Bday 2011 @ Joël Robuchon Singapore

Before I commence on the dinner, can I just mention that my car's luck has been really fowl lately? Just 3 weeks back, while cruising on the expressway, the 'pressure' indication suddenly came on and I had to pull over at the road shoulder to check the car. Nothing visibly wrong. But just to be on the safe side, I immediately exited and went to the nearest petrol station. Only then did I find a nail stuck into one of the tyres. Scrambled to find a workshop that was still opened at 7pm. Tough but I managed. Frustrated to have wasted 2 hours of my life.

On the 3rd dec, just a week after, I was happily looking for a lot in Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) when I heard a weird metal-clanking sound. To my utmost dismay, my tyre struck another nail again IN THE CARPARK. Fish. I really didn't want to miss our dinner (which S has planned a long time ago and we were super looking forward to it) over that damn tyre. So I just decided to leave that damn car there, called for bm's tow services, and carried on with life. Although I had to excuse myself for half an hr during the meal to settle some paperwork, I'm glad we went ahead with dinner because it was so enjoyable.

So, here we are, at Joel Robuchon. Everything about the restaurant felt familiar. The details, decorations, service, food menu, even the servers & sommelier (expecially the French ones) transported me back to our time in Europe. I love that feeling. I knew then that my night would turn out just fine, despite the hiccup.

A special occasion calls for a good bottle of wine. And that's precisely what S embraced that day. She brought a 1986 Pichon Lalande (that she had purchased elsewhere months before) to complement JR's exquisite dishes. This wine is was as old as me! And as smooth :p I was excited to find the exact same bottle on the wine menu, and shocked to see the price tagged to it. Can you spot it?? Goodness gracious. We savoured every drop of it like gold. Even though S got it at a lower price, it's still high enough for me to drink each mouthful like its last. Mmmm...

Brought my G10 out without its memory card again. Darn it. Hence I didn't take many photos of the meal itself. Which perhaps was good in a way because then I could fully appreciate the dining experience instead of trying to shoot away each time something is presented in front of me.

You can never go wrong with the Jambon Iberico as a shared starter. Make sure you choose the full-sized one - definitely better value. Hamachi was light and refreshing, bone marrow a tad heavy and not as tasty as I'd expected, while the lamb and quail - perfect. All degustation portions. Just the right amount for the both of us. Not forgetting the ever so creamy (and famous) mashed potato that comes with the meats. Ended sweetly with a complimentary dessert platter from JR for my birthday. Presented with a bday song by the staff. Nice touch I must say. *beams*

Name: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Location: Hotel Michael Level 1, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore 098269

Expenditure: $380 (excl. our byo, incl. corkage fee of $80 which was waived after we bought a $100 bottle from them to bring home)

And this wasn't the end of a happy night. Rushed over to Firefly @ Marriot Hotel in a cab for a 'Herstory' party with several friends. Special thanks to them (and S of course) for the amazing time I had. Couldn't ask for a better birthday (who cares about the car). =D Photos will be up soon, yes Joey?