Latest news with #JoëlRobuchon
Eater
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Siti in East Austin Takes Asian Street Food and Makes It a Modern Marvel
A specific hunger pang made chef Laila Bazahm take the menu at Siti, her second Austin restaurant, in the direction of Singaporean dishes. 'It is a modern Southeast Asian restaurant based on dishes I craved from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines,' she says of Siti, set in the Frances Modern Inn, a small hotel that's tucked away off East 11th Street, near Nickel City. Bazham began her culinary career in Singapore, at the now-closed Joël Robuchon, and would go to the Singaporean hawkers market to eat regularly. 'I love laksa, and I would regularly go to 328 Katong Laksa. They had the best laksa in Singapore; you could get a big bowl for like $3,' she says. When she couldn't find a similar noodle soup — typically made of coconut milk broth with dried prawns, fish cakes, and bean sprouts — paired with an inability to find a similar dish in Austin, Bazahm perfected a recipe just for herself. But that made her start to think: Should I open a restaurant that serves laksa? What would that look like, and what else would it serve? Her interpretation at Siti involves scallops, which she notes that hawker stalls would never serve in the dish, and Gulf shrimp in a broth that takes six to eight hours to prepare. Laksa the Siti way. Mackenzie Smith Bazahm was born and raised in the Philippines, which is another important influence on Siti. 'We pay homage to the women in Southeast Asia. The grandmothers — especially mine — my mom, my aunts,' she says of Siti, the Malaysian word for 'lady.' 'I grew up cooking with all of them and it is where I developed my love for it.' Siti strives to recreate their cooking techniques with a modern, elevated style. Bazahm laughingly recalls going into the kitchen with her mother after attending culinary school and working at Joël Robuchon, and finding herself correcting how her mother cooked. 'She just looked at me and then said, 'I don't want to do this with you because you're not fun anymore,'' Bazahm recalls. 'That's when it hit me. She's been doing this for years, and she is the best cook ever. I got caught up in the Western techniques that I'd just learned.' With Siti, the techniques and preferences of the aunties and the hawker stalls are at the forefront of Bazahm's mind. Hiramasa crudo with tom kha broth. Mackenzie Smith The menu's hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack) dish, served with tom kha broth, is one of Bazahm's favorites on the menu. 'I love tom kha, and every time I go to a Thai restaurant, I order it,' she says. 'I was thinking, 'How can I present that differently?'' The crudo dish gets served in the broth with lime, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal (a spice in the ginger family) that she describes as 'earth-forward and refreshing.' Bazahm serves tom kha ice cream with calamansi (a lime from the Philippines) and sudachi (a small Japanese citrus fruit) and yuzu curd, that is finished with peanuts and candied ginger, developed by chef Greg Maze from Merry Monarch Creamery. There is also Singapore chili crab, which Bazahm is presenting as a lobster dish, using a whole lobster and mantou buns (a Chinese steamed bun). And there are satays made with chicken, beef short rib, and local mushrooms and eggplant, all cooked in her Mibrasa oven from Spain. All of Bazahm's spices, including the chile in that lobster dish, are made in-house, from scratch. 'Even my Srirarcha, I make in-house. It's all cooked here, made here, and prepped with a lot of care,' she says. Chef Laila Bazahm Mackenzie Smith Bazahm was initially looking at another location, before the owner of the Frances Modern reached out after hearing about what she wanted to do. Siti takes up the entire lower floor of the 15-room Inn, like taking a trip to Bali, she says. It has a lanai (that will include AC once a permit comes through) overlooking a backyard garden. Bazahm describes the decor as Asian colonial style, evoking the Singaporean shop houses, which typically feature ground-floor shops and homes on the second floor. The team installed wooden shutters, which are ubiquitous in Singapore, and artwork and decorative details that touch on Asian themes. Siti is open now at 1123 East 11th Street, inside the Frances Modern Inn. Reservations are recommended and can be made on OpenTable.
