I was in Las Vegas for the better part of last week. Aside from winning money (for once), I also ate at some great places: the 5-course prix fixe menu at Michael Mina (northwest seafood, at the Bellagio), Bartolotta (modern Italian, at the Wynn), brunch at the Mesa Grill (southwestern, at Caesar's Palace), Olives (new Mediterranean, at the Bellagio), and the best of all, the 16-course prix fixe at Joël Robuchon at The Mansion (modern French, at the MGM Grand).
In fact, Joël Robuchon's beat my favorite two dining spots to date: Aujourd'hui, and the Herbfarm. Not to mention that they were nice enough to accomodate and craft up an entirely custom 16-course vegetarian tasting menu. Dinner came complete with fancy scroll-like copies of the menus to take home, wrapped in purple silk. But I figured I'd also digitize it to help remember. Here's the non-vegetarian menu:
Joël Robuchon at The Mansion
March 25th, 2006
Menu Dégustation
Tasting Menu
La Pomme
cuillère de perles, de son jus rafraîchi d’un granite de vodka
Apple pearl, vodka granite
Le Caviar Osciètre
dans une délicate gelée recouverte d’une onctueuse crème de chou-fleur
Oscetra caviar topped with a delicate gelée and a smooth cauliflower cream
Le Foie Gras
en mille-feuille caramélise d’anguille fumée aux saveurs orientales
Foie gras, mille-feuille of smoked eel with oriental flavors
Le Thon
en tartare, poivron rouge confit a la bergamote et au jambon sèche
Tuna tartar, cold red bell pepper confit with bergamot and dry cured ham
La Langoustine
truffée et cuite en ravioli a l’étuvée de chou vert
Truffled langoustine ravioli with steamed green cabbage
La Laitue
en fin veloute sur un flan tremblotant a l’oignon doux
Light lettuce cream on top of a delicate sweet onion custard
La Noix de Saint-Jacques
en cannelloni aux courgettes sous un voile de lard d’Arnad et une émulsion de parmigiano
Cannelloni of scallops and zucchini, parmesan emulsion
Le Homard
au coulis de pissenlit avec quelques feuilles crues de barbes-de-capucin relevées d’une vinaigrette coralline
Lobster, pissenlit coulis, capucin leaves and sea urchin vinaigrette
L’Os a Mœlle
de bœuf de Kobe aux légumes printaniers
Kobe beef bone marrow, spring vegetables
L’Ormeau
et l’artichaut poivrade dans un court bouillon au gingembre
Abalone, baby artichokes in a ginger bouillon
Le Bar
pole a la citronnelle avec une étuvée de jeunes poireaux
Pan-fried sea bass with a lemon grass foam and stewed baby leeks
L’Amadai
cuit en écailles et servi sur une nage au yuriné
Amadai in a lily bulb broth
Le Veau
en cote au plat avec un jus gras et escorte de taglierinis de légumes au pistou
Sautéed veal chop with natural jus and vegetable taglierinis flavored with pesto
L’Epeautre
du pays de Sault mitonne et dore a la feuille d’or
Sault wild oatmeal, gold leaf
Le Bahia
en fin crémeaux de papaye, jus de cassis
Guava and papaya granite, cream of cassis and orange macaroon
La Fraise
glacée aux coquelicots, en popcorns caramélises, sirop de cachaça
Poppy sorbet, caramelized popcorns, cachaça syrup
Le Café Express
Espresso
Petits Fours
Yes, this was a tasting menu. It was not a la carte. I ate each of those dishes in the course of about 4 1/2 hours. And had a 2002 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, Les Pucelles to go along with all of it. Yes, just one bottle. Excess was not on the agenda for that night...