Whilst mum and dad chose the three-course lunch set, the tasting menu was calling out to me...
bread basket, one of these between two.
brioche was my favourite, and the bacon bits-studded roll came in second.
l'amuse bouche - "bacon royale"
bacon mousse, some brown bacon sauce, bacon foam and a toast with bacon fat on the tip.
sinful but every bite was worth it!
mum's starter of "l'encornet"
sautéed calamari with eggplant caviar, vanilla and tomato sauce
egg plant was soft and luscious, calamari was slightly chewy and seasoned very well
dad's starter of "le saumon"
marinated salmon with truffle oil, "Ratte" potato vinaigrette and curry tacos
didn't get to try this as dad gobbled it very quickly!
first dish from tasting menu - "le caviar osciètre"
caviar, lobster jelly, crab meat on bottom.
this was one of my favourites, from the presentation to the textures and flavours of this dish.
second dish -"la langoustine"
crispy langoustine papillote with basil sauce
this dish was a kind replacement of the foie gras which I am against eating, and this simple langoustine (mini lobster if you will) wrapped in thin filo and deep fried was so good, easily another one of my favourites. the langoustine was so fresh and had so much of its natural crustacean flavours retained that I don't think I've ever had it this good....!
third dish -"l'oursin"
sea urchin jelly/cream on bottom, three pieces of sea urchin topped with edible gold, wasabi emulsion
to be honest I have never really loved sea urchin, but this dish was pretty awesome. the cream/jelly on the bottom carried a light sea urchin flavour, topped with the really fresh sea urchin and the emulsion which was had a hint of wasabi only, never too pungent.
fourth dish -"le homard"
maine lobster, carmelized cauliflower puree, tamarind cream sauce
lobster was fresh and juicy, but incomparable to the langoustine above, the cauliflower puree was light and smooth, and went well with the tamarind scented sauce.
fifth dish -"le bar"
salmon roe sitting on a piece of sea bass in a pool of herb sauce.
the sea bass skin would've been better if crispy, but the whole thing was definitely good eaten together. the fillet was slightly over-cooked, but the caviar and herb sauce rescued the dish: I love herbs so naturally I loved the sauce, and the salmon roe bursting in the mouth with the sea bass provided the lean fish with some moisture.... my brother thought it was pretty epic when all three components were eaten together!
sixth dish -"la piece de boeuf"
japanese beef seared to medium with its natural jus.
very simple, but the fatty beef was not tender enough for me despite being bloody in the centre . this was my least favourite savoury dish!
the beef came with a side of fried potatoes was surprisingly good, even for non-potato-eaters like my brother and I. these were fried in butter and coated with salt and herbs which made them flavourful, juicy, and most importantly were cooked till tender.
mom's main - "le pigeonneau"
roasted bresse pigeon, turnip rounds with shredded turnip, crunchy peanuts and honey-orange sauce.
The pigeon is not well-done, so if you don't want it red you must tell the waiters first. the meat was wonderfully tender, only slightly gamey in a good way. turnips were well-cooked and tasty too. Ma loved this!
dad's main - "le bar"
seared seabass, caramelized shallots, red wine vinegar sauce
this time I remembered to ask dad for a bite, and the skin was wonderfully crispy (my sea bass should have been like this!) and the fish was cooked perfectly, so it was tender. The sauce was slightly sour and was sooo yummy with the shallots and fish - I really do love vinegar...
dad's sea bass came with a side of Robuchon's famous mash. This little pot of potatoes was sooo rich, smooth and creamy at the same time both my brother and I, despite normally hating potatoes found ourselves finishing half the thing for dad.
after savouries... we were ready for dessert!
First dessert - "la perle"
green apple flavoured sugar, diced green apples and cream filling, salted caramel cream dots
genius - we loved the presentation and the green apples inside were the freshest I've had, and nothing was too sweet despite the ball being made of sugar.
second dessert - "la symphonee chocolatee"
white circle on top is an edible white chocolate, chocolate mousse on top of a prune/date compote.
chocolate mousse was actually two layers - a dark richer thicker mousse and a lighter chocolate mousse on top. the complete opposite of the"la perle", this dessert is lovely rich and definitely for chocolate-lovers. however as I'm no fan dates/prune I would've preferred another fruit, maybe a tart berry??
mum's dessert - "la figue"
fresh figs, crumble, vanilla ice cream, crispy wafer chips which are I think passionfruit-flavoured
this dessert is not exactly like the menu, but I think this one was better than the menu-stated version with the almond cream..
the figs and crumble are warm, whilst the ice cream cold. figs were softened and yummy, crumble was light yet buttery. The ice cream was speckled with vanilla pods, and really good. the wafer provided a crispy texture and a tangy contrast to the ice cream and fig.
dad's dessert - "tiramisu"
glass with coffee flavoured cake topped with white coffee-flavoured mousse, chocolate ice cream
this version of tiramisu was wonderfully light and was definitely my favourite out of the desserts we had. coffee and chocolate are both my favourite foods and flavours, so this was heaven!
by the time desserts came the kitchen had packed - even the sous chefs had disappeared, and so i guess they forgot our petit fours.... a little unforgivable but I was satisfed with our desserts anyway... now for our cuppa to end our meal:
foam was lacking and not done very well, drink was reasonable but no where near mandarin oriental's!
thank you dad for a memorable lunch!
