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宴畢，夜已深。客人大多盡興，在燈下輕言細語，燭影搖曳，杯盤器皿偶爾因為輕微踫撞，發出幾聲脆響，宴席仿佛仍在繼續，敘酒敘茶，都沒有離開的打算。 Robuchon 在澳門葡京酒店的 Galera 主廚，一年不過區區數次，自然有人覺得不容錯過，年年要來捧場大飽口福，此時酒足飯飽，便三三兩兩在餐廳一隅的沙發坐下，點支雪茄，聊的話題仍舊與宴席有關，由今年的菜式聊到去年的配料。人們不離開，不過是因為宴席的主角還沒出場， Michelin （米其林） 3 星名廚 Robuchon 要等到把每一桌的食物全部料理妥當才會現身。宴席主角不在宴席上慢條斯理品嘗食物，這唯有在米其林三星大廚親自操刀時才會出現吧。 Joel Robuchon 曾被譽為「世紀大廚」，也是最年輕的連續 3 次摘取 Michelin 之星的廚師，這樣的殊榮自然當仁不讓。
Joel Robuchon 出現的時候，身後跟了 3 名助手或弟子。白色廚師服上都繡上名字，白色的廚師帽則都已經摘去。 4 人從容而快樂，讓人不能想象幕後廚房裏為這一餐曾經出現過怎樣緊張刺激的戰況。 Joel Robuchon 現今在世界各地有多加以他名字為號召的餐館，下半年在香港和紐約都有擴張的計劃，與許多別的受歡迎的品牌一樣，餐館營運明顯是企業化操作的產品，但是他們 4 人現身，身上連那種工業社會常見的職業化氣息也沒有，笑嘻嘻，溫暖親切。
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開胃小點 : 千層鹹酥，鯷魚黑橄欖醬、巴西里蕃茄醬 |
| L ' Amouse-bouche |
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3 個助手並不擅言辭，好像離開廚房這塊領地就有些拘謹，也像剛從某間法國鄉間小餐館的廚房裏剛剛走來，帶有大地的氣息，令人對他們的手藝深具信心。 Robuchon 與客人握手，手掌異常綿軟，像鬆軟的剛出爐的麵包，令人印象深刻，不知道為什麼覺得這樣一雙手與出神入化的廚藝和美食，正好相得益彰。
Joel Robuchon 成名早， 1945 年出生，十多歲就從師習藝，二十餘歲就已經是公認的大師級人物，贏得無數榮譽。在這幾十年當中，要維持水準並且不缺乏新意，並不是容易的事。物質豐富、各種食材較之前更易尋得，最近的 20 年世界也相對和平，人們可以盡情享受各種各樣的奢侈，口味也愈加難以取悅， Robuchon 這個名字長期屹立不倒，自然是有些真功夫的。 |
2006 年 5 月 27 日在澳門 Hotel Lisboa （葡京酒店）的 Robuchon a Galera 餐廳。晚宴以海鮮為主，因正逢夏天，亞熱帶氣候偏熱，食物自然清淡為佳 , 何況這一帶也盛產水產。由前菜開始到甜點結束，一共 12 道菜。 Robuchon 的風格菜式有許多人已經津津有味地談過又談，在此便不需贅述。但是每次 Robuchon 掌勺，總是有些地方讓人耳目一新。
順應近年 Fusion 的潮流，這次菜式也考慮到當地人的口味和喜好，大廚也愛玩一些東、西衝撞和味覺變化的遊戲：一道是魚翅 Tampura ，另一道則是中國傳統手法調製的炒菜。 港人愛鮑翅是有名的，而東方食單裏不能漏掉的即是日式 Tampura ，大概很少有人把這兩個名詞聯結，成就一道菜；倒真有點天馬行空的大師手筆，也令人覺得有趣。
而中國傳統手法的炒菜出現在法國餐單上，仿佛有點風馬牛不相及，但是在一道道盛宴之後，那抹綠色偏偏 最清新可人。所以，與各種文化相同，飲食文化的可能性也是無窮的。當然，現代人追求純粹原味，講究師承來歷，但若太固步自封、過分拘泥規矩，就未免無趣了。 |
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羊肚蕈三款 : 鵝肝醬汁燉蕈、青蔥鬆泡炒蕈、湯汁蕈餃 ( 右至左 ) |
| La Morille |
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Robuchon 的有趣之處還在甜點上看出端倪，甜點端上來的時候，本來餐廳中規中矩的白色碟盤被覆蓋了一層印有彩色圖案的透明薄膜，看上去有一種典型的法國式的精致可愛，與甜點互相輝映，讓人不甜蜜微笑也難。
與 Robuchon 握手的時候，他指指自己制服上繡的名字，用不太流利的英文說，我是 Joel Robuchon 。不必說，也絕對不會錯認了人，但這就是他的可愛之處。做菜也是藝術，以此為職業，大概的確需要一顆天真的心，有利於快樂創造，也分快樂給享用的人。
The banquet is over and the night is old as most of the guests, still basking in the glow of the festivities, chat softly under the light. Candle flames draw dancing shadows, punctuated by the crisp sounds of lightly touching plates and glasses. The buzz continues over wine, spirits and tea, as if no one has any intention of leaving. The relative rarity of Chef Robuchon presiding over the kitchen at the Hotel Lisboa ' s Robuchon Galera just a few times a year makes it an event not to be missed and one sure to satisfy each time. Now, with bellies full of food and drink, patrons retire in small groups to a sofa in the corner, light up a cigar, and continue discussing the banquet – from this year ' s dishes to last year ' s trimmings.
