After 7 years as Executive Chef of L’Atelier in Taipei, Chef Olivier Jean is at the helm of the kitchens at The Woodward. L’Atelier Robuchon features the legendary chef’s open kitchen concept, creating a theatrical dining experience for 36 guests seated around the counter, as well as two dining rooms that can be privatized. After Paris, Tokyo, New York, Shanghai, Las Vegas, and Miami, Geneva welcomes the first and only Swiss address for the French chef.
In the basement exactly that I discover the large restaurant in red and black not the most modern, but the signature, recognizable: effective. Everything is articulated around a huge bar with an open kitchen, modern sushi bar inspiration, lacquers galore, and dim lights that only illuminate the centerpieces to highlight the dishes.
A tasting menu at the top, although relatively classic. A delicious appetizer accompanied by a Lake Geneva miso emulsion, cake topped with Sologne caviar, eggplant with a more Mediterranean tip, a delicious blue lobster, and a very good, although more anticipated, bar with Southeast Asia accents this time. Then comes the meat, beef from the Swiss alpine pastures in Rossini version accompanied by Chef Robuchon’s signature puree: a delight, it must be admitted!
Olivier Jean, disciple and worthy heir to Robuchon, with whom he worked for 10 years until his death in 2018. He has made with him several openings of Ateliers around the world including Macao, Monaco, Miami, and recently Taipei where he comes from.
A selection of 750 bottles for this new restaurant, no doubt that the greatest wines are wisely.
Dessert, or should I say desserts! The restaurant was equipped with a talented young pastry chef, Titouan Claudet, 28 years old. The young man went through Madame Pic’s table before coming to join the benches of chef Olivier Jean.