Eater
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Crawl Some of Dallas's Best Barbecue and Tacos With a Chef From a Michelin-Starred Restaurant
French- and Italian-influenced Mamani is one of Dallas's most anticipated restaurant openings of the year, in large part because chef Christophe De Lellis left his role as executive chef at Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas to open it and take a partner role in the Feels Like Home hospitality group, started by Brandon and Henry Cohanim (Namo, Bar Colette). De Lellis moved to Dallas about a year ago, and for a time took over the kitchen at Bar Colette. With his family, he moved into a house in the Lakewood area and has been eating his way through Dallas, learning to love two of the major food groups: barbecue (he says Terry Black's is his favorite so far) and tacos (he goes for Resident Taqueria). De Lellis joined Eater to visit a few favorite local haunts he hadn't tried yet and talk about the culture clash of going from Europe to Vegas to Texas, his thoughts on consomme (and consomé), and hot tips for shaking a good espresso martini. Hurtado Barbecue Our first stop is the newest location of Hurdato Barbecue in the Dallas Farmers Market in Uptown, where we order the El Jefe, which has one third of a pound each of brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, turkey, burnt ends, and sausage. We add on sides of Mexican street corn, and De Lellis insists on a vegetable with actual fiber in it, so we also get the creamy red slaw. It was a bit of a negotiation to find a barbecue spot to visit with De Lellis because he'd already visited several that I initially suggested. He has truly been busy learning about Texas barbecue. The barbecue destinations have become the first places he takes visiting friends and family out to eat. 'I was surprised that in Las Vegas on the Strip there isn't barbecue. There are tourists from all over the world, and for most of them that equals American food. I never had barbecue until I moved to Texas,' he says, adding that all the Europeans he's taken to eat barbecue have loved it. This chef knows barbecue. From the appearance of the plate, De Lellis's expectations were high for the smoked turkey, but the pulled pork ended up being his favorite bite. 'I love all braised meats, shredded meats. In restaurants or for myself I like to cook beef cheeks and oxtail, and it reminds me of that,' he says. The pork rub and sauce are so flavorful that they overpower the rest of the tray. He suggests it would be good on a Cubano sandwich, and doesn't immediately shut down the idea of a Hurtado collaboration with Mamani, so we'll be looking out for it. The one thing that stumps him on the platter is the chile-dusted Mexican corn, Hurtado's take on traditional elote. This was the moment that the former chef from a three-Michelin-starred kitchen had the concept of taco seasoning, a blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder, explained to him by a Texan. Unlike the rest of us, he probably won't be picking up a jar in the grocery store. De Lellis will make his own. 'I get the cumin a lot, which is good because it brings a freshness to all the cheese and fat, almost cutting it,' he says. De Lellis notes that Hurtado and Terry Blacks do good sides, a small detail he feels is significant. 'For me, it is the small details,' he says. 'I judge the sides, because you can see the attention to detail. At most of the places you go, people don't know how to cook green beans and serve them undercooked, which I think is disgusting. Small details show how much care is taken every step of the way.' De Lellis says he has smoked meats before but not to make barbecue. 'I would love to learn and understand the craft from a pitmaster around here,' he tells me, noting that even in a French fine dining menu there may be some element of barbecue technique that he could incorporate. Chilangos Tacos The next stop is for birria tacos at Chilangos Tacos on Ross Avenue. De Lellis has already tried tacos, but has had no exposure to birria, so it's on. The initiated know this Old East Dallas location looks like your average strip mall spot from the parking lot, but inside is a party marked by a trompo, bright colors, and people queuing up for dripping, red-stained quesabirria tacos. We have to fight to get a little table after ordering a quesabirria platter. 'It does remind me of the taco joint I used to go to in Vegas, Tacos El Gordo,' he says, noting those were likely the first tacos he ever had, not long after he arrived in 2010. Chilangos never disappoints. Courtney E. Smith 'They do traditional tacos and it makes you feel like you're in Mexico.' He misses the Latin cooks he worked alongside in the kitchen in Vegas, who made their food for family meals, which he says was always the best. 