L'Effervesence - Bubbling with Excitement

One often imagines, Gentle Reader, that once a chef has started down the slippery slope of trying to reflect food fashions he or she is destined for perdition. Such was my fear for Citabria, located just off Koto-dori in Nishi-Azabu.

The Once and Future Blonde was celebrating another un-birthday, and we determined that French was both suitable and desirable. Off we toddled then to L'Effervesence which name-plate had surreptiously assumed the mantle at the former Citibria. Your Humble Correspondent has been secretly been champing at the bit to get to this establishment since seeing a number of sensational reviews, and this was as good a chance as was going to present itself in the near-term.

Citabria was never on YHC's Love List ... it was more fused than fusion, and seemed to miss the target whenever it took aim. So?

Oh my goodness! What joy redemption brings! A fallen brother has stepped back from the dark side and chosen to return to the path of virtue and light! Luke 15-7!

Chef Shinobu Namae has created a wonderful temple to gastronomy, playful yet professional in absolutely every aspect. Namae-san comes to us via Michel Bras, darling Heston at The Fat Duck, and then Citabria (perhaps a backward step ...). All of that experience is on show at L'Effervesence, and more.

The evening repast is titled "Un souhait et la lumire", a prayer and the light.  It seems to YHC that this playfulness reflects the history of the change - Namae-san praying for salvation from Californian fusion, and then bathing in the warm and welcoming light of contemporary French.

Put aside the distraction of a menu, the tedium of choosing a la carte. Namae-san takes care of even the most minute details - obviously having taken care to ask about one's preferences and/or allergies.

Navigate to this link for the current menu. As seasons and offerings in the markets changes, so does the creativity in the kitchen.

Were one to prattle on a little about one dish, it would be the Apple Pie ... on the evening we were so royally treated, it was a foie gras delicacy which arrived at the table in a red cardboard envelope reminiscent of the saccarine item proferred at the Golden Arches. Namae-san explains that this was one of the first foods (really?) that ever impressed him in terms of presentation. It serves to demonstrate the attitude Namae-san brings to this venue - playful yet professional in every aspect.

The service at L'Effervesence is exemplary, and it boasts one of the better wine lists (click the Wine List Icon) in Tokyo. All of this for what seems a very reasonable price at Y15,750 per person.

So do find your way to L'Effervesence, and help welcome back our prodigal son. And drop a Ten-K in the collection plate a stout man will be proferring at the door ... that's the only way one finds the spare change to dine, y'know!

Pip! Pip!
L'Effervesence: 2-26-4 Nishi-azabu, Minato-ku Tokyo, 106-0031 t: 03-5766-9501
Rating: Food: 9/10; Wine: 8/10; Service: 8/10; Ambiance: 9/10; Price-Performance: 9/10. Total: 43/50 (4 Forks)

Les Rendezvous - Meeting Expectations!

A recent dose of that ghastly modern phenomenon, the "feedback session", suggested that Your Humble Correspondent needed to somehow adjust the equally ghastly "work-life balance". Actually, it was already apparent that there was a surfeit of "work" - the YHC Over-Work Alarm kicks in at a little over one hour per day, and the klaxons were screaming.

So a brief moment's thought poolside at the wretchedly work-a-day Hilton Spa and Resort in Guam convinced me to immediately reach out to similarly minded individuals, and lift the "life" component significantly toute de suite. Ergo, an urgent missive to my Stern friend saw us headed to Les Rendezvous in Nishi-Azabu at the recommendation of the wretched Dominic; wretched only because he always seems to find these places before Your Humble Correspondent!

Les Rendezvous provides a wonderfully imaginative approach to the dining experience: it features good to very good French cuisine with good to very good Australian wine. Now, a warning to the wise: do not try this at home ... it requires an expert hand, and rafts of courage. Ikai-san (sommelier; waiter, CEO, dreamer) used a Working Holiday Visa experience in Australia to create more than one life's worth of ideas and inspiration. Chef Tsuruoka shares a remarkable vision with Ikai-san, and matches an eclectic and good value wine list with some remarkable efforts out of such a small kitchen.

The dream, of course, is to move to their own space (isn't it always?). The chairs don't match yet, and the decor is spartan (referencing the ancient Greek city-state's military camps perhaps?). But the effect is openly friendly, and the service always delivered with a smile and a sense of sharing rather than performance.

