we were lucky to get a booking for saturday wine lunch at amber, just a few days before. despite all that glitzy setting & décor that are better than a hotel lounge/bar, I did not find the “french” cuisine here impressive at all. is it really french or just eclectic/contemporary and where is the wow factor
amuse bouche: 1. green creamy stuff with tapioca or boba/bubbles, interesting fusion, little french, B+. 2. brown creamy ball on a stick, amusing to the mouth, eclectic, B+. 3. large deep fried cheese ball, too filling to be amuse bouche but tasted good, not french, A-.
champaign: french n/v veuve clicquot, the best standby, A-.
starter: duck foie gras terrine with quince & toasted pistachio, A-. very smooth & moderately rich flavor. nice to spread over the mini foccacia with kalamata olives on top (from bread basket). i would say the terrine is modern french rendition.
wine: 2010 french grenache blanc, amoux, rhone, B+, good pairing with hint of spices.
her starter: royal cabanon oysters (2), served over panna cotta, beetroot, cauliflower, hazelnut & malt vinegar, A. the oysters were raw inside, which was a pleasant surprise. the side ingredients added a new dimension to an otherwisely plain raw oyster taste. i like this creation. wait a minute, there were some red tapioca/boba/bubbles on the bottom too… why repeat an ingredient in two dishes, especially bland-tasting non-french one
wine: 2009 italian chardonnay, ettore germano, langhe, B+, semi-sweet, not fit with oysters. the grenache blanc should do better.
middle course: petuna ocean trout, fillet confit & seared belly with caviar & leek in vinaigrette, B+. the fillet was tender & juicy, but the belly was unusually firm & could be over-seared. definitely contempo & little french if at all.
wine: 2009 austrian blauer zwelgeit (like syrah), leth, wagram, B, poor pairing.
main course: braised lamb neck, with spices, carrots, apricots, yogurt & white beans, A-. the neck meat was served in rolled up slices. it was very tender, flavorful & distinctly lamb in taste. this is the best lamb meat, let alone neck meat, that I ever have. the only thing missing was an equally strong herb, such as rosemary or dill weed in the recipe. the white beans were out of place here. the brown sauce was too weak & could use some wine/balsamic vinegar reduction.
her main: wild pheasant pie with foie gras & smoked pork belly, A-. it came with a side of autumn salad with chestnuts & cranberries. the pie was filled totally with pheasant meat & foie gras/pork belly. the flavors were intense & rich, more so than the lamb neck. actually the foie gras proportion might be too much as to overdominate the pheasant meat. it would be best if garlic, shallot & other pungent ingredients were blended with them. the sauce was too weak to be french.
wine: 2008 italian red (sangiovese/cabernet sauvignon/syrah), castello romitorio, morellino di scansano, B+. this blended red was barely suitable to pair with the lamb dish, let alone the pheasant pie. i would prefer a 100% sangiovese or cab instead. don’t they have red bordeaux in france
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desserts: 1. pink grapefruit & campari sorbet over hibiscus jello. 2. pineapple poached in spiced syrup, with raisins banana sorbet & grated lime peel. 3. 64% chocolate bar glazed with bitter chocolate & passion fruit sorbet. all B+, since sorbet is no match to gelato, & fruits are not desserts. this apparently healthy dessert lineup is definitely not french! 
the real dessert of sweet stuff came in a silver stack box that every lady loves to bring home for storing jewelries.
the lunch is a good deal with 6 courses & 4 wine pairing, for $798. the service was fit for royalty. but if you can shell out more dough & want to taste real french cuisine with wow factor, L' Atelier de Joel Robuchon is in the next building.
