Reputedly the best bakery in Hong Kong, I decided to stop by since I was in Central to taste some Penfold's Grange at Oliver's. I didn't realize they also made sandwiches, but the jambon-frommage looked too good to pass up. And it was delicious: oozy soft cheese over tender chunks of ham on a really good French baguette. In a country where deli meats are often the same brands found in the US for twice the price, it's refreshing to find ham that's moist, well-brined, cured with loads of honey and well, better than most cooked hams in the US. (And I'm only a week removed from Spain, so I remember what good ham tastes like.) This makes me miss Paris and it's an absolute steal for less than the price of the cheapest footlong at Subway here.

- tastecompendium

這日預知要很夜才能放工，於是午飯過後走到這裡預備定茶點給自己打打氣、加加油。 一向偏愛這裡的鹹味牛角包，於是不用多想，一於選了2款分別為原味和芝士火腿的牛角包回office黃昏吃。

先說原味牛角包（＄16），一打開包裝的紙袋已聞到撲鼻的濃濃牛油香！牛角包無論看和吃起來很有層次亦很鬆脆，每口都吃得到濃厚的牛油香，很好吃！至於三角形狀的火腿芝士牛角包（＄30）同樣聞和吃都有很濃的牛油香和鬆脆，吃起來更多份鹹香，非常美味！兩隻牛角包加起來要四十多元，雖不算便宜，但2款包的水準絕對吃得滿足。順帶一讚，店員的服務有禮貌和包裝食物亦細心。到目前為止，這店出品的牛角包還是我在香港吃到的最愛呢。

趁著51公衆假期，跟友人打算一邊來個High Tea，一邊討論我們旅行的事宜。看過這家店的照片，比起High Tea，更吸引我的卻是它們的bakery & pastries。置地廣場店舖林立但地方不算太大，要找這店非常容易。我們真的可算是生手，3點鐘開始的High Tea，我們2點45分才到達，還以為自己早到，結果前面排了一堆人。我們足足等了差不多一個半小時才能入座。紅黑為主的Robuchon，設計奇特，除了店內少數座位，店外也有伶仃幾桌四座位，看到侍應生們頂著食物拿出拿入，辛苦了。由於外面等候人數衆多，我們的High Tea Set很快就到了。一板鹹一板甜的設計雖然不俗，但還是覺得High Tea要“High”才夠型。當然另一重點是不要浪費地方，當天除了set還叫了一些其他食物，全上之後地方的確有點淺窄。

High Tea Set ($345 for 2 persons)

Sandwiches (7.5/10) 
Maine lobster and mango sandwich
French style black truffle sandwich
Smoky almon and salmon egg sandwich 
Vegetarian eggplant sandwich 
Goat cheese with salmon sandwich 

Scones (8/10)
Scones with Devonshire clotted cream and home made strawberry jam 

鹹點加Scone先上，不能全部點評，只能把比較好吃和有印象的略為介紹。賣相一字排開氣勢不俗，個人比較喜歡的有French style black truffle sandwich和Goat cheese with salmon sandwich。前者黑松露味道突出，簡單自然不花巧，好吃。後者芝士的鹹香跟三文魚混合的不錯，配著麵包條味道不錯。 

Scone整體水準不錯，鬆軟度不是吃過最好的，但strawberry jam為它加了不少分數。strawberry jam果真有果肉在裡面，甜度自然適中，配上稍微乾的Scone同吃更顯優點。

Pastries (7.5/10)
Mont-blanc
Paris-brest
White Chocolate Raspberry cake
Homemade Macaron ganache
Mango jelly cheese cake
Petits fours

另外一板甜點在我們快要吃完鹹點的時候到，時間掌握的不錯。不算Petits Fours的話，五種蛋糕裡面要算White Chocolate Raspberry cake和Homemade Macaron ganache做得最好了。前者白朱古力和覆盆子的反差夠明顯，甜中帶酸，顏色也討喜，女生應該都會喜歡。後者造型可愛，雖然我不大愛吃Macaroon，這麼小巧的算是為我而設。配上朱古力醬和脆餅底同吃，配合得宜。

Peach & Passion Fruits Iced Tea (9/10)