'Mr. Robuchon loved Mexican food, and he would always ask the cooks to make it for him,' De Lellis says. 'I love the way Mexicans approach food, how they season it, even the beautiful ingredients they use.' When the birria hits the table (well, really when De Lellis politely picks it up after our order is called), he eyeballs the consomé and asks how we eat the spread. I tell him to sprinkle the onion and cilantro mix onto the quesabirria tacos and then dip them into the fatty broth made with meat drippings. After the first bite, he grabs the cup of consomé to try it. 'I love consomme,' he says, adding that it's the 'heart and soul' of his cooking, like a quintessential French chef would. 'When I did tasting menus back in Vegas, and before dessert I served a shot of consomme to the guests, something fresh like lemongrass with lime with chicken. It feels good after a heavy meal and cleans your palate.' Christophe De Lellis sits down for his first experience with birria. Courtney E. Smith This consomé, obviously, is not the same, he notes, but it does require the same building blocks. 'Whatever stock or broth you make, it is the most important thing,' he says. 'I prefer using three to five ingredients. That's why I love Mexican food. Robuchon told me this quote and I say it all the time and live by it: 'It is easy to make it complicated, but complicated to make it simple.'' Before we dive into the tacos, De Lellis tells me he is 50/50 on preferring flour tortillas over corn, but after we tear through the birria, he expresses a deeper appreciation for Chilango's crispy, savory corn tortillas. In fact, he's ready to not only sing its praises but to call Chilango's quesabirria one of his favorite tacos he has had in the country. Saint Valentine Finishing strong with a cocktail at Saint Valentine. Courtney E. Smith De Lellis orders the Sazerac and proclaims the fried olives a 'good snack.' I tell him that the Italian grocery store, which is kitty-corner from the bar, is one of the beloved spaces in town for dry goods, imported oils and vinegars, and a killer sandwich shop. Many Dallasites may not know that De Lellis was making bar bites himself at Colette for several months. When I stopped in roughly a year ago, he served me chicken fingers, caviar-topped potato chips, and sliders with a tomato confit he spent two hours making (yes, they were really good). 'I love to have a good cocktail with poutine,' he says, reminiscing about eating Irish nachos in Vegas. We all make weird food decisions when we drink, clearly. After a drink, De Lellis is ready to spill some secrets. 'I want to tell you something in confidence,' he says with a glint in his eye after we get into a discussion about the irrepressible popularity of the espresso martini. 'For a few months they were short staffed at Colette, and I was in the back, shaking espresso martinis,' he says, laughing. 'I had so much fun doing it, but I don't know those guys do. My arms were so sore. They sell so many, you can never take them off the menu.' We agree that a real espresso martini must be made with actual espresso, not coffee liqueur or cold brew. If you see De Lellis out and about, checking out Dallas bars, he says his go-to drink order is a Negroni Sbagliato. Send one over and tell him your favorite barbecue or taco spot and what to order there. He's well on his way to finding his standbys in Dallas, but a little extra help never hurts. Eater Dallas All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Cult of Las Vegas's Oyster Bar
What's the toughest table to get in Las Vegas? Maybe it's Mother Wolf, that juggernaut of modern Roman cuisine inside the Fontainebleau, or Stubborn Seed at Resorts World, the latest opening from a Top Chef winner who seems to actually be making good on his potential. One would be forgiven for guessing an old standby like Joël Robuchon, or a newcomer like Gjelina at the Venetian, a Los Angeles export grilling yu choy and other sundry dishes that embody California cuisine. But you would be way, way off. The toughest seat is actually the 24-hour Palace Station Oyster Bar, where devotees are queued up at all hours of the day and night to taste its Cajun- and Creole-style seafood dishes. The 18-seat Oyster Bar, which turns 30 years old this fall, has a fervent cult following and there are no reservations. There's also nothing exclusive about access, nor is there a dress code: It's literally in the middle