Joel Robuchon

Frank presented me with a card when he got home from work on Thursday (in Spanish, because we're determined to become fluent) and gave me an "Oh, by the way, we have a reservation for Joel Robuchon tonight at 9:30." Huh? What?

I suggested we go prior to my birthday. Ten years of marriage seemed to warrant the excuse to go all out for an extravagent meal. One that I've been dreaming about for nearly as long as we've been married. I wanted to dine at Alex at Wynn, but never had the opportunity before it closed. I didn't want the same to happen with Joel Robuchon so I'm thrilled Frank made the reservation weeks ago, back around my birthday. It was one of the few availabilites until late May.

Upon arriving to the restaurant, the hostess asked that we wait in the lounge while they prepare our table. A gentleman came by and asked if we'd like Champagne while we wait. Why not? Ten years of marriage deserves a toast. Little did we know, those two glasses of champagne were $29 each. Sneaky.

Our table was in the garden, flowers and vines were all around. The tables had teal runners, white napkins tied with teal ribbon. This shade was nearly identical to the colors I used for my wedding. Pure coincidence, but it was a lovely nod to our memorable day. The menu was presented and we were given time to peruse it. It's overwhelming. There is the 16 course tasting menu, which is mighty tempting, an ala carte menu and several prix-fixe options. We opted for the prixe-fixe that offered two appetizers, main course and dessert ($198 per person). You choose your dishes from a varied selection. We each chose a cold and hot appetizer, entree and dessert; we felt this was the best way to sample as much of the menu as possible without gorging ourselves or breaking the bank. You're given a choice of flat or sparkling water ($10 per bottle of Evian). We also selected a half bottle Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc ($35) and then our feast was underway.

We began with a Split Pea Amuse Bouche, it has marshmallows (savory, not sweet) pistachios and another tasty bite I cannot recall.



I've heard tales of the bread cart, but I hadn't imagined this glorious nirvana with more than a dozen options. These were our round one selections. We had about five rounds of bread. Yes, seriously. It was complete carbicide. We loved every minute. My final meal will include their bread cart. No question. They also hand churn butter; there's a lovely presentation, and the olive oil is divine. Don't miss the croissants! They were so fabulous, I now want to visit France.



Next, were the cold appetizers: asparagus with orange vinaigrette and sea urchin, and king crab salad.



Then, the warm appetizers: Crispy soft boiled egg in light comte cheese sauce with Iberico de Bellota ham, our favorite dish. Stellar. And truffled langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage ($35 supplement), it was tasty, but not worth the upcharge.



Our entree selections included, suckling pig prepared three ways: braised shoulder, chop and chorizo cannelloni ($30 supplement) and braised beef cheeks in eggplant and the most delicious mashed potatoes in existence.



We also tacked on a cheese course from the trolley ($30), there were plenty of soft and hard cheese to choose from. We favor hard cheeses, but did try one soft cheese that was described as warm fondue, rings of Spruce tree are wrapped around the young cheese to impart flavor and vessel for transport. We agreed it was awful, thankfully the hard cheeses and the Roquefort did not disappoint.



And finally, dessert! Frank had the chocolate soufflé ($15 supplement), it was outstanding. I had a raspberry mascarpone something or another. It had the most concentrated raspberry flavor imaginable.



In addition to dessert, you're given the opportunity to select treats from the Mignardises trolley. I refer to this as the Willy Wonka experience. There must have been a hundred different items to choose from, we only chose a handful because we were beyond stuffed. The tirimisu was delicious and I've never liked creme brulee until now.



With the check, we were given a parting gift: a citrus pound cake, and photo book.



It was a huge splurge, but a fantastic experience. My expectations were incredibly high for a restaurant of this caliber. It is the first and only 3 Star Michelin Guide Winner in Las Vegas. We have some prime choices, but Joel Robuchon (MGM Grand) is definitely the upper echelon of dining.