一個意外驚喜。造型漂亮之餘，又有得吃，又有得喝，爽死！一串新鮮水果就這樣放在果茶裡面，拿出來吃的時候還是非常甜，用來佐茶一流。茶的表面還浮著一球士多啤梨雪芭，味道偏甜，跟淡淡的果茶一起喝也是絕對的享受。由於我們有三個人，也另外叫了一些其他食物。

Other Bakery & Pastry:

Banana caramel softbread $22 (6/10)
本來有點期待，但意外地味道一般。雖然侍應生已經提醒我們要「趁熱」，我們也已經立刻開動，但其實它不怎麼熱。香蕉味不濃，焦糖更是淡得可憐，失望。唯一值得讚的是麵包夠軟熟，但不夠熱這一點還是令我非常介意。

Cinnamon Ring $80 (9.5/10)
看價錢有點嚇倒，但原來很大一個，可以切成8份。當日另一個surprise。在香港吃過的Cinnamon Bakery不少，但好吃的真的不多，這裡的Cinnamon Ring算是我暫時吃過最好的。Cinnamon的味道不算太濃但夠香，對於我這種只愛Cinnamon Bakery但不喜歡玉桂的人來說，味道恰到好處。麵包焗得夠香，表面和中間都有大量nuts，口感很棒。這＄80，花得非常值得。侍應生拿出來時覺得我們可能會吃不完，還先幫我們切了一半出來，另外一半打包去了。

Blueberry Cheese Tart $42 (8.5/10)
Blueberry非常新鮮，粒粒顏色鮮明。中間的Cheese層夠rich夠實，濃郁的芝士在嘴裡慢慢融化，好吃。牛油Tart底做得也不錯，整體屬水準以上。這個High Tea，人均消費才＄200多一點，吃得飽還有剩外帶(Cinnamon Ring)，以地段和食物質素來衡量，實在不錯，值得推介～

還記得那天是心情不好，於前一天的晚上約了團團陪high tea, 真好，只是可惜我們又要三缺一了。點的是二人分高茶，點了一分九件的pastry,一打馬卡龍，還點了一件牛角酥，未免太爽了!牛角酥: 早早已有吃過同事帶來公司的牛角酥，溫溫的真好吃。而這次的也是好吃的，雖應不是即時新鮮出爐的，但也是有誠意之作，相當酥化，外鬆內軟，令人回味，果真是名物。馬卡龍：最愛吃馬卡龍的我又要來試試這裏的出品，五彩繽紛的真吸引，但遺憾的是馬卡龍有着我是最不喜歡的杏仁油味道，只好放棄了。下午茶用的並不是典型的三層架，而是一塊長長的木板也有意思，食物的分量像是一隻手指的大小，賣相都是很典雅的，總的是鹹點要比甜點出色，鹹點中最喜歡的是那個有三朵煙三文魚花在上的，跟墊底的薄片很相配，一吃難忘。難得是用作裝飾的草莓也是鮮甜的。在此感謝團團圓陪我吃了一個美妙而令人心情變好的下午茶呢。

消費: $250

剛剛擺渡吃完了澳门那顆三星的Robuchon 今日再和新識的好友一起前來置地朝聖
原來等人的心情其實也挺好 尤其是等待美女…
大家都叫她Queen 恩 就是氣場很強 嫵媚的那種
或許并不是一眼驚豔 但我真的乖乖等了一個鐘 一句怨言也沒有…
嘿嘿嘿

前來排隊的時候 心裡暗暗慶倖還好是工作日
下午茶3點開始 若想第一輪就入座 建議提前半個鐘前來 等候的時候來翻一下餐牌 下午茶的套餐 是$345+ for 2 包括茶飲 for 2

環境：

 

紅與黑 是很搶眼的對比色 點餐區域位於商場的角落位置 因店鋪地面也是全貌黑 整個區域顯得有些暗沉 不過還好 沿著店鋪的商場走道 也有整整一排的座椅 四方黑桌 和紅色的皮質座椅 黑紅的硬朗衝撞 在商場白色的地磚相稱下 醒目而頗具格調

