If one wants to be guaranteed as creative and delicious French cuisine as possible, you can’t go wrong eating at any of Joël Robuchon’s restaurants, whether in Macau, Tokyo, Paris, London, Monaco, Hong Kong, New York, or Las Vegas. I don’t know of anyone who would disagree that he is the greatest modern day French chef, and his ability to train apprentices to run his kitchens is extraordinary. At his London L’Atelier, we went with a tasting menu with different glasses of wine. The highlights included the Henriot 2002 Champagne Rosé, the Zind-Humbrecht 2005 Riesling Herrenweg, the Emmerich Knoll 2006 Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibenberg, and the sumptuous Domaine du Barroche 2005 Châteauneuf du Pape Pure, a 100% old vine Grenache. The 2003 Bergerac Sec from David Foto was creamy, very oaky, and somewhat overdone. The Lucien Aviet Arbois 2004 Pinot Noir, while undoubtedly a curiosity, was thin, emaciated, and uninteresting, a Pinot Noir for masochists rather than hedonists.

Every food course was extraordinary. The emulsion of foie gras was to die for, and one would think a simple dish of asparagus and morels prepared in a wonderful reduced sauce would not be a match for the foie gras, but it was exceptional. The langoustines and crayfish were incredible, the broad bean velouté was a sublime effort for such a simple dish, and the sea bass with mushrooms tinged with coriander was fabulous. We finished with a rib of veal accompanied by Robuchon’s renowned, unbelievable buttery mashed potatoes. The food service was impeccable, the wine service brilliant, and the entire evening was a celebration of great cuisine matched with intriguing wines.