Celebrating our Anniversary

Michael and I celebrated three years of marriage yesterday, just like that. 

Before our dinner, Michael gave me a bouquet of dried lavender meant to stay fragrant for six months (because we are leaving for Italy and so I would not get to enjoy fresh flowers), a bottle of red wine (from Burgundy, yum!), a bag of sweets (I do love gummies so), a bunch of eucalyptus and lavendar soaps and my very first bath bombs (I can't wait to try them out).

I took him to dinner at L'Atelier de Joel de Robuchon in the Landmark.  On our way there, he was trying to guess where we were going and I was trying to drop hints but still keep it a surprise.  I chose it because it's one of the few restaurants neither of us have yet been to for dinner during all of our time here, and also because Michael loves French food.

Our meal last night didn't disappoint.  I can't say that I loved every dish, or that I am 100% certain that L'Atelier deserves its three Michelin stars, but we had a great time and will definitely be going back.  Maybe I'll take my parents when they come to visit in October!

 

The restaurant is not big - every seat is bar stool height and you either sit at one of two small tables in the corner, or at one of the seats at the counter surrounding the kitchen.

 There is a beautiful glass partition all around, full of dusted chocolate and (plastic) berries and flowers.  Your server reaches over the counter to serve you, whether it is wine, appetizers, entrees or dessert.

The restaurant is very stunning with its dark, stark theme - blood red and broody black.  They also use fruits and vegetables to beautiful effect.

We started with beautiful, ruby red glasses of a Louis Jadot burgundy with a fragrant nose and a smooth palate (and that's about the extent of my wine expertise), and a humongous bread basket that required a long exposition of which I only heard bits like "bacon," "chestnut," "tomato," "cheese" and "cheese."  They were also so attentive with the water service that somehow Michael and I guzzled our way through two bottles of sparkling water.

We started with an amuse bouche, but consisting of what I have no idea.  I would give this one a pass though - kind of bland and cold and I didn't think it did anything to awaken our taste buds.  However, I loved the presentation of every dish.  Everything was beautifully plated and with the most impeccable attention to detail. 

 Case in point - these little orange dots applied by hand!  This was a pouch of zucchini flowers wrapping up hunks of lobster, sitting on top of a lobster and zucchini jelly.  I personally did not love this dish - it had so much promise, with beautiful tender pieces of lobster claw strewn throughout the flowers, but it was served quite cold, and with red pepper, which ruined it for me.  However, if I didn't hate red pepper with quite so much passion, this dish may have been more of a winner.

 This dish impressed even Michael, who hates seafood: crispy fish fried to a crispy exterior and meltingly tender interior, paired with clams and a seafood paella (and some foam for good measure).  I loved this dish - the skin was fluffed up and fried in a way I had never had before and I loved the contrast of all of the textures shot through with the tart, acidic mustard-y yellow sauce.  I also loved that this dish was plated to look like... well, a fish!

 I chose the quail for my entree.  It was savory and succulent and tender, served with mashed potatoes topped generously with big slices of truffles.

 Michael chose the Wagyu tenderloin, paired with green beans and fried shallots.

For dessert we each had a little dessert made of fresh strawberries, cream, and strawberry sorbet, topped with a meringue dusted with Sichuan peppercorns.  Despite having no more room, I managed to eat it all.  Funny how that works!

Clearly this is a special occasion place - they not only decorated our dessert, they also came over and took a professional picture of us and sent us home with it framed.

 As if all of that weren't enough, we got more petit fours (I touched none of them, Michael tried a couple) and a lemongrass and ginger tea (for me) and a moka coffee with caramel sauce (for Michael).  I am not joking when I say that I went home with a belly ache because I ate and drank so much.

 

I played reporter during the second half of dinner and asked Michael life questions such as, "in what ways has having a child been different than what you expected?" and "what has most recently surprised you about your job?" and other similar topics that we do not have time to talk about any more.  

So that was a great anniversary for the books, and I think we were both thrilled at the chance to sit down to such a beautiful dinner together.