of the casino floor, where the slots bisect the table games. And although it's certainly not cheap (it's serving seafood, after all), it's not cost-prohibitive, meaning its customers are a mix of tourists and locals. Las Vegas is a city rife with contradictions, so it's no surprise that its most exclusive restaurant is simultaneously one of its most inclusive. It also sits within one of Vegas's most populist casinos, on an expanse of land just west of I-15 on Sahara Avenue, awkwardly positioned between the Strip and Downtown. The location, simultaneously inconvenient and yet a short drive from nearly everything, embodies the term 'neither here nor there.' It's a spot that's so seemingly unremarkable, in fact, that its decades of success don't make much sense to the casual observer. ('People thought he was crazy,' says Lorenzo Fertitta, son of Station Casinos founder Frank Fertitta Jr., referring to the location of his father's venture.) Hopefully, a picture is beginning to come together. You're in Vegas, hungry in the infernal heat, dodging F1 construction and checking out whatever ads or emojis happen to be emblazoned on the Sphere that day. Walking into Palace Station, there's the familiar waft of cigarette smoke. Dragon Link and other creature-themed slot machines call out ( 'Buffaloooooo!' ), but there's a hint of something else floating in the air — tomatoes, cream and... is that sherry? The aromas intensify as you go deeper into the belly of the building. The first thing you'll notice is the marquee: 'Oyster Bar 24/7,' with a little anchor on the side. The faux chalkboard lettering on a half-octagon that wraps around above the bar has a distinctly '90s Bar Louie feel, but don't let that dissuade you. Past the stanchions cordoning off Oyster Bar from the rest of the casino is a long line of people on one side, like theater patrons waiting for the latest hot off-Broadway show. Behind the bar, there is an entrancing performance: Cooks and servers rhythmically rotate behind billowing clouds of steam, pouring drinks and arranging oysters in circles atop crushed ice. Oyster Bar's most popular dish is not, in fact, the fat Gulf oysters as big as computer mice, but rather the pan roast. And while plenty of people get oysters or a shrimp cocktail on the side, or maybe an order of the herbaceous gumbo or heady etouffee, most people come for the pan roast. Oyster Bar goes through 33,000 gallons of it annually. The counterintuitively named dish, which may originate with Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York, conjures an image of a chicken in a pan, roasting in the oven. Put this out of your head. Instead, imagine a bisque — a thick, creamy, shellfish-based seafood soup, a rustic base for huge floating hunks of seafood. Anchored by tomatoes and cream, girded with an aromatic sofrito that tastes of the holy trinity of Cajun cooking, the pan roast has an undertone of garlic and a nutty fruitiness, akin to brandy or fortified wine. It should be eaten with a spoon, but some larger chunks of shrimp, crab, and lobster may need to be forked out. Served with white rice and a basic chunk of bread, the pan roast can also be eaten with a side of noodles. Rice is the correct choice, however, as the surface tension allows the base of the roast to envelop the rice, creating a creamy crustacean porridge. Let's be clear — this is not revelatory fine dining. I remember, after first having the pan roast, feeling even slightly underwhelmed. At the end of the day, it's 'a jazzed-up bisque,' in the words of specialty cook Bob Higdon, who's worked at Oyster Bar for the last 25 years and has a seemingly endless repertoire of droll quips and one-liners he delivers to patrons. But a day later, I felt an unfamiliar tug. The taste had almost instantly grown on me, like I'd been eating it for years. And now, sitting here writing this piece, the slow burn has grown into a bonfire: I want to go back. I can't wait to go back. 'I tell people all the time,' Higdon says. 