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No one has left, but that is because the star of the festivities, Michelin 3-star chef, Joel Robuchon, has yet to appear. Robuchon never emerges from his kitchen until every table ' s food has been prepared. Only when a Michelin 3-star chef personally presides over the preparation does one witness such a scene, where the main character does not take his time to enjoy the banquet. Called the “ chef of the century, ” Joel Robuchon is the youngest chef to receive the coveted Michelin 3-star rating three times in a row. It is an honor he wears deservedly. |
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魚翅 : 天婦羅魚翅、旱金蓮花、芫荽葉
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| L ' Aileron de Requin |
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歐塞特鱘卵 : 蔬菜凍裹鱘卵，上塔蘆筍克林姆醬、幕斯
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| Le Caviar Oscietre |
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Robuchon appears with three assistants in tow. His white chef ' s outfit is embroidered with his name, and he has removed his white chef ' s hat. The four are relaxed and cheerful, betraying not the slightest hint of the tense excitement that must have taken place earlier while preparing the evening ' s meal. Already lending his name to several restaurants around the world, Robuchon plans to expand his reach to Hong Kong and New York in the second half of the year.
Like many other popular brands, a restaurant is another product run like any other business, yet laughing easily and radiating warmth, the four do not convey even a whiff of the professional air so often felt in our industrial society.
The three assistants are not much for talk, as if somewhat restrained outside the territory of the kitchen. However, they convey a strong air of the land, as if having just strolled out from the kitchen of a French country restaurant, inspiring complete confidence in their culinary skills. Robuchon shakes hands with the patrons, his grip soft and pliant like a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven. For some reason this only seems fitting, that this pair of hands would perfectly complement the skills and gourmet food they command.
Born in 1945, Joel Robuchon began making his reputation at an early age. Learning the trade as an adolescent, by his early twenties he was already widely recognized as a master, well on the way to earning countless honors. |
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Staying at such a high level in the intervening decades, while continuing to innovate, has surely not been an easy task.
Availability of abundant materials has made various ingredients easier to obtain than before, and with the relative peace in the Western world over the past two decades people have been able to revel in assorted indulgences.This has also led them to become somewhat jaded and harder to please with the same flavors. The ability of the Robuchon name to endure is a testament to his bona fide talents. |
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魚翅 : 天婦羅魚翅、旱金蓮花、芫荽葉
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| L ' Aileron de Requin |
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春季根芽 : 摩洛哥陶鍋盛春天錦蔬
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| Les Racines et Pousses d ' Ici |
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The banquet at the Robuchon a Galera, held at the Hotel Lisboa in Macao in 27 May 2006, put seafood at center stage. With summer at hand and the weather heating up, the food was fittingly on the light side, not to mention the area ' s reputation for seafood. From appetizer to dessert, the meal featured a full dozen dishes.
As Robuchon ' s style and dishes have been marveled over repeatedly, I won ' t belabor this report with excessive description, except to note that whenever Robuchon takes command of the kitchen there is always something refreshing of note. With a nod to the Fusion trend of recent years, the presentation showed consideration for the tastes and preferences of local gourmands, which suited the master ' s penchant for playing around with clashing Eastern and Western flavors. For instance, one dish was abalone fin tempura, while another was stir-fried vegetables prepared in traditional Chinese fashion. |
The people of Hong Kong are famously known for their love of abalone fin, and while no Oriental menu is complete without some Japanese-style tempura, few have ever ventured to combine the two as one dish. This strike of inspiration from a master, seemingly out of the blue, was certainly intriguing. Meanwhile, the appearance of a traditional Chinese vegetable stir-fry on a French menu at first blush seemed out of place, yet on the heels of dish after dish of rich banquet fare, the jade-green dish was fresh and inviting. This calls to mind the lesson that when different cultural similarities come together the possibilities for gastronomic culture are endless. Of course, these days people look for purity and traceable pedigree, but excessive self-restriction and adherence to established practice can be a bit dull. Robuchon ' s sense of fun was evident with the dessert, which was brought out with a colorful design on a transparent film placed over the restaurant ' s sober white dishes, lending a classic French refinement that complemented the dessert just right and made smiles hard to repress. |
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While shaking hands, Robuchon pointed to the name embroidered on his outfit and exclaimed in halting English, “ I am Joel Robuchon. ” Not that anyone would ever mistake him for anyone else, but that is one of the qualities that endear him to others. After all, cuisine being an art form, a sense of playful innocence lends itself to happy innovation and being able to share that joy with others.
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櫻桃溫布丁，櫻桃烈酒圓脆糖
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| 肉桂汁漬櫻桃，上塔焦糖爆米花 |
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La Cerise en Symphonie Gourmande |
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