主角上場 不同於以往的三層架子 這裡的是以兩塊點心木板呈上 先上來的是咸物+鬆餅盤 共有五件三文治和兩款口味的鬆餅

趁熱吃鬆餅 選了四四方方的她 鬆餅質地偏硬小小 内裏少些濕潤
切開來 有絲絲橙皮相夾 帶著柑橘類的清甜 和往日的Raisin滋味頗是不同

或者塗些自家製的Strawberry Jam 輕身版的Clotted cream 也是給甜胃打底的好開始

再來看下五款三文治Maine Lobster and Mango sandwich 薄薄的芒果甜潤多汁 和著鮮而爽口的龍蝦餡 軟薄的麵包層相間 [b]清新的滋味開啟味蕾
French Style black truffle sandwich 黑松露醬鋪在麵包層 包身濕潤度和醬汁混搭的恰到好處 Smoked salmon and salmon egg sandwich 圈圈點點的細蔥鋪面 飽滿的三文魚籽和三文魚肉一下子將鮮度推去了高潮
Vegetarian eggplant sandwich 茄子肉泥濕潤 口感也是飽滿 小巧的薄荷葉 帶給口腔一口fresh air~Goat cheese with salmon sandwich 羊奶芝士總是有增強餘味的滋潤感 帶上三文魚的餡料 換上精幹的麵包條 來一場意猶未盡的回旋舞

咸鮮的上半場硝煙未去 甜心皇后已經迫不及待的要開戰下半場由右至左 White Chocolate Raspberry cake 愛聽小紅莓 也愛吃紅莓 酸甜多汁的莓子味 讓白巧克力蛋糕都變得嬌豔
Mont Blanc 栗子泥濕潤度上佳 口感細膩也綿滑 身為栗子迷的我表示很不淡定 真想拆下最上面栗子泥層全部消滅~
Paris-brest 變形于圈圈狀的自行車泡芙 泡芙層蛋香突出 頂著榛子碎碎 攔著焦糖cream 這般柔滑的溫柔鄉 誰者能拒？ Home made Macaron Ganache 馬卡龍排排坐 造型挺是有趣 小小蛋白餅有點粘牙 反而更喜愛底層酥而富有牛油香的餅層
Mango Jelly cheesecake 芒果啫喱不是芒果…. 更喜歡三明治里的那個芒果肉層 而芝士蛋糕也偏濕軟小小 若可挺身些更合滋味

總結：
設計型格的餐廳 店員也是相當有性格 幾乎是不會在外圍用餐區走動的侍應們 對於你的要求 也是有求不~應~ 好在這一場黑紅棋局本身挺是精彩 剛剛領教過澳門的Robuchon 碰上一鼻子灰的我也只好抱著見怪不怪的心情 笑笑過場~
算了 看在澳門Mille-Feuille的面子上 不跟你計較了 哼哼~

上年生日，去了樓上的L'Atelier，自此就愛上了Joel Robuchon。未必人人都愛，但食物和人類之間就是這樣的美妙，至少我愛；所以我希望有機會再吃多次，當然等我先試了其他的星級餐廳才算吧。愛上Joel Robuchon後，自然地連這High Tea都想試試吧。不過自從上次在某星級酒店high tea完後.....對high tea的印象大打折扣，那次雖不至於難食，但與好吃也扯不上關係。是次來high tea的原因，只因在比較好的店吃件蛋糕和一杯咖啡也要八九十元，而且有人亦強調地說: 價錢差不多，看上去更好，不明你為什麼不想吃? 對，沒有原因，所以立刻來了。

