant that I have ever seen. It requires a tweezer and patience to assemble. Potatoes slices also need to be baked in the oven after being treated and assembled.

On the side, there is a small avocado dumpling made of Kohlrabi slice and avocado, mashed avocado in inner part wrapped by treated Kohlrabi slice in the outer part. The treatment of Kohlrabi requires dipping with dry ice then patting dry before baking. Green sauce was made from scallion, jalapeno sauce.

Quality of the lamb was fine, tender and cooked to the medium. It has been my personal preference to have a bit of stronger flavoring with lamb. (18/20)

Fillet of Irish Beef and Roast Foie Gras, Madeira and Truffle Jus

A fillet of beef was at the very bottom of the plate, topped by mushroom from Portugal, with Madeira sauce. Mushroom and beef juice gave the sauce a bit of earthy flavor.

Beef, melt in your mouth, from Shanahans, is farmed the same way as Aberdeen Angus, was handsomely cooked, lusciously rare with a charred crust on the outside, can be aged a bit more.

The sauces, both so different, both so incredibly scrumptious. Our plates were so clean.

Mashed potatoes were so smooth and tasty, reminded our previous beloved “Bouley” in NYC which offered the similar style of mashed potatoes. In addition to the yummy mashed potatoes, Potatoes Maxine was in the plate. It looked like an apple tart, these like a roulette. I am not a potato fan; however, I enjoyed this. It was tasty with slight crunchiness and good flavor.

I have noticed that every MAINS was covered with a silver plate when bringing the MAINS to each table. I could recall that the last time I saw it was at the Chapeau Rouge Restaurant in Dijon, another Michelin 2-star restaurant. I certainly enjoyed the aroma from the beautifully cooked food the moment when the cover was lifted. (18/20)

PALETTE CLEANER

Tropical Fruit Espuma, Coconut Tapioca

Coconut Tapioca shaped like an egg yolk covered by tropical fruits (coconut, mango, lemon, lime, passion fruit, pineapple) jelly sitting in coconut juice. It was refreshing and tasty. My palette was ready for the transition from savory to the sweet. However, my taste bud was not quite happy yet! (19/20)

DESERTS

Baba Rhum Flambé

Cake was soft and fresh, served with vanilla ice cream and Tonka Beans. Baba au Rhum flambé prepared at the table was primo. Customer was offered 3 different types of Rum – strong, medium and light. I choose the combination of strong 8-year aged Bacardi and medium 7-year aged Havana Club so that I can walk back to the hotel after dinner. It was delicious and my big sweet teeth were still wagging. (20/20)

COEUR DE GUANAJA CHOCOLATE TART, BOURBON VANILLA ICE CREAM

A thin, crisp part of chocolate topped a layer of chocolate ganache which then topped a chocolate cookie. All these were topped again by Bourbon vanilla ice cream with four corners adorned by gold leaves. It was delicious and flavorful although not as gratifying as Baba. (19/20)

PETIE FOURS

Brioche Buns – with Kirsh, vanilla cream and Tonka Beans

Mince Pie Macaron

Lemon and Pineapple Financier

Tart of Hazelnut Praline with Milk Chocolate Mousse

In addition, at the very end inhouse-made chocolate truffles were offered. When the server opened the box of truffles, you are hit with the incredible scent of high-quality chocolate. Two expertly made truffles was chosen for each guest. They were sensational! (20/20)

I have read some reviews on Restaurant Patrick Guibard on the subject of being “pricy” comparing with what in London. PG is the only Michelin 2-star in Ireland, it is in a monopolistic position on “how much to charge” just like what Ristorante Quardri does in Venice. However, PG does provide customers with excellent signature dishes in addition to the gorgeous dining room and impeccable services. Dining at PG is a formal and total experience, it is best kept beyond monetary valuation alone. I was so impressed with the Blue Lobster Ravioli; I personally considered it was delivered better and with higher standard than what I had in a Michelin 3-star restaurant in London.