TABLES FOR TWO.(L Atelier Joel Robuchon)(Restaurant review)

L'ATELIER DE JOEL ROBUCHON --

57 E. 57th St. (212-350-6658)--Few cities pride themselves on sophisticated luxury as much as Paris and New York, and when famous French chefs cross the Atlantic the result is often an uneasy face-off. A Michelin three-star chef, Joel Robuchon might expect to fare better: after his sudden retirement, a decade ago, his comeback, in 2003, with the first Atelier, was a bit of a revolution in the conservative context of Parisian dining. It didn't take reservations, and its customers were seated at a counter facing the kitchen. Following branches in Las Vegas and Tokyo (another one opened in London, in September), the iteration at the Four Seasons hotel has tables as well as the counter seating; the center of the restaurant is a black marble kitchen, largely for show--there is an ordinary-looking kitchen at the back.

At its best, Robuchon's food has the air of a miracle, albeit a carefully engineered one. Sea urchin comes in a lobster gelee that is topped with cauliflower-infused cream and dotted with parsley puree, placed like numbers on a clock. It is served in a clear bubble, making it look like something Barbarella might eat. But beyond all the ...