雖然是假日，但竟然等了二十多分鐘便可入座，是因為大家都去了旅行嗎? 等待期間悶悶的，四圍拍拍照。Counter那邊有三文冶，麵包等。
除了麵包櫃外，還有兩個甜品櫃。蛋糕都很迷你，價錢四十多元一件，以這個地方，這個名氣，這個價錢，是值得的。因為一件蛋糕要四十多元，一杯咖啡要五十五元，衡量完後，好像吃套餐比較吸引，款式比較多，始終第一次品嚐，吃多幾款味道比較滿足吧。套餐有三款選擇，分別是full set的甜點咸點和鬆餅($345)；甜點和鬆餅($285)；咸點和鬆餅。是日比較飽，吃不下full set，所以選了甜點和鬆餅。因為坐在商場那邊，商場的座位其實是"為了方便外賣客人的"，所以理論上我們是享用take away的，先付賬也是無可厚非的，付了後高高興興地入座了。鬆餅先上陣，圓形的是原味，外層很脆，內裡則十分鬆軟；牛油味非常重，重得像吃牛油一樣，吃時輕輕的感到那baking powder的味道；如果熱度再高點會更好，這樣clotted cream的溶化度會更棒，味道將會更濃郁。Clotted cream和果jam是scone的最佳配搭，正好為牛油味重的鬆餅減膩，吃得更放肆。Earl Grey Orange Scones
原味的鬆餅吃得多，新穎的味道總叫人興奮。Earl Grey混入了鬆餅中，而orange則是香橙皮，濃郁的橙味把那茶味蓋過了，當它是橙味鬆餅倒是不錯。當配以士多啤梨醬和clotted cream後，口中出現了香濃的橙味和甜蜜的士多啤梨味，多重味道的鬆餅更加複雜。這鬆餅也是同樣的鬆軟脆身，同樣是再熱一點會更好。先由賣相最普通的吃起吧，漂亮的還是留來慢慢欣賞好了。香蕉蛋糕，蕉味非常強烈，吃時還感到香蕉肉，頗有口感；蛋糕軟綿綿的，味道不錯。香蕉蛋糕，看似簡單，但也不代表一定做得好吃，而這裡的應該不用擔心吧。頗喜歡這件的骰的小點，鬆化非常的曲奇，牛油味超重，有點熊仔曲奇的影子；曲奇上是那香滑的雲尼拿忌廉，用上了新鮮的雲尼拿籽，那份味道是份外的純真；酸酸甜甜的果肉令我更加開胃，那幼幼的朱古力條，更是真正的入口即溶。Paris brest
用上杏仁忌廉做餡，味道相對朱古力、榛子等比較特別，杏仁味非常濃郁，滑中仍帶點杏仁粒；泡芙很鬆脆，味道淡淡的；配上了杏仁忌廉則剛剛好。因為泡芙很鬆，忌廉也很滑，吃時沒太多實在感，看似浮雲，瞬間即逝。White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
白色的底層，放上奪目的紅，還有金薄，美麗高貴。Raspberry熟度剛好，甜中帶酸，清新怡人；因為對白朱古力沒好感，所以初次品嚐白朱古力蛋糕，味道原來與白朱古力相差得很遠，奶味也很重，但少了那份令人吃不消的羶味，而且那種奶味有點像豆漿似的，自此對白朱力蛋糕改觀；裝飾品上還有脆餅，增加整體口感，不錯。Mango Jelly Cheese Cake
底層的脆餅，牛油味不輕不重；中間的芝士蛋糕質感幼滑，入口便溶，芝士味不濃不淡；整件蛋糕的味道全來自頂層的芒果jelly，芒果味非常濃郁，甜蜜可口；組合起來則是又脆又滑又香濃，很好。Mont-blanc
朱古力片上唧了一層薄薄的栗子蓉，可能這裡都是用上了上級香濃的朱古力，所以朱古力味蓋過了那清淡的栗子蓉味；同樣用上了牛油餅做底層，而牛油餅上則是雲尼拿忌廉。這款甜品在比較下有點遜色，如果忌廉的比例稍為下降，用上更多的栗子蓉會比較好。Macaron ganache
最美的，留在最後。愛它，並不是我很愛吃，只因它很美。實在太迷你，未完全嚐到其真味便吃光了。外層有點脆，內層有點煙韌，未是最理由的質感，但一吃也無妨。Caramel Latte，上次在L' Atelier也點了這杯，那次的焦糖是分開上的，可以自己調較甜點。
這裡的則已加了糖，這對於平日喝咖啡都不加糖的我來得比較甜，甜得有點膩，蓋過了咖啡味，似乎我叫錯了.....

