Executive chef Julien Tongourian of Joël Robuchon’s Hong Kong and Macau restaurant operations knows that the classics continue to work.
On an Air France flight in 1998, Hong Kong tycoon Stanley Ho enjoyed chef Joël Robuchon’s food for the first time.
Ho tasted Robuchon’s signature le caviar impérial de solonge – the geometrically-composed dish featuring centric circles of cauliflower dollops standing on a bed of lobster jelly with the centre made of king crab and caviar – and knew, in that instant, he needed the chef to work at his Macau-based hotel.
In 2001, Ho’s wishes came true with the launch of Robuchon á Galera at the Hotel Lisboa. In the same year, chef Julien Tongourian, now executive chef of Robuchon’s Macau and Hong Kong outposts, began his journey with the French culinary icon.
“I have worked for Mr. Robuchon for 25 years, I really love his kitchen,” Julien remembers in a conversation with Foodie sitting within the recently-renovated L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Hong Kong.
From his first position in the Robuchon dining universe as demi-chef de partie in the opening of Paris’ first L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in 2001, Julien found true inspiration in Robuchon. “He taught me a lot, he is a true leader in the kitchen. I tried to work for another chef, but only two years after I came back when he called me!”
Where haute cuisine and shiny silverware dictated Robuchon’s European ventures, the late chef was inspired by Japan’s counter sushi culture and Spain’s tapas format in creating the L’Atelier concept in 2003. It is this brand that became a signature to the region, definitively Asian in its format.
First opening in Tokyo blending French culinary philosophy with Japan’s familiar open-kitchen format and craftsmanship, the concept translated effortlessly to Hong Kong in 2006. Julien joined the Hong Kong restaurant in 2013, intent on serving Robuchon’s philosophy to diners hungry for a new style of fine-dining.
“This space, the dining counter, influences conversation,” marks Julien. The counter seating, which comprises the public dining space for guests, and the notable black-and-red interior at the L’Atelier lends itself to a more simple dining experience, rather than the ritualistic and stately experiences found in Europe’s fine-dining restaurants.
Of course, private dining rooms do exist in the restaurant, aptly titled the L’Jardin section of the restaurant chain, but the counter seating remains a signature of the Robuchon group, nearly eight years after his passing.
Closing in January 2025 for a renovation, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon reopened to grand fanfare this past September. It was the first time in 18 years that the restaurant saw a major refresh.
“We wanted to renovate [L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon] to accommodate for the new generation of fine-dining lovers,” the chef explains on the importance of the brand in a turbulent time for fine-dining in Hong Kong and largely Asia.
New changes to the restaurant include a more sleek touch to the counter seat space, removing distractions on the walls and upgrading the red-and-black interior to keep the focus on the kitchen, where guests can peer into the behind-the-scenes operations to see how their dishes come to being.
Modern art installations now decorate the space and long gone are any distractions surrounding the restaurant, be that outdated decorations or art that does not fit in within the modern times.
The restaurant now operates more private dining rooms and an expanded wine cellar that now reaches four times the size of its previous state.
To accommodate a growing demographic of diners at L’Atelier from mainland China, the six upgraded private dining rooms have been revamped to a modern French-meets-Asia style.
The rooms cater to large gatherings, serving custom menus and Chinese wines and spirits such as Moutai with round tables meeting mainland Chinese diners where comfortable.
With a wine cellar based at the Casino Lisboa, boasting more than 18,700 labels in its repertoire, the Ho family provide access to both Robuchon restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau. “When Ho brought Robuchon to Macau, he wanted to work with the best French chef in the world with the best French wine.”
Has the menu seen a change-up too? Of course not.
“We provide a long menu with a lot of choices for people to explore the recipes of Mr. Robuchon. But, we cannot change the flavours. After 25 years working with him, we have never made new flavours, all the combinations [of ingredients] have already been made.”
Dishes like la Langoustine truffée et cuite en ravioli and le bœuf wagyu châteaubriand show that old can still be gold. The baked bread basket, typically served at the beginning of a tasting menu, tastes the same as before, yet looks even sweeter in its new interior.
What Robuchon inspired in Julien, and his legion of underlings operating globally, was the significance of plating. “The way we serve and plate our dishes is how we express modernity, as Robuchon explains. We have dishes on the menu that are 20, 30 years old. What is modern here? Robuchon is timeless.”
For a taste of a timeless dish, Julien recommends first-time visitors to order the le caviar impérial. “This dish was created all the way back in 1980, it is all about the story of modernity [at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon].”
Pay a visit to L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon today for a taste of the classics of the historical French icon
