What a beauty!

 Croissants are not a breakfast food I take lightly. I have been eating excellent Montreal croissants since my childhood (thank you Duc de Lorraine), and every time I'm in Paris, I buy one at every chic and not-so-chic boulangerie or pâtisserie I pass. I actually shudder to think of the number of croissants that have passed through my frame, or, to be honest, still lingering mid-waist somewhere.

There are plenty of good croissants up for grabs, many more bad, but I can't say I've come close to any in Montreal that are world-class. And now that I've tasted possibly the best croissant in existence, my pipe dream of finding a great Montreal croissant seems even more distant.

Where did I find this spectacular  croissant? Las Vegas, at a coffee shop in the Wynn Hotel called Le Café.

Le Café at the Wynn Las Vegas

Odd you think? Me too. But don't forget that Las Vegas is now one heck of a foodie destination. And the star-chef power in this city is rivaled only by cities like Paris, New York and London. 

In this spectacular setting, I expected a decent croissant. But his one was so much more: large, flakey, slightly tangy, a hint of sweet, and layers of dough that are clearly evident with each bite. Pardon the crashing cliché, but this croissant wasn't just breakfast. This croissant was a religious experience. 

It's tough to make a good croissant, and I have no idea how Robert does it (but boy I'd like to find out!). The classic croissant dough requires four "turns", folds that create those lovely layers. Robert's seems to have 20, but that can't be the case because with too many turns, croissant dough actually loses its flakiness.

My mission now is to try and find out how he does it. 

And by the way, "he" Chef Robert, is none other than the same Frédéric Robert who worked as Alain Ducasse's corporate pastry chef for decades and was the brains behind the Grand livre de cuisine d'Alain Ducasse, desserts and pastries. 

No wonder.