'I said, 'You're not going to hate me now, you're going to hate me next week when you're sitting at home and get that flavor in the back of your mouth.'' And he's right. That's exactly what happened. Beyond the pan roast, there are a few things you need to know when dining at Oyster Bar. First, you'll be asked to select a spice level, 10 being the highest. Most people who like spicy food can probably swing a 7 or 8 without feeling like they've made a grave mistake. Otherwise, stick to a 4. Spice can always be added in the form of the off-menu lava sauce — a tangy, chunky mixture of hot peppers that you can feel burning your mouth before the spoon even reaches your lips. You have to ask for it specifically, and it's only for showoffs and true masochists. Second, the entrees are a huge amount of food, especially with the rice. Finishing a pan roast solo is a serious undertaking. The leftovers are worth keeping if your hotel room has a microwave and/or fridge. Third, don't bring the kids. Oyster Bar is literally a bar, and they can't seat anyone under 21. Also, you won't get the exact recipe, so don't ask. ('You don't ask the Colonel for 11 spices,' says Higdon.) And finally, be ready to wait. The story of the wait, and of Oyster Bar, starts in 1976 with Fertitta Jr., who discovered a demographic that had not fully been tapped into: a casino that catered to Las Vegas locals, not tourists. (Indeed, he opened as simply The Casino.) Oyster Bar came along in October 1995. While there may have been a Cajun joint or two around town at the time, this particular style of New Orleans cooking hadn't quite taken hold in Vegas. Emeril Lagasse, he of the onomatopoetic catchphrase, didn't open New Orleans Fish House at MGM Grand until the following month. Today, there are plenty of Cajun options in Vegas, mostly off-Strip, mostly of the crawfish or seafood-boil variety. In the summer of 2000, something had changed. 'That's when I noticed the lines.' Oyster Bar was opened, in part, as an apparent nod to Fertitta Jr.'s origins in southeastern Texas, near the Louisiana border. 'That kind of food is very prominent around there,' says Dave Horn, general manager of Durango casino and former GM of Palace Station. 'I think it's a real easy tie-in that they said, 'Okay, you know what? We should bring this here.'' Interest in the restaurant ramped up slowly. 'It was a cult following at first,' says Horn, who was a valet attendant for the casino at the time. He posits that Oyster Bar's rise in popularity coincided with the rise of online culture in the mid-1990s. 'That's when you have the internet start to come alive,' Horn recalls. '[There's] that five-year period where people can start to talk about things on the internet or Palace Station can put something out there.' By the time Horn came back for his second stint at Palace Station in the summer of 2000, something had changed. 'That's when I noticed the lines,' he says. The line is an amalgamation of different cities, states, and countries, where folks of every shape and size stand and wait for one of those 18 coveted seats at the counter. The line can take as long as five hours to get through ('Super Bowl weekend a couple years ago,' says Higdon). The line is, in some ways, the defining characteristic of the Oyster Bar experience. A blessing and a curse. Okay, it's mostly a curse. Lines are unpleasant. But decadeslong Oyster Bar customers seem to think it's worth the wait — or, at the very least, they've convinced themselves of that truth. Gina Bruno, a flight attendant visiting from the Washington, D.C., area, has been coming here for the past 20 years. 'It's like a camaraderie,' she says. 'You stand in line, you talk about what you're gonna eat, and it's just a whole experience.' But she is also frank about the line, which she and her dining companions had been standing in for about two hours. 'It sucks,' she says, laughing. 'It's worth the wait,' says Barry Bryant, who works in entertainment in Atlanta. Bryant, who also has been coming to Oyster Bar for two decades, says he makes the trip every time he comes to Las Vegas. 'It's not too fancy, it's casual and it's different — it hits different.' Anitra Baker has been a fan for even longer — 25 years. She typically visits from California every year on her birthday. 'You can't get the same taste anywhere else,' she says. 'I can't find it anywhere else. I literally come all the way from San Francisco to get it.' 'I can't find it anywhere else. I literally come all the way from San Francisco to get it.' I've been to some restaurants where there's a vague feeling that the wait was somewhat manufactured, or intentional. As in, staff could have done more food prep or planning ahead of time if they'd wanted to, in order to cut down on wait times. That's not the case here. Oyster Bar cooks move as quickly as possible, turning all the seats at a rate that approaches once per hour, 24 hours a day. With only 18 people being served at a time, each pan roast, gumbo, or bouillabaisse taking around 8 to 10 minutes to cook, and just six jacketed steam kettles to prepare them, the cooks are limited in how quickly they can serve those customers. The kettles resemble small woks and sit in a row behind the counter in a setup that looks literally steampunk — tubes and pipes wriggling out of the counter to spew cold water or feed jets of hot steam into the containers. There are numerous advantages to cooking with these kettles: being able to boil cold water in about 30 seconds, not having to constantly wash pots and pans, and keeping the kitchen cooler because there's no open flame. But the biggest advantage is the evenness and consistency of the temperature. 