Inside SOBEWFF’s $1500-a-Seat Joël Robuchon Dinner Sponsored by Ulysse Nardin

 (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)
(Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)

Miami Design District’s Moore Building set the stage for the Cooking Channel and Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s crowning event: a sold-out, $1500-a-ticket dinner with master chef Joël Robuchon.

Craig Robins attends the 2016 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented By FOOD & WINE in the Design District at the Moore Building on February 26, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)
Craig Robins attends the 2016 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented By FOOD & WINE (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)

The room included Design District developer Craig Robins; 1 Hotel & Home’s Richard LeFrak with his wife, Karen; festival creator, Souther Wine & Spirits’ Director of special events, Lee Shrager; Jerry and Victoria Fernas Moore, the family who built the Moore Building; New York restauranteur Sophie NcNally, and many more.

 Deborah Schall, Stacy Robins and Betty Wohl (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)
Deborah Schall, Stacy Robins and Betty Wohl (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)

The Moore Building’s atrium was left as a blank slate bathed in pink and blue light. Tho colors set off the red rose arrangements on tables that were named for cities where Chef Robuchon has restaurants including Tokyo, London, Paris, Bangkok, Tapei, Las Vegas, Macao, Bordeaux, Monaco and Hong Kong.

Caviar photo by Manny Hernandez
Oscetra Caviar with gold leaf and salmon tartare photo by Manny Hernandez

The most Michelin-starred chef in the world, Robuchon, oversaw a five-course menu that lived up to the chef’s reputation. The meal began with a symphony of oscetra caviar with gold leaf and salmon tartare. The dish was served with Veuve Cliquot Rosé 2008 to contrast with the caviar’s salty notes.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: French chef and restaurateur Jol Robuchon attends the 2016 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented By FOOD & WINE in the Design District at the Moore Building on February 26, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)
French chef and restaurateur Jol Robuchon attends the 2016 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®

The second course served was caramelized black cod in a Malabar pepper sauce along with bok choy. This dish demonstrates the chef’s international leanings with a sauce from India’s Malabar coast paired with Veuve Cliquot Grande Dame 2006.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: General view of atmosphere during 2016 Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival Presented By FOOD & WINE in the Design District at the Moore Building on February 26, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)
Caramelized black cod (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)

The third course featured duck confit with black truffle carpaccio, accompanied by Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame Rosé, 2004.

Caviar photo by Manny Hernandez
Caviar photo by Manny Hernandez

Dessert was a two-part affair starting with passion fruit and banana mousse with rum gratiné with coconut creme, followed by tea and coffee with more “seductive sweets.” Guests left with gift bags that included the February-March 2016 Miami edition of Haute Living with chef Joël Robuchon on the cover.

Ingrid Fatio, Lois Russell and Jayne Abess (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)
Ingrid Fatio, Lois Russell and Jayne Abess (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for SOBEWFF®)

The dinner served as preview of things to come for Robuchon’s L’Atelier restaurant that will be opening in early 2017 in the Design District that will come complete with bakery, bar and café.

Craig Robins and Joël Robuchon
Craig Robins and Joël Robuchon by Manny Hernandez