Food Review: Joel Robuchon Restaurant Set Lunch (Resorts World Sentosa)
[This review is to be backdated to 21 Mar 2015.]
Last year, we had his birthday dinner at Joel Robuchon and it was a very memorable meal. Great service, cosy ambience and excellent food. This year, we decided to return, and we were certainly treated to a gastronomical extravaganza.
Coincidentally, on the day we returned this year, the set lunch was newly launched and several food bloggers were specially invited for a review. We didn't realise who our fellow diners were until we saw Wong Ah Yoke, and the waitress later confirmed this event.
We were ordinary diners, so here's our version of the (unbiased) food review!
Updates (July 2016): Joel Robuchon Restaurant is the only restaurant awarded the prestigious 3 stars in Singapore's Michelin Guide 2016! Do check out their webpage for the latest menus. And we highly recommend their set lunch for the most value-for-money offering.
Ambience
To me, ambience plays a huge part in the entire dining experience - especially for special occasions.
This restaurant deserves special mention for its ambience. There are 2 sections - the main area is classy and modern, with its grand chandelier and golden designs, whilst the other side has a fresh outdoor feel without feeling warm as it is within the air-conditioned restaurant.
Menu
When I first went to their website to check out their opening hours, I noticed that they were open on Sat for set lunch. To be honest, we prefer set lunches as they are much more value for money than eating at dinner time.
Starters
Bread: A whole trolley of fresh artisan French breads greets you when you enter the restaurant. Be tantalised by the assortment in the bread basket that is served once you are seated. As we finished our breads before the appetisers were served, they gladly offered to give us additional. Yay! :)
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| A bread trolley of fresh artisan breads at the restaurant entrance |
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| Generous assortment of bread for you |
Appetisers: Between us, we choose 2 different appetisers.
1) This salmon tartare was a good catch (no pun intended!). It's always obvious when raw food isn't fresh, especially fish, as the bad taste will often betray the dish, no matter how good it looks. Well, this dish certainly did not disappoint. I liked the presentation, though some may say that the multi-colours look a little childish.
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| Salmon tartare with shiro baby sprouts |
2. The crispy soft boiled egg was quite standard though. Perhaps like a brunch item. Nevertheless, if you like runny egg, you will be happy.
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| Crispy soft boiled egg, parmesan cheese mousseline and iberico ham |
Soup: We both agreed that this was the best and most memorable dish of the entire meal. It was served with the server pouring the soup from a glass jar into your soup bowl. I could feel the goodness warming up my body with each mouthful. Really nourishing. A lot of attention had certainly gone into the making of this concoction. The shrimp enhanced the flavour of the soup by lending its mild sweetness without being overpowering.
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| Botan shrimp in fresh coriander and turmeric infusion |
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| Top left: The glass jar from which the soup was poured out from. There is enough to pour 2 bowls of soup. |
Main Courses
1) Grilled wagyu beef: Like most typical guys, he loves his beef. It was a typical melt-in-the-mouth beef that you will never get tired of - simply succulent and tender. The fat oozed natural flavour into the dish. Worth the calories! The only complaint was that the serving was a little small.
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| Grilled wagyu striploin with aromates and macaroni stuffed with wild mushrooms and mizuna |
2) Sea bass: The seasoning was light and the fish's freshness shone through. I am someone who likes to eat my food as plain as it can get, so that I can savour the real taste LOL. A thumbs up from me!
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| Duo of sea bass with saffron, marinated crunchy vegetables and romesco sauce |
Dessert
For the chocolate dessert, I liked how the classy gold presentation complemented the classy setting of the restaurant. It was rich and decadent. Of course, special mention must be given as the staff had thoughtfully prepared the Birthday greeting and candle for him. I loved the light fruity texture of the mango dessert too! Each bit of tangy sweetness oozed sophistication.
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| Araguani creamy chocolate, cocoa sorbet cookie oreo |
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| Fresh mango withy grapes and black current jelly and coconut smoothness |
Coffee/ tea was also served thereafter with petite fours.
Overall
We certainly made the right decision to return for this special occasion. We felt happy reliving the dining experience as we were writing this post.
Happy birthday again, dear! To many more years of food adventures and happy memories together!
Variety: 7/10 (this is a set lunch afterall)
Taste: 9/10
Ambience: 9.5/10
Value for money: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
(The ratings have been averaged between the husband and me)
Joel Robuchon Restaurant, Hotel Michael, Resorts World Sentosa (website)
Lunch: 12pm to 2.30pm (Every Sat)
Dinner: 6pm to 11pm (Tue – Sat)
Closed every Sun and Mon
Dinner: 6pm to 11pm (Tue – Sat)
Closed every Sun and Mon
