Television personality and AZfoothills.com columnist Nadine Toren is scouring the area, finding savvy Valley features, bringing readers “on the scene.” Every day she’ll introduce you to celebrities, athletes, and give you an inside look into local events and hot spots. She'll touch on topical issues, and keep AZ fans posted on all the big talkers around town.
There's more to sinning in Sin City. We're taking you inside the most elite restuarant on the Strip.
Amidst slot machines and blackjack tables, drunken partiers and dudes on the prowl, lies the lap of luxury when it comes to elite eating. Yes, smack in the middle of the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel is Joël Robuchon, Sin City’s sole 3-Star Michelin restaurant.
Forget French fries—this place is all about fine French cuisine, courtesy of Chef Joël Robuchon and Executive Chef Claude Le-Tohic.
The BF and I decided to check out the only Robuchon-dining restaurant in the United States--on the MGM Grand’s tab. (Thank goodness!) No joke, filling up will cost you a fortune; for example, you can opt for the 16-course dinner starting at $385/person.
While it is definitely a pricey, posh place to pamper your taste-buds, the experience you’ll get is far from the norm.
You enter tall glass doors, being greeted with a grandiose crystal chandelier. The walls are velvet-lined, plush and purple, and hints of harsh yellow lemons and flowers make for a perfect clash of color. Nearly ten or so waiters are glued to the floor, each with their own specific duty.
One of the handful of hosts sat us in a cozy booth that overlooked the showy restaurant. Light music played in the background, and no one spoke louder than a whisper. (Tough for me—I’m quite the loud mouth!) Immediately (and delightfully!) we were poured some bubbly, so the BF and I toasted to champagne and our feast ahead.
That’s when waiter #1 approached our table.
We were instructed to choose which items would complete our 5-course meal. Among the choices: Foie Gras, Symphonie de Truffe, and Le Chou. (Definition, please.) Since the two of us are far from fluent in French, we inquired about recommendations, and finally our multi-course meal was set.
To kick things off, we were given an oniony-frothy concoction meant to clear our pallet, and then began the carousal of servers pushing carts stocked with fine food. The French surely does one thing right—bread. For our “pre-appetizer” we got to pick from an assortment of pastries. Some of them were rather unique; for example, bacon bread. (This, for the record, was amazing.) We also snacked on cheese-stuffed rolls and brioche—a sweet bread similar to a croissant.
By the time we started to fill up on carbs, came some soup, followed by our “real” appetizers. The BF ordered La Châtaigne, light chestnut cream with foie gras on smoked lardons foam; and I enjoyed La Langoustine, truffée et cuite en ravioli à l’étuvée de chou vert. (Or in other words, truffle langoustine ravioli with chopped cabbage.) One word to sum it up: YUM. (Extremely rich and delicious!)
