L'Atelier's Japanese Inspired Décor
Royale of foie gras, port reduction and parmesan foam
L’AUBERGINE
Slightly smoked aubergine caviar with vegetables and spicy tomato coulis
LES COQUILLAGES
Open ravioli of clams and razor clams with melon emulsion
LE HOMARD ROCHER
Rock lobster, courgette flower tempura on a heart of iceberg lettuce
LA JOUE DE BŒUF
Ox cheek braised in miso on a daikon and shiso puree
LE CHOU
Chou pastry filled with chocolate cream, cocoa sorbet
You know you made it when your name is printed on your chocolate
His
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Her
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The Experience
Dinner & Theatre, Covent Gardens, London
His Perspective So it came down to me to turn a bad situation good. I don't mind really, it’s not the first time, and with my friends Mr Rochulon, Mufasa and Simba - it was a piece of cake. The first ingredient was a dash of L'Atelier de Rochulon. With 28 Michelin stars to his name, I knew we were in for something special, and the Chef of the Century did not disappoint. Every single dish of our pre-theatre 4 course menu (complete with paired wines) was executed to perfection. The presentation and (open kitchen) preparation played second fiddle to the taste. The kind of taste that makes your knees weak... for real. At one stage I had to put my cutlery down and just take a moment. It was like art for your mouth. To pick a favourite is unfair, but if I had to it would be the Ox Cheek. The way that meat fell apart on the fork, and the Japanese miso would do it for me. From the restaurant, we took a short walk to the Lyceum Theatre where I'd add an African twist to the nights flavour - The Lion King. The story translates immaculately to the stage, where times it seemed like Elton John might have had a say in the costumes, as well as the music. The story was set in a simple but effective stage that let the actors and costume designers rightfully be the stars. When the curtains fell, the sold out crowd gave the show the applause it deserved. The most important thing was the smile left on my wife's face at the end of the night. Moments like these are why I work hard during the day... | Her Perspective It’s my Birthday, and it’s the first one I’ve ever celebrated away from Perth and away from family and friends. I was terribly homesick, and thanks to underestimating the travel time on the tube (yes, we are still not used to this) I missed my hair appointment and albeit such a small and mundane thing, this set me off and yes I broke down in the middle of Stratford Westfield. Tiago, bless him, rung around every hairdresser possible but everywhere was fully booked. The run around meant we were late for everything, and by the time we got home we had 15 minutes to get changed and ready for a 5:30pm surprise dinner reservation. At this point I’m questioning why dinner is so early! I've heard about these Michelin star restaurants and knew it had to be on the list of things to experience here in London. They don't hand these out in lil old Perth. So you can imagine my excitement as we turn the corner and I realize my surprise is L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. As soon as we step in, the beautiful Japanese inspired decor and low lighting is to die for, and we get seated right in the middle of the bar for the best seats to watch the chefs work their magic. No words can describe the taste of these dishes. Everything that came out was so well thought out and the flavours just burst in your mouth with every bite. My favourite would have to be L’Aubergine (seemingly loved by the British, you hear "oooohberjeeene" being mentioned in every restaurant) the silky caviar was complemented so well by the crispy baked slices of aubergine. And to finish it all off a delightful chou pastry filled with the most delectable tasting chocolate mousse. I died. And then, I was being whisked out of the restaurant as we speed walk through Covent Gardens to turn another corner and I’m confronted by the beautifully lit up Lyceum Theatre, to watch Lion King! Yay, another ‘Must Do’ on that list! A fav movie depicted so well by the cast. The talent and music mesmerised me for the night. I am looking forward to more dinner and theatre experiences here in London! |
The Brand
Her Bao Bao Prism Clutch
His Perspective I was on the hunt for Farah's birthday present in Tokyo, and having already run circles through Harajuku, Shinjuku and Ginza... I was well into my shopping trip when I came across the Bao Bao pop up shop. I saw the collection, I forgot about the rest of the gifts, and knew I needed to bring back a clutch. After some indecisive moments picking the right colour, I went with classic black. The piece from the legend, Issey Miyake, is classic and futuristic at the same time. It's undeniably Japanese, and always catches people’s eyes, including mine. I always smile when I see it come out, because it exudes style but not at the expense of everything else that's working with it. | Her Perspective The detailing on this Prism clutch is genius. This Japanese creative designer envisioned this collection as ‘shapes made by chance’ – I think it was somewhat intentional, the iconic triangle shapes are structured in a way that the night light always catches it, and it just gleams in the dark. Such a perfect evening out clutch, and this time was so fitting for L’Atelier’s Japanese inspired décor. That was unintentional. |
The Brand
His Farah Vintage Shirt
| His Perspective How fitting. How fitting indeed. Wearing a shirt by Farah on her birthday. I thought I might as well rep her to the fullest on her birthday. But I wouldn't do it if it didn't look good. This button up is another great addition to the wardrobe. With a vintage finish to it, it adds that 70s feel to a look. Keeping it long and untucked keeps it current too. Another shirt that's got enough to be different, but does it quietly. And you can tell that Farah (the label) uses high quality material and tailoring. | Her Perspective We first came across this brand in Paris, and continued to notice a small selection of its items stocked within independent stores across Europe, It wasn’t till we arrived in London that we saw the prominence of this brand. Obviously very biased, Tiago wanted an item just to wear a ‘Farah’. And my birthday night was the perfect excuse to try out this new brand. A solid history, dating back to the 20’s this brand started out in Texas, and not until 50 years later did it become a cult status being picked up in the UK, and loved for its vintage heritage. This denim design and mustard ‘F’ was very cool. |
