Had coffee and the Breakfast Scramble. Their description: "A croissant topped with scrambled eggs with spinach, ham and melted cheese, then topped with hollandaise and served with fresh fruit." The croissant wasn't toasted and the eggs were a little runny (which I don't like in scrambled eggs), but it was otherwise pretty tasty. The "fresh fruit" was just three cubes of watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe. I hate melons so I couldn't eat any of that - and the description should read "fresh melon" and not the much broader term "fruit". The home fries - cubes of pan grilled potatoes - also tasted like they had been sitting under a lamp for a bit before I got to them. The coffee was pretty good for a diner and they had different flavoured creamers which is always a bonus since I hate regular ol' half-n-half. However, the waitress was a little slow on refilling the carafe as well as bringing the requested water (which was definitely tap). It was not busy at all. $27 pre-tip for basic coffee and two breakfast plates. Yikes. Over all, this is basically a Denny's trying to be trendy. I've had better food (and service) at iHop.

negative

Don Ruben's is a combination of excellent food, friendly atmosphere and savvy business sense - 3 things needed to stay alive in the restaurant business. Am I one of their "plants"? No....I'm one of their most important commodities - a regular customer. Steve welcomes us every Friday night for our TGIF dinner and drinks. The food is always delicious and made-to-order, the staff is fun and efficient, and the atmosphere is 'Welcome Home'.... Try it again with a good attitude and a keen idea for business, other reviewers, and retractions you will print.....

positive

One disappointing feature of many Las Vegas restaurants is that, while it is truly remarkable to have so many big name fine dining establishments in one city, those places never seem to live up to the quality of their parent restaurants. Mesa Grill was disappointing; BARMASA was a disaster. The burger at the now-closed Daniel Boulud Brasserie was not quite as tasty as the one at db Bistro Modern in New York City. Rao's, Guy Savoy--the list goes on and will surely keep going on in the future. So even with the imprimatur of three Michelin stars, I was a bit skeptical visiting Joel Robuchon--after all, Picasso and Guy Savoy received two stars each in the 2009 rankings, and I was relatively disappointed with both. Joel Robuchon bucks the trend. First, the restaurant environment is fantastic: Not too large, there are purple highlights and silver trinkets everywhere, including slightly creepy framed black and white photographs of Nicholas Cage and Dennis Hopper that certainly take the edge off. The lighting from the ceiling is dramatically aimed onto each table and certain spots in the restaurant, including where the bread cart is kept. The sound insulation is also impressive as you remain completely unaware of the din of the casino floor until you step outside the restaurant doors. The space as a whole is extremely elegant and formal while retaining a hint of the playful and whimsical. The experience begins with the bread cart, a wide selection of different flavored breads including bacon bread, cheese bread, milk bread, saffron bread, and basil bread. Selections off the bread cart are taken away and reheated. Personally, I would have preferred a much narrower selection of freshly baked bread, but such is the fair trade-off to enjoy the variety. The basil bread with the olive oil is a great combination, and I also enjoyed the relatively subtle flavoring of the saffron bread. The Blood Orange amuse bouche provided a good pre-meal awakening of the senses. The dry ice under the bowl provided a visually impressive effect, while the slightly sharp taste of the blood orange stirred the palate. The Truffled Langoustine Ravioli with Chopped Cabbage as an appetizer was truly amazing. The ravioli contained whole pieces of langoustine, and the black truffle--including the thin strips of truffle delicately set on each of the three ravioli--fit with the slight sweetness of the langoustine. Pair the truffle sauce with the saffron bread for another great combination. The Foie Gras and Bacon Foam Soup with Celery was good, though probably something I would trade for other options in the future. The taste of the bacon is present and tightly controlled in the foam, and the small pieces of foie gras were a solid addition. I would view this soup more as a respite along the course of the meal rather than a major attraction. The Spaghetti with Soft Poached Egg and Shaved Black Truffles was a straightforward but nevertheless impressive dish. The homemade spaghetti is covered with a layer of black truffles circled around a single poached egg. The recommendation is to break the egg and stir everything together, thus mixing the spaghetti with an egg and truffle sauce. The result is certainly gooey, but I actually enjoyed the texture as well as the taste--though the truffles were a lot more subtle than I had expected (given the sheer quantity involved). My second entree was the Beef Ribeye. I enjoyed the accompanying vegetables but the beef itself, while good, was not really superior in any way. The side of whipped potatoes are extraordinarily creamy, seemingly more butter than potato. It is probably much too rich for some but definitely worth at least a taste. The second entree was followed by a cheese course, selecting cheeses from a cart of about 15 or so. Dessert was a Chocolate Souffle topped with Chocolate Sorbet. The chocolate-chocolate combination was overkill but admittedly my own doing--I would recommend going with the other sorbet selection or none at all. The souffle is light but remains rather sizeable and is a bit of a challenge after such a large meal. The service at Joel Robuchon was exceptional. The sommelier stood out in particular, indulging us upon request with the history of selections of one of the winemakers in particular. The wine list is quite impressive, tending towards--and appropriately so--"special event" level bottles. If I had to nitpick, I wish something more could have been done with the Beef Ribeye, which seemed more like a convenience selection on the menu for those really hankering for beef. Still, with the amazing and well-thought through restaurant space and excellent dishes like the langoustine ravioli and spaghetti with truffles, Joel Robuchon Las Vegas is certainly a destination-caliber restaurant worthy of five stars.
positive