Cappuccino相對上好得多，美味的甜點配濃郁的咖啡是最絕的，如果這杯咖啡質感再厚身少少會更好。
這兩杯咖啡，似乎和樓上的有點距離，還要$55一杯，幸好是套餐包了兩杯餐茶，否則會感到不太值得。


說實話，味道不是超級頂級的好，但當然也不差吧，如果做得差，又何需排隊吃。不過敢肯定這個tea set比上次在某酒店的好吃得多，每件甜點的用料都配搭得宜，甜度也適中。雖然份量比較少，但相對上定價也比較低，十分適合胃口小的女士們。我們這天是坐在商場那邊，那條通道其實沒太多人經過吧，而且每張枱之間都有牆隔著，私隱度大增，也不怕其他的食客搔擾，靜靜地吃得更快樂。除了感覺舒適外，商場枱是外賣區，不設加一，感覺上更加划算!其實一早都有留意這個高茶，但上次的bad experience後，一直令我對high tea卻步，但吃完這個高茶後，有種飄飄然的感覺。

今天又去 high tea~只是看到 menu 內的蛋糕已急不及待每件都想試一下了~ 鹹點內有兩件都有三文魚的，不吃三文魚的我只能.....
鬆餅味道還好，但若牛油味重一點更好~ Macaron 是我最想試的一件，但沒什麼味道..... 而好像熱狗的那一件可能因為榛子醬的關係，吃落有點像金沙~ Raspberry 那一件沒想像中的酸，反而蠻甜的~ 在旁的 Orange tart 有點鹽味，配搭起來很特別~

這裡的鹹甜品都相當小巧精美 (只有手指般大)，用料高貴，可惜味道我不太懂欣賞.......熱咖啡好苦.........

早一陣子新開的商場內掀起了「牛角包潮」，兩家的牛角包照片不斷出現在分享平台上，有人愛甜餡的牛角包，亦有人鐘情於平實的牛角包。談起牛角包，相信不少人也會想起這家的出品，這天和朋友午飯後想找另一個地方坐下，我們便選了以紅黑型格配搭的Le Salon De Thé de Joël Robuchon 作為落腳點。朋友知道我是第一次來這兒都紛紛推薦我這兒的牛角包，這次雖然沒有加熱，但牛角包外層鬆脆內裡鬆軟，而且不會吃得滿手是油。 把照片放到外國的分享平台，很多用戶的留言都是稱讚它可愛的外表。當然單是外表好絕對不夠，雖然馬卡龍的質感不算最好，起碼不會過脆或太韌，而且帶微微的蘋果味，和旁邊的蘋果蓉很配。單看外表這件蛋糕似乎和朱古力更有關聯，不過朱古力慕絲和撻皮中間的那層鹽味焦糖才是焦點所在。一向較愛添加了鹽味的焦糖，這次和朱古力慕絲配起來，味道不單不會過甜，而且兩者的味道亦很配。 咖啡ganache帶有香濃的咖啡味，愛喝咖啡的人一定會很愛這種味道，而旁邊的牛油脆粒和底層的撻皮味道中規中矩。

過了不夠兩星期，我便再次和家人到訪，不過這次的目標是下午茶。 當天三時多才到達，不過因為平日的關係我們仍然能夠順利入座。除了下午茶，我們也另點了兩款咸點，麵包的邊位十分香脆，不過內裡的火腿和芝士毫無交流，整體味道很一般。店員把另點的麵包同時放到木板上，這件煙肉法式包我沒有吃，不過家人說味道很一般。有別於傳統的三層架，這兒以兩塊木板分開咸點和甜品送上。這兒的鬆餅用刀從中間切開的話，只要你輕輕用力便能把鬆餅分成很多小粒，加上鬆餅翻熱時間不足，吃起來實在不是那味兒。雖然質感略遜，牛油香倒是濃郁，而且個人較愛配忌廉，味道比這兒的草莓醬更勝一籌。Lobster sandwich flavoured with tarragon；Norwegian smoked salmon and caviar sandwich；Premium ham with mustard seed sandwich
四款三文治中最愛那件煙三文魚，三文魚捲成花般，和底層酥脆的薄片很匹配，而且這兒所用的白麵包都是鬆軟的，不會是那些又乾又硬的下午茶三文治。另外一款選料較高級的是龍蝦龍蒿(Tarragon)三文治，驟眼看過去很像一般的蛋沙律，不過吃起來可以嚐到幾顆龍蝦肉，和濃郁的龍蒿香草味。最後還有配搭較平實的火腿三文治和吞拿魚蛋三文治，兩者採用經典的配搭，在磨合方面當然不會失手，但味道則沒有令人有深刻的印象。當你完成各款咸點的時候，侍應們便會隨即送上另一份放滿甜點的木板。份量和預期中的有點不同，蛋糕只有中指般那麼長，大概是因為份量的縮小，所以定價也沒有一般的下午茶的高吧! Exotique；Macaron ganache；Pistachio chocolate mousse cake
由紅桑子丶吉士和牛油脆餅組成，配搭十分簡單，吉士香甜奶滑，但兩口便能把甜品吃完，實在有點意猶未盡。

