Several years ago I made a pilgrimage to Roanne, a nondescript little town on the edge of the Auvergne in central France, 260 miles south of Paris.  Sitting by the train station is one of the greatest restaurants in France.  Maison Troisgros was the first 3-star Michelin restaurant I had ever visited and my expectations were high.  I was not disappointed and I can still remember every course after 18 years.

Since then I have had the opportunity to eat in many of the world’s great restaurants, particularly as a reviewer for Departures Magazine, but the excitement and pleasure of Maison Troisgros has very rarely been repeated, usually just the opposite – the greater the expectation, the bigger the disappointment.  A few days ago I made another pilgrimage with a degree of trepidation.  This time the location was more accessible.  The MGM Grand in Las Vegas is an equally unlikely setting for one of the world’s great dining experiences but the great French chef Joël Robuchon chose this for his only American restaurant and I desperately wanted to try his food.  Robuchon sits next to noisy slot machines, gaming tables and the glitz of a Vegas casino.  I wondered if this was going to be a big mistake.

The kitchen of Joël Robuchon

I need not have worried.  What followed were 3 hours and 7 courses of gastronomic perfection.  The food, service and wine service were faultless and for the second time I felt I had the best meal of my life.  It was even more remarkable because we ate at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, a more casual, counter dining experience that doesn’t require a second mortgage to pay the bill.  I  have always enjoyed the interactive nature of counter service and the opportunity it provides to watch the food being prepared before your eyes.  The Executive Chef, Steve Benjamin, who is very French inspite of his name (his parents were Steve McQueen fans) opened the original Atelier in Paris.

Butter poached baby Kussi oysters

Fois gras stuffed quail with Robuchon’s legendary pommes purée