'You can let your stuff reduce without it burning the sauces,' Higdon explains. 'The whole surface of our kettle is the same temperature. It doesn't have a hot spot.' No hot spots mean uniform cooking, which means you don't get some pieces of seafood that are perfectly cooked and some that are rubbery and overdone. And no broken sauces, either. 'If you've ever had a scorched cream sauce, you know that's not good stuff,' he says. The cooking method also provides a bit of theatrics, which has been another part of Oyster Bar's lasting appeal. Ordering, preparing, plating, and consuming all happen within a couple feet of each other. 'There's no other setting you get like that besides hibachi, [where] you get to interact with your cook and they cook right in front of you,' says Paul Sanchez, the chef that currently oversees Oyster Bar. Sanchez notes that it takes a special kind of cook to make it work. 'I fell in love with it right away,' he says. 'The style of cooking, being able to talk to people from all across the world, interacting with guests. But a lot of cooks, they don't like that. You know, that's why they're back of the house.' Nothing has been able to dethrone the original Oyster Bar. Las Vegas is a place heavy on mimicry. When something in the city works, particularly in the food arena, imitators pop up left and right. And while that's certainly happened with Oyster Bar — even in the form of places opened down the street by cooks who quite literally used to work at Oyster Bar — nothing has been able to dethrone the original. (Station Casinos also has four other Oyster Bars at its different properties. I've heard they don't match the charm of the original.) Sanchez explains it this way: 'My theory is, in a chef's mind, you want to make things better, always want to take it to the next level. Well, here, it's not about taking it to the next level. It's about keeping the consistency... If somebody comes here from Hawai'i once a year, and this is the place to go, they come and order a pan roast. Next time they come, they want that exact same flavor profile.' In other words, nostalgia and sense memory are powerful aspects of food. And when people fall in love, they don't want a better, flashier version. They want what they had. 'If you try to recreate [the pan roast] and put it somewhere else, it won't work,' says chef David Chang, who has been beating the Oyster Bar drum for years. Chang estimates he's eaten there between 30 and 40 times. Trying to replicate the exact chemistry of a place like that, he says, is a futile exercise. 'Sometimes a restaurant like that works because it's the perfect balance of ingredients, of everything. From the ambience to the cigarettes in the air, everything works together.' 'I don't describe it,' Chang says. 'I just say, 'Trust the process and you'll be so happy.'' Even if that means waiting for an hour or two. Or three. Most of the day, there's no getting around the wait. There is one workaround — well, it's not exactly a workaround, but a path to a shorter wait. If you want a pan roast first thing in the morning, and let's face it, you might not after a night of Jägerbombs, try rolling in around 7 or 8 a.m. The line will likely be much shorter. But aside from that, the best bet is to come as a crew and rotate people in and out of the line. Someone waits while the other people go gamble, go to the sportsbook, or mall-walk the casino floor. Horn even recalls seeing people put in food orders while waiting in line, just to tide them over: 'They'd literally put in a pizza and a drink order... In my head I'm thinking, '[These are] people eating and drinking in the line to wait for a food and drink product .'' But the best thing to do is to embrace it. Give in to it. Come hungry and ready to wait, safe in the knowledge that the entire sensory experience of the Oyster Bar — the visuals of the cooking, the smells of the steaming seafood, the electronic din of spinning slot machines, the sardonic one-liners coming out of Chef Bob's mouth — all combine together in a way that is sui generis in the restaurant world. Like the symphony inside the pan roast itself, there's nothing quite like it. Sign up for our newsletter.