馬卡龍的直徑大約只有2cm， 不過質感偏韌，而且兩款口味都不夠突出，反而墊底的榛子蓉更美味。

慕絲蛋糕的朱古力味十分濃，在口中濃得有點化不開，不愛甜的恐怕會不喜歡這種過甜的味道。芝士蛋糕是走輕淡清新的路線，芝士吃起來很細滑，和粒粒飽滿的藍莓和底層的牛油脆餅一起吃，不錯。

朱古力漿放到泡芙中間，泡芙沒有因為受潮而變腍，加上朱古力漿味道剛剛好，是一件還不錯的甜品。最後的Petits fours個人較欣賞榛子朱古力，除了它滿滿的榛子令人吃得滿足，選用的牛奶朱古力亦不會過甜，相比起檸檬牛油蛋糕真的好吃多了。

相比起城內其它餐廳的下午茶，它雖然未能登上心水的首位，其獨立式的座位的確是一個女生聊天的好地方，而且定價在眾多下午茶中較低，相信這方面也是它優勝之處。

Sandwich $20-120 , Boulangerie $15-120 , Cake $36-42 , Afternoon Tea Set $265-325 for 2

Joel Robuchon was the most influential French chef of the post-nouvelle cuisine era. Commonly regarded as the primus inter pares (first among the peers in Latin) of Paris' 3 star chefs for his work, a meal at Robuchon's restaurant had always been known to be of relentless perfectionism.

Drawing inspiration from the simplicity of cuisine, Robuchon led the way in creating a more delicate style respectful of natural food ingredients. Reputable for her high tea sets, we decided to visit for a food test. Setting wise, the interior of the restaurant could house less than 10 tables. Further down the corridor of The Landmark, there were about 5 tables littered at the balcony, overlooking the center of the shopping mall. What I particularly prefer about the balcony tables were that one would be guaranteed some privacy with your other dining companions, for they were partitioned and separated by wall beams.

High Tea Set for 2 - $325/-



Home made natural, lemon and raisin scones with Devonshire clotted cream and home made strawberry jam

Even after the photo-taking, the scones were still warm to the touch. The glistening surface to the scones carried a slight crisp, while the inside was moist and soft. It would have been one of the finest scones tried even compared to the traditional bakeries in the UK, though I am not quite sure if the lemon scones as suggested on the menu was presented. There was a lack of any tinge of lemon juice or flavours and tasted like an original plain scone. That being said, the buttery taste of the scone was rich but not overwhelming, which definitely won me over. The raisin scone was packed with succulent raisins despite the petite size, making each mouth-bite a delightful treat to the palate.

The Devonshire clotted cream was rich in flavours but not overly greasy and stopping short of making one feel satiated. The second accompanying condiment of the home made strawberry jam was nothing like the purée version commonly served. It was made out of fresh strawberries and the residuals of the fruit could be seen and tasted. It was mildly saccharine, owed mainly to the flavours from the fruit and not excessively sweetened by artificial means such as sugar and syrup. Combined with the scones, it was certainly tantalizing to the taste buds.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Norwegian smoked salmon and caviar sandwich



Presentation wise, this won us over already, with the unique style to showcase the smoked salmon and caviar rather than layering them between the sandwich. The most commendable element apart from the fine ingredients was the light crisp biscuit-like base to the white bread, which balanced each mouth-bite perfectly. The thickness of the sliced salmon was optimal and most importantly, it was served at room temperature. Despite the need to keep the smoked salmon chilled for preservation, the flavours and texture of salmon would be at its prime level if allowed to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This difference could be tasted from the amount of moisture within the fish, which could be enhanced if allowed to rest and served at room temperature.

