Inside L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Recognised as the world’s most decorated restaurant, created by one of the world’s most
acclaimed chefs, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon will bring a new standard of French cuisine to the
City of Angels. In this issue of Momentum we look at the brand globally, and its unique heritage.
Having received more than 25 Michelin Stars worldwide, L’Atelier de
Joël Robuchon, meaning “the workshop of Joël Robuchon”, provides
the finest French dining, in a slightly less formal setting. The design
uses muted reds and blacks, while the accent is set on conviviality
and hospitality.
In 1995, when Chef Joël Robuchon announced his retirement from
the culinary world, aficionados of fine cuisine sighed collectively.
Fortunately, his time away from the kitchen provided new inspiration,
and subsequently the original concept of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
was born, with an aim to take the outstanding qualities of French
dishes, mixed with the warmth of a Spanish tapas restaurant and the
interaction with the chef one can find in a sushi bar.
Unusually even the chefs and service staff are dressed in black,
while lighting is solely focused on the food itself. The unique over
the counter service again allows guests to see and interact with the
kitchen as the food takes shape, less similar to traditional French and
perhaps more than a little similar to the way Japanese food is served.
Long reservation queues quickly formed at the original branch in
Saint Germain, and given the small size of the restaurant (50 seats), it
quickly became one of those ‘most do’ culinary journeys yet required
substantial patience, given the 3+ month delay between making a
reservation and actually getting inside.
A friend and daily visitor to L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Guy Job, saw
the opportunity to help the restaurant expand beyond the original
branch, and also providing more opportunities for the world to sample famous dishes such as ‘Gelée de Caviar’ (caviar jelly) and his
famous ‘Purée de pomme de terre’ (mashed potatoes). Together, the
entrepreneur and the chef have now expanded to 9 branches around
the world. However at every single location, not only is Joël Robuchon
there to both set up and manage quality on an ongoing basis, but
also a trained group of professionals are inducted into the Robuchon
way. Both front of house and in the kitchen, the highly skilled and
hand selected Chefs and Managers ensure that no matter where you
dine in the world, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon always tastes and feels
exactly the same.
Bangkok’s L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is the latest outlet bearing the
famed L’Atelier name. As Joël Robuchon’s goal is to ensure identical
quality irrespective of the location, all the most popular dishes
served in Paris, London, Hong Kong or Tokyo are also served here.
An extensive wine list complements the menu, which can be ordered
as stand-alone dishes or a more formal multi-course dinner serving.
Using the finest ingredients from around the world, Executive
Chef Olivier Limousin from L’Atelier London, will be overseeing the
operations here in Thailand. Front of house, the General Manager
Mr Quentin Arnould comes with a wealth of experience, having most
recently been working in Le Normandie - Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is a 25 Michelin star level restaurant,
operating in 9 countries. While there is no Michelin system in Thailand
as yet, Chef Olivier and his team will deliver the same fine quality as
seen in L’Atelier outlets around the world, starting from day 1.