Zawya
02-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
LANDMARK Celebrates 18-Year Partnership with L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG as the Legendary Restaurant Returns This Summer
World's Most MICHELIN-Starred Gastronomic Icon returns to a stunning new space in LANDMARK ATRIUM HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire – 2 May 2025 - LANDMARK is delighted to announce the highly anticipated return of gastronomic legend L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG as the cornerstone of its refined Central dining portfolio this summer. The iconic restaurant has been located at LANDMARK for 18 years and has held the coveted Three MICHELIN Star status – the only L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG internationally to do so - for an unprecedented 13 continuous years, since the very first Hong Kong & Macau MICHELIN Guide in 2012 until its temporary closure in January 2025. Following 19 months of planning and design, this acclaimed restaurant now proudly returns to a glamorous 18,000 sq. ft. tailor-made venue on the fourth floor of LANDMARK ATRIUM in August. "L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG has been the jewel in the crown of our dining portfolio at LANDMARK for 18 years and is truly beloved by our diners and by us," said Alexander Li, Director and Head of Retail, Hong Kong & Macau of Hongkong Land Limited. "The LANDMARK team has been working closely with L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG for months to thoughtfully craft this reimagined space. The newly transformed restaurant will captivate diners and further solidify its legacy as Hong Kong's most exceptional fine dining destination - welcoming both local and international guests for years to come." Originally founded by legendary culinary superstar Mr. Joël Robuchon, the most decorated chef in MICHELIN history with no less than 31 MICHELIN Stars, L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG continues to uphold his legacy of unparalleled excellence under the leadership of Executive Chef Julien Tongourian. "After 18 remarkable years, L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG continues to shine as a beacon of culinary excellence, proudly holding its prestigious Three-MICHELIN Stars. In the face of an ever-changing and often challenging F&B landscape, we've managed to stay ahead - driven by passion, resilience, and a relentless commitment to perfection. This renovation marks not only a new chapter for our LANDMARK location, but also a reaffirmation of our dedication to Chef Robuchon's legacy and to offering the very best to our discerning guests, under the visionary leadership of Executive Chef Julien Tongourian." said Carl Tang, CEO of Lisboa Food and Wines Limited. Wine connoisseurs will delight in an exceptional selection of fine wines, featuring an extensive collection that ranges from approachable, crowd-pleasing bottles to the world's rarest vintages. The newly expanded temperature-controlled wine cellar—now four times its original size—showcases a breathtaking gallery of over 3,400 labels, serving as a spectacular centrepiece at the venue's entrance. We share the same inventory with Macau Lisboa Wine Cellar, which boasts the most extensive and exclusive wine collection in Asia, with an extensive collection ranging from mass-approachable bottles to the world's rarest wines, with over 17,000 labels and 400,000 bottles. Such an impressive collection is a natural reflection of L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG's distinction as the sole recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award in Hong Kong for 15 consecutive years, a recognition that underscores our unwavering commitment to exceptional quality and service. Among the 96 restaurants worldwide that have received the prestigious Grand Award, L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG remains the only one in Hong Kong to hold this esteemed honour. The dining experience itself will also ascend to new heights of sophistication, featuring five new exquisitely designed private rooms, including a world-first, ultra-exclusive private room worth around HK$10 million, showcasing La Cornue - the world's most luxurious handcrafted kitchenware - in its first ever commercial installation, all complemented by exceptional service from the same dedicated team. Adding to its allure, the restaurant will feature a stunning al fresco terrace, thoughtfully designed to preserve the Le Jardin concept. This elegant outdoor space was made possible through extensive structural enhancements, seamlessly blending sophistication with relaxed, natural charm. Set to debut later this year, the terrace will offer guests an enchanting setting to savour L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG's culinary masterpieces amidst Hong Kong's vibrant cityscape. LANDMARK and L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG continue their legacy of delivering world-class gastronomic experiences that will delight discerning diners for