Verdict: 8.0/10

Lobster sandwich with tarragon

I was left slightly disappointed upon the first bite. Tarragon being an aromatic culinary spice, was sorely lacking, and the mayonnaise was rich but not impressive. The pruned lobster meat chunks had a slight crunch texture and you could taste the freshness in the meat. The second let-down was the crucial white bread, which tasted slightly stiff owed to airing rather than toast.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Tuna and poached egg sandwich

The tuna rested upon a small bed of sliced poached eggs and some olives. I was half expecting canned tuna or equivalent quality of fish to be served. To our surprise, the tuna was fresh and seared to a tender ripeness, and you could taste the prime choice. Rounding up the bite was the well toasted sandwich bread, which like the scones had a buttery glistening taste on the surface, yet soft on the inside.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Premium ham with mustard seed sandwich

What I appreciated most was the indulgence in the thick slab of premium ham layered between the sandwich. Once again, the quality of the ingredients was superior though it would be sparing to taste the mustard seeds, so expect no more than an above average tasting ham sandwich.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Paris-Brest



The Paris-Brest is largely similar to the more commonly regarded chocolate eclairs, with the exception of an icing usually glazed atop the choux pastry. Despite the menu's suggestion that this was the Paris-Brest, I was slightly disappointed with the presentation, especially being a cycling enthusiast. The pastry originated as a creation back in 1891 to commemorate the Paris-Brest-Paris cycling race, with its intended circular shape representative of a wheel and was a popular pastry during the race due to its energy-giving high calorific value. Expecting a circular version of the pastry, this was done so more like an eclair with the oblong shape of the choux pastry. The praline flavoured cream was light yet packed with richness at the same time, leaving you long for another bite after the first. The choux pastry was also perfectly toasted to a golden crisp, which complemented the softness of the cream wholly. Apart from the presentation expectation of an authentic Paris-Brest, I was left largely impressed, though personally I consider it faux pas if the food served did not match the description off the menu.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Macaroon ganache



Ganache is normally made from a mixture of chocolates and cream to give a desired consistency. It went very well with the vanilla flavoured macaroons. The macaroons had a slight crisp to the surface and a friable inside, crumbling easily, almost melting with each bite. The balance in textures was completed with a crunchy and slightly sweet biscuit base supporting the ganache and macaroons.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Blueberry cheese cake



There was a specially concocted blueberry jam littered on top of each blueberry fruit and further topped with either edible gold foil or chocolate chip. The cheese tasted of premium quality, with the right level of richness, flavour and smoothness. The rather fair colour of the cheesecake suggested the combination of cream with ricotta cheese in the making. A cross-sectional view revealed the balanced proportion of cheese to the biscuit base. It was almost the perfect slice of cheesecake, with an even and consistently flat surface, which was not charred nor overcooked in the oven. There was a tinge too much air present in the cheesecake, which resulted in the presence of 'holes' within the cheesecake. In addition, the layer of cheese was not sufficiently adhesive to the biscuit base and was almost like two distinct layers being stacked atop each other.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Exotique



The yellow droplets were a beautiful blend of passion fruit and white chocolate cake topped with some glazed raspberry halves on a crunchy biscuit base. That being said, I found the taste of passion fruit distinctly lacking and tasted more of white chocolate, which was a shame for I believed that if prepared as described, it would have complemented the raspberry perfectly in terms of taste and flavours.

Verdict: 6.0/10

Mint and chocolate pastry

This was served instead of the classic chestnut mont-blanc and it was not directed to our attention until my discovery. The ganache carried a stronger chocolate flavour and aroma with a lesser proportion of cream. The mint cream lying atop the chocolate pastry tasted very mild and personally I felt that this dessert might have a more lasting impression on diners with a bolder flavour, perhaps starting with the mint. Also, what I could not tolerate was the serving of a broken slice of chocolate adjacent to the cake slice, carrying the name of L'ATELIER de Joel Robuchon, a Michelin 3-starred restaurant. I felt that more attention could be paid to the pastry, like how it was with the other pastries.

