My Faux-Fabulous Life: Joël Robuchon

I work with a great non-profit organization in Las Vegas called the Epicurean Charitable Foundation (ECF) comprised of the city's top food & beverage executives whose main charitable endeavor is the development of a scholarship program to aid deserving and promising students in their pursuit of a hospitality degree and career. Through working with ECF, I have been so lucky and honored to have met Joël Robuchon at a couple of events. If you know anything about the culinary world, you know that Joël Robuchon is like, the messiah. He operates 18 restaurants across the globe and has a combined 25 Michelin stars (2nd is Gordon Ramsay with 16 stars) This is why Joël Robuchon has been touted "Master Chef of the Century." I first met Chef Robuchon at the Epicurean Charitable Foundation's annual fundraising gala. Rarely am I speechless, but I really didn't even know what to say. Not that it would have mattered anyway since he doesn't speak a word of English and travels with a translator.

Me & the homie Joël at ECF's fundraising gala

My French is a little rusty but he kissed my hand and said "Oooh la la" to me, which I'm pretty sure translates to "Oooh la la." Not bad at all ;)

I was able to spend some more time with Chef Robuchon just a few weeks ago during Vegas Uncork'd, a high-profile food and wine festival sponsored by Bon Appetit magazine. I was shocked to discover that Joël remembered me from the ECF gala! I know this because his translator du jour came right up to me and said "We've met you before, at the Epicurean gala." After a few minutes of awkward chit-chat (again, the man doesn't speak any English) they invited me and a guest to a private sake tasting being held at Shibuya at MGM Grand that evening as one of the Vegas Uncork'd events. Since I had basically been invited by Joël Robuchon himself, I had to go. I called Carrie, my roommate, immediately and told her we had plans.

Carrie & I at Shibuya

So we went. We double-kissed cheeks with Joël Robuchon, ate fresh sushi and tasted a ridiculous amount of sake. We discovered a few we loved (Love Princess Red Sparkling Sake- omg delish!) and we found a couple that were terrible. We laughed at the fur-bikini clad go-go dancers and reveled in our faux-fabulosity.