45 (floors closer to heaven)

Imagine my joy, Gentle Reader, when presented with an invitation by The Expat to join with him and the lovely Kath at “45” to thank Rachel for her extra effort in a recent business exercise. “45” (Link) is the latest addition to Tokyo’s fine dining scene, located in sumptuous luxury atop the Ritz Carlton at Midtown (Map).

Apart from the slight oversight in forgetting to pick me up, The Expat had done very well to chose this venue given his recent choice of a Mexican restaurant (how can anyone imagine that there is cuisine in chilli?) forgetting that your humble correspondent isn’t good at spicy pap masquerading as food.

While my 3 companions chose from the excellent set courses (although the Heaven, Earth, etc names for the degustations are a little trite), I had over-indulged the day before and took things easy by opting for some fine pate de fois gras with truffles followed by a gamecock dish that was a real delight to the eye and taste buds. The food here is great-to-excellent, and as the kitchen begins to flex its muscles I believe we can expect some pleasant surprises from this team.

One receives a glass of Dom with the set courses, but with Kath expecting another Clark I was first in line to snap up the alcohol she couldn’t drink. Of course, calling Dom Perignon “alcohol” seems a little sacrilegious, but …. I chose a nice little Savignon to accompany the meal, and finished with the tea selection (Note to self: Do this again if only to enjoy the aromas!).

As one might expect “45” is still struggling with some set-up issues, but the fine food and wonderful view make up for it in good measure. I liked the décor and the openness of the space, and I’m hoping to make “45” a regular feature on my calendar.

Rating: Food: 8; Wine: 8; Ambience: 8; Service: 7; Price: 7 ($$$$); Total: 38/50