Joel Robuchon Review: The Experience Before the Michelin Stars

One of the pinnacles of my dining experience in Singapore would be my birthday lunch at Joel Robuchon. I previously had an amazing experience at L'atelier de Joel Robuchon in Bangkok, so I definitely had pretty high expectations for this meal. 

I was expecting a really formal setting with snooty waiters and the works, but thankfully, the dining experience was fantastic. The staff at Robuchon were friendly and helpful enough, even though they could have very well snubbed us since we look like kids. I also loved the classy, but simplistic feel of the restaurant. It was elegant, but not overbearing. 

Having heard wonders about their amazing bread basket, and also sampling a huge array of freshly toasted buns at L'atelier, I must say this was slightly disappointing. My first thought: 'ONLY THREE TYPES OF BREAD? How can?'

But lack of variety aside, how much carbs should you really consume at a fine dining restaurant? Better to save the tummy space for foie gras! Also, the bread provided was really quite sublime and they do refill the basket for you if you'd like them too. The butter itself was quite a star with its light, whipped texture. I almost downed the entire portion, but well, at least I had *some* self-restrain ;)

After L'atelier's foie gras mousse, this amuse bouche of vanilla bean yuzu cream was really lacklustre. But I suppose it works as a pre-starter in whetting your appetite thanks to the citrus notes. 

There was quite a significant waiting time before our food was served... (hence the greedy face lol) but once they started dishing out the first course, their timing was impeccable. We opted for the 5 course lunch because that's just who we are - GREEDY.

(No photos of Bratty's food because he very selfishly did not let me take photos of his food haha)

Le Saumon

Because I'm unadventurous like that, I ended up with a salmon tartare with shiso baby sprouts and crispy potato waffles. NOT. The truth is I wanted the crispy soft boiled egg but Daryl called dibs on it first and it would be silly to order two of the same item at a place like this. 

I made a good choice though, because this was lovely. I loved the potato waffles!! There were two different kinds if you can see from the picture. And when you eat the salmon with each of the potato waffles, you'll notice the taste AND texture is significantly different. *thumbs up*

Le The de Crevette

The both of us got this botan shrimp consomme that was infused with corriander and tumeric because the only other soup option was asparagus soup. 

The soup reminded me of the gravy from a Chinese-style steamed fish. It tasted very nourishing with its gingery scent and I actually quite enjoyed it especially since the Botan shrimp was done excellently. However, it seemed strange getting something so Asian for our meal. 

Le Saint Jacques

My picture does no justice to the absolute beauty of this sea scallop with coconut and squid ink farfelle dish. Although the scallops were absolutely on point, I thought the sauce was too herby and bold, and that something more subtle would have complemented the scallops better. I definitely preferred Bratty's langoustine and uni dish.

La Volaille

I made the better choice for our main course though. While Bratty stuck to his typical wagyu steak, I chose the caramelised chicken and foie gras with spelt risotto. And I have to say I have never tasted a better chicken in my life. Thank you Joel Robuchon for this life-altering experience!

The chicken and a generous amount of foie gras was bound together in a cylindrical structure, encased by crispy chicken skin. The chicken had a very distinct meaty taste unlike the normal chicken we have. The only other time I've tasted chicken like this was in a cosy French bistro in Potsdam. The spelt risotto was also well-executed and overall, I was just blown away by this dish. 

Robuchon Mashed Potatoes

I can now understand  why everyone raves about this legendary mashed potato - it's like eating a marshmallow cloud of potato and butter and the way it melts on the tip of your tongue is just divine.

I've seen them make it at L'atelier and I would say the secret is not the 70:30 butter to potato ratio but the way they whip it so vigorously right before serving it. This is incredibly sinful, but once you start you really can't help but to shove the plate in your face and lick it all up. 

Le Sensation

I made a bad choice by ordering a chocolate dessert after our incredibly rich meal. 

Nevertheless, it was a good dessert. The chocolate ice cream and whipped cream taste pretty normal on their own, but once you you eat it together, it miraculously takes on the texture of a really good chocolate mousse. 

Our meal ended on a very sweet note with these gorgeous petite fours. The lemon macaron was tart and refreshing, the marshmallow was fluffy and light, and the chocolate sable had a really good play on textures. 

Bratty and I were really pleased with both the food and the service and we would give a 9.5/10 for our dining experience.

Joel Robuchon

Resorts World Sentosa

Hotel Michael, Level 1

+6577 6688

Lunch: Sat 12pm - 230pm

Dinner: Tues - Sat 6pm - 11pm