decades to come. Hashtag: #L'ATELIERDEJOËLROBUCHON The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG opened in Hong Kong in 2006, bringing a groundbreaking dining concept that which Joël Robuchon created in Tokyo in 2003. Renowned chef Joël Robuchon, who began his culinary journey at the age of 15, gained fame in the 1970s as a rebellious chef challenging the norms of nouvelle cuisine. Known for his relentless pursuit of culinary excellence, he built an impressive collection of Michelin stars before retiring at 50 to prioritize family and travel. His global explorations deepened his appreciation for Japanese culture, which inspired the creation of L'ATELIER, a unique dining experience that blends a sociable Japanese counter with the finest European cuisine. L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG has consistently received accolades, including three Michelin stars for 13 consecutive years from the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong and Macau since 2012. The restaurant features contemporary chic décor with lush red velvet seating and dark wood furnishings, divided into two areas: L'ATELIER and LE JARDIN. L'ATELIER offers a circular bar surrounding an open kitchen, allowing guests to witness the artistry of cooking. Its menu presents classic French dishes in innovative tapas-style portions. LE JARDIN provides an elegant setting, offering a refined fine-dining experience. L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG stands as a testament to Mr. Joël Robuchon's legacy, where exceptional cuisine meets an inviting atmosphere, making it a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts. About LANDMARK LANDMARK represents the epitome of top-tier luxury shopping and lifestyle experiences. Drawing from a rich heritage which began in 1904 – LANDMARK today is the luxury shopping destination of Hongkong Land's Central portfolio including 4 iconic connected buildings, LANDMARK ATRIUM, LANDMARK ALEXANDRA, LANDMARK CHATER and LANDMARK PRINCE'S. LANDMARK offers approximately 208 of the finest stores and restaurants, all seamlessly linked by pedestrian bridges. From high fashion and accessories to watches and jewellery, from luxury living to beauty and grooming, from international cuisine to authentic gourmet dining, LANDMARK brings the ultimate shopping experience to the discerning customer. About Hongkong Land Hongkong Land is a major listed property investment, management and development group. The Group focuses on developing, owning and managing ultra-premium mixed-use real estate in Asian gateway cities, featuring Grade A office, luxury retail, residential and hospitality products. Its mixed-use real estate footprint spans more than 830,000 sq. m., with flagship projects in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Its properties hold industry leading green building certifications and attract the world's foremost companies and luxury brands. The Group's Hong Kong Central portfolio represents some 450,000 sq. m. of prime property. The Group has a further 165,000 sq. m. of prestigious office space in Singapore mainly held through joint ventures and five retail centres on the Chinese mainland, including a luxury retail centre at Wangfujing in Beijing. In Shanghai, the Group owns a 43% interest in a 1.1 million sq. m. mixed-use project in West Bund, which is due to be completed in 2028. Hongkong Land Holdings Limited is incorporated in Bermuda and has a primary listing in the equity shares (transition) category of the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Bermuda and Singapore. Hongkong Land is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group. L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON HONG KONG
South China Morning Post
25-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Chef Daisuke Mori brings his Michelin-star expertise to Carlyle & Co in Hong Kong
Many restaurants around the world have closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. More than a few of these closures have been more about profitability than what is being served, and many a good restaurant has been lost. Advertisement One such casualty in Hong Kong was Takumi by Daisuke Mori Having seen the restaurant earn its first Michelin star in 2017, chef Daisuke Mori – whose résumé includes a spell at three-Michelin-star restaurant Joël Robuchon in Tokyo – says it was a shock to his loyal patrons that Takumi closed right after retaining its Michelin star for an eighth consecutive year. 'It was bittersweet to close Takumi,' he says. 'I'm proud of what we built and accomplished with Takumi, but I was ready for a new challenge.' The chef is now at private members' club Carlyle & Co in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, where he is executive chef. The Brasserie at Carlyle & Co features dishes created using French techniques but with Japanese twists. Photo: Carlyle & Co Asked about the differences between operating a restaurant and the kitchens of an exclusive members' club, Mori says the pressures are slightly different.