Verdict: 6.0/10

Petit Fours

The name Petit Fours originated from French which literally meant 'small oven'. This was owed to Petit Fours traditionally being made during the cooling process of coal-powered brick ovens in the 18th century. Owing to its expense and high burning temperature, Petit Fours were baked so as not to waste the heat generated. They were commonly eaten at the end of a meal with coffee or tea, served as part of dessert.

The flavour and taste of the cake resembled largely that of a traditional fruit cake, only without the chopped candied fruits. With a slight tinge of rum that lingered as after taste, it tasted smooth and not too greasy, almost like a classic banana cake. The final touch that left me a smile was the tiny cubes of sugar coated jellies that tasted like 'fruit chewies'. The last side was a chocolate coated almond slices, with a crunchy texture, which did not taste too extraordinary.

Verdict: 7.0/10

Blue Mountain Americano and Latte



It was my favourite blue mountain brew so it was anything but poor. Coupled with some coffee art on the latte, it was the perfect way to conclude a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Not too long ago, we visited the same restaurant but only for their cakes after lunch.

White chocolate l'exotique, financiers, rose cake.



This was a white chocolate cake layered with passion fruit in the middle. It was very smooth and while the taste of the white chocolate offered the intended sweetness upon the first bite, the second nibble brought our the freshness and robustness of the dessert through the passion fruit which added a bold flavour to the simple looking dessert.

Verdict: 7.5/10

Rose cake

Personally I did not quite like this, but for fans of the rose flavour, this should win them over quite easily. The aroma and fragrance of rose was the dominating factor in this cake. The underlying layer of the 'rose dust' was a very refined and smooth cream that melted in our mouths instantly. It was an 'okay' cake in my personal opinion, though if given a second chance, I would have gone for another dessert, for I felt the rose flavour was too strong, or rather metaphorically, too 'feminine' for my liking.

Verdict: 6.5/10

Original and chocolate financiers

With my other half being a huge fan of financiers, it would be a sin not to give this a try while we saw it available at the counter. The almond and butter flavours were both checked, though the latter dominated and made the pastry short of a more prevailing almond taste. Texture wise, it was perfect, a crisp surface with crusty edges and very soft on the inside. Without the stronger almond flavour in the cake, it would seem to taste more like a simple madeleine.

Verdict: 6.5/10

The restaurant would accept no reservation for the high-tea session, so tables were available on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you would like a seat at the balcony, do note that payment of orders would have to be settled before serving, as opposed to paying at the end of the meal if you were dining inside the restaurant. The ambience of the restaurant is suitable for a romantic date or for business dining. This was my second visit to the restaurant and certainly would not be my last. Especially commendable were the desserts for none was overly sweet causing one to feel satiated. Fine quality products with premium ingredients, though better attention could be paid to some of the products, it nonetheless lived up to standards expected that of a Joel Robuchon restaurant.

近日幾乎每一兩日總會看到友人上載的牛角包相片，真的看得我牛角包癮大起。這日趁經過置地，我便走到城中同樣牛角包出名的Robuchon買隻包做下午茶。

這裡的牛角包有plain原味牛角包，另外亦有甜和咸口味可選。甜的有朱古力牛角包，杏仁牛角包和朱古力香蕉牛角包，各款也是$20一隻。雖則都吸引，但這日我較想吃點咸的，於是選了以法國Comté芝士配火腿的牛角包，$30一隻。

店員服務有禮，小心翼翼的用紙袋將牛角包包好，再放進小膠袋中，十分企理（雖然感覺有點不太環保）。一打開膠袋已經能聞到牛油和芝士的香，到打開紙袋後那香氣更多可用撲鼻來形容，香得不得了。牛角包層次分明，吃起來酥脆濃香牛油香，配著包面的溶芝士和裡面餡料鹹香火腿，及一顆黑橄欖，吃得太滿足了。

整個購買過程十分順暢，不用排隊，正適合一向懶排隊的我。雖然我也實在期待嚐嚐銅鑼灣那邊的牛角包，不過在我還沒有吃到之前，這店的牛角包出品仍會是我在本地最愛的牛角包。