It's still Bon, Monsieur.

The trouble with restaurants, Gentle Reader, is that one gets to - well - "like" certain establishments and to visit them on a reasonably frequent basis. This is your Humble Correspondent's preference. The trouble with blogs, on the other hand, is that one should endeavour to visit as many restaurants as possible in order to please the madding crowd. That would appear to be Jon's preference.

With one's reputation on the line escorting a VIB (very important Boss) around Our Fair City, your Humble Correspondent decided to fall back on Osteria Nakamura now removed to the back streets of Roppongi. This is in my view among the best Italian restaurants in the world, without the frills and frippery of the starry crowd, yet honest and earthy with a touch of brilliance that comes from Chef's overwhelming passion for good food. Oh the shame ... it was full, without even bench space for your portly correspondent and the VIB. Turned away, red-faced!

Nothing for it, then, but to repair to Bon Monsieur. It was (thankfully) vacant of all but a few counter patrons, and Chef Konno had that little glint in his eye that meant we were in for a treat. With the Tokyo Marathon on the agenda (Oh shame on you, Gentle Reader. Not I, for heaven's sake! The VIB...), we opted for fish over red meat and the Y6,000 o-makase to get the appropriate number of calories.

Oh brave Konno-san! Oh noble Konno-san! Your Humble Correspondent's tattered reputation was restored, mouthful by mouthful, much like Eliza Doolittle's was by the erudite Henry Higgins in Shaw's Pygmalion. Just how he manages it, with no staff and a steady stream of customers, is beyond my comprehension. But manage it he does, and I for one am gushingly grateful.

Note to the papparazzi: One notices an increasing cast of thespians gracing Bon Monsieur, including that chap with the glittering attire who grunts and grimaces in all those infomercials for cameras and car navigation systems on cable television. I assure you he is no different in the flesh.

Visit Bon Monsieur with friends, lovers and VIBs. Konno-san needs the business, and I need my savaged reputation restored.

Bon Monsieur: Roppongi 7-12-15, Minato Ward . t: 03-3475-6612

Rating: Food: 8; Wine: 7; Service: 8; Ambiance: 8; Price: 8 ($$). Total 39/50