We took the elevator in the lobby to the 39th floor. The maitre d' confirmed our lunch reservation then the waiter led us to au Dôme's private elevator straight up to the 43rd floor.
At the top of the Grand Lisboa Hotel, the almost chain store liked Robuchon (no offense, just referring to shear number of Robuchon restaurants around the world) named the Macau branch "au Dôme" for a reason.
The top of the restaurant or so the tip of the building shapes just like a dome, taking in all the natural lighting.
Vast use of glasses gives this space a nearly 360 degrees view of the city. I even found Macau's landmark Ruins of St Paul's from my table looking below.
Looking up -
Christofle tableware -
Lunch menu (click for an enlarged view) -
Lunch at your own composition, prices ranging from $598 MOP to $788 MOP with wine pairing options for additional $320 MOP to $520 MOP. Around $100 US to dine at a Michelin 3 star French restaurant, I call that a bargain.
Table lighting -
Curiously, I switched it on and purple-ish light shined through.
Tableside service, the waitress pushed the butter cart over and asked if unsalted or unsalted varieties are preferred -
The butter was shipped from France on a weekly basis, and of course we asked for both -
Elegant and gentle milky aroma without any clinging feeling from the fat. The butter just melted softly right after it contacted the warmth in my mouth.
Bread basket -
Focaccia, baguette, grains, cheese, and even chestnut paste with a hint of cinnamon. It's great that the restaurant chose a less intense butter so that the delicate milky aroma won't overpower the characteristics from the bread.
Definitely need to stop myself from overeating such delicious bread and butter combo, especially we weren't even started on our first dish.
I added 2 glasses of wine to go with my meal, also specifically requested for the white. Sommelier brought over the first pairing -
Herbal note, light and crisp -
Amuse bouche -
"Green peas velouté, perfumed with mint, curdled milk, delicate tomato jelly."
Not the strong acidic small bites commonly served at the restaurant. The sourish taste was in fact light and almost airy. The herbal scent paired well with tomato jelly. In addition, the curdled milk played a major role here, in which its creaminess helped softening the veggie taste and resulted in a smoother contact in the mouth.
Appetizer -
"Poached white asparagus, crispy soft boiled egg and a lemon vinegar hollandaise sauce."
Smaller bits of egg whites on top of juicy asparagus. You can also splurge by adding 8 grams of Oscietra caviar with additional $280 MOP.
Egg at its best. The restaurant used top quality egg from Yamazaki, Japan, coated in thin floury strips and fried like tempura. It's amazing how two completely opposite textures - crunchy and silky - can bind seamlessly in one bite. I was happy even if au Dôme only served the tempura egg.
Appetizer -
"Lightly smoked foie gras, warm artichoke salad and aged parmesan condiment."
Different layers of saltiness coming from both the smoked foie gras and high quality parmesan. Even though the description states "salad," this dish was actually packed with flavors and can easily be the crowd pleaser.
Soup -
"Shellfish bisque with crispy shrimp and Espelette pepper."
Tiny shrimp roe hidden underneath the foam, added some popping sensation when enjoying this dish.
Soup -
"Sorrel bouillon, foie gras royale and spring vegetables."
Second wine pairing. Northern Rhône, fruity with light traces of wood and mineral in the end -
I told the sommelier that riesling has been my all time favorite wine. Guess that's part of the reason why he brought over this choice that also carried similar characteristics of riesling, good job!
We were chatting with our waitress and mentioned that the cheese bread was one of our favorites. 1/3 through our meal, she brought over a box of extra bread, especially the cheese kind for us to bring home. How lovely! Thank you!
Fish/seafood -
"Sea scallops with seaweed butter, fregolas risotto and crustacean emulsion."
Another amazing combination that both the sweetness from the scallops and the intense crustacean aroma coexisted in every bite.
Fregolas risotto beneath the scallops -
It had a chewier, bouncier texture than the common risotto using Arborio or Acquerello. However, while the center remained hearty, the outside was cooked to a flour paste like texture. The semi-melted part was able to blend with the emulsion so even one single grain carried a light crustacean aroma.
Fish/seafood -
"Roasted pollack with turnips purée and morel mushrooms braised in yellow wine."
Robuchon's signature mashed potatoes -
Creamy, cheesy, milky, think of all the delicious adjectives for mashed potatoes. So good but the calories are so devilish.
Cheese or dessert, we picked dessert but please I recommend you to choose cheese by any chance -
This cart definitely puts a smile on a girl's face.
Each customer can choose up to two sweets.
Coffee and tea were also brought to our table -
Hot tea -
Tiramisu and apple cake -
Coffee jelly inside the tiramisu. The cake on the other hand, didn't really carry any strong apple aroma or other noticeable fragrance. It's just a simple yet slightly fruity cake.
Mille feuille and lemon tart -
White chocolate was used in the lemon tart, which brought up the sweetness level and mellowed down the sourish taste.
Mille feuille has a thicker custard filling with texture similar to the soft boiled egg yolk served on ramen.
Petit four -
I know there's going to be petit four to end our meal, but I only expected four tiny bites instead of a cart coming out - again! That's why I suggested choosing cheese over dessert if you plan to dine here, unless you want to walk out the restaurant loaded with sugar.
It's not petite four, it's medium six -
Clockwise starting from the top left: canelé, candied hazelnuts, madeleine, blueberry bonbon, strawberry and cream shortbread cookie, and pistachio financier.
What a bargained lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant, I even had a big bag of bread as souvenir. Exquisite savory dishes along with amazing city view will not disappoint you. Dessert-wise, pick cheese please.
Robuchon au Dome
Avenida de Lisboa, Macau
(853) 8803 7878
http://www.grandlisboa.com/en/home/index.html
http://www.grandlisboahotel.com/dining-Robuchon_au_Dome-zh_hk
Opening hours:
Lunch 12:00 noon ~ 2:30 p.m.
Dinner 6:30 p.m. ~ 10:30 p.m.
Other Michelin restaurant in Macau:
The Eight 八餐廳
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