We chose the Degustation @ Y7,200 ... excellent value, and a chance to test Chef's mettle. The Jambon cuit sauce gribiche starter was home-made and therefore sweet and moist; its companion Amuse enough to hold interest while not distracting one's attention. The fish course - Sébaste pôelée sauce tomates fraîches (Pan fried rockfish fresh tomato sauce) - showed a deft, even dab, hand in the kitchen and was served with out the horrid dessication that a warming tray inevitably bestws. Our meat course was a wonderful domestic pork dish, with hints of wa-fu citrus and a delicate touch of herbs. We opted for cheese instead of dessert.

Les Rendezvous' wine list is best viewed via the iPad on offer, although Ikai-san should make sure it stays up to date and is kitted out with some tasting notes and advice rather than just being a pdf of a type-witten summary. Pricing is fair and reasonable - so that YHC was able to purchase sufficient to ensure he neither remembers the vineyard(s) nor the vintage(s)! Beer should move on from Malts, although Suntory was kind enough to donate the icebox and we should acknowledge their generosity if not flavor.

In summary, Les Rendezvous is what it sets out to be - a neighborhood bistro that welcomes your custom on a regular basis, and doesn't seek to replace your special venues as places for celebration. It is ... unashamedly ... the restaurant Your Humble Correspondent would like to set up once the work-life balance meter hits 100% (life). Go along with friends and lovers, but book ahead. I fear this is the sort of place that is going to get popular.

Pip! Pip!


Les Rendezvous: 3-13-20 Hide bldg. B1, Nishiazabu, Minato-ward. t: 03-5410-8110
Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Price-Performance: 8/10. Total: 36/50 (3 Forks)

Bistro Aida - Promise You won't Tell

So, Gentle Reader: can you be trusted with a secret?

If Your Humble Correspondent told you about a very good restaurant with a splendid chef, gracious floor staff, and a good wine list - that was also remarkably good value-for-money - would you be able to keep it to yourself? Would the greater good ... in this case, my being able to get a reservation on a whim ... mean that you would forfend all and any attacks on your confidentiality? At this juncture, it seems appropriate to provide a brief explanation of the dilemma with which Your Humble Correspondent is confronted.

The daily commute includes an ambulatory section (rest assured this is taken at a gentle pace!) from the Hellhole to Ebisu Station, and for weeks one's eyes were drawn to a rather nondescript eatery with the quaint name Bistro Aida [Map] (the aida piece being the Japanese for 'space'). An innocent quip like "What ho! I do believe I have found another little gem..." was enough for The Once and Future Blonde to determine that we should visit said establishment (together, apparently). So we went ... but a different "we" than she imagined. As it happened, there was the appointment with The Adjutant that needed some sort of suitable venue. And the rest is history, Gentle Reader.

Chef Seiji Omote has this place humming since its opening in February 2010, and it is a real "keeper". There is only one omakase offering with six courses including the amuse, for the princely sum of Y3,800 plus supplements for various choices in the Plat Principal and Dessert courses. But the food is heavenly ...

Your Humble Correspondent was quite taken with the Hors D'oeuvre of Fois Gros Pate and Wagyu Carpaccio in a Yuzu and Kabu foam, which was served with four ambrosial slices of Kyo-vegetables (white, black, and red turnips along with black daikon). Our excellent Bagna Cauda was served with two very interesting salts as an alternative with the vegetables: sumi-shio (charcoal salt) and smokii-shio (smoked salt) from Fukushima. Only in Japan, one imagines, but these are both real taste treats that are by themselves reason enough to visit Bistro Aida.

The main course meant duck of course, served with a fascinating sabayon (syllabub to some) of fois gros and puree of porcini mushrooms. It must have been the military testosterone, but we both showed typical reserve by plumping for cheese instead of dessert (which was a Sweet Potato and Apple Pie with cinnamon ice cream).

The wine list is good and well priced, and The Adjutant and I shared a very good Domaine Millet Sancerre 2008 and a 2006 Burgundy that escaped detection. In spite of this extravagance, our bill came to less than Y30,000.

Most of the people in the room were considerably younger than YHC, a sad occurrence that is becoming all too frequent in recent years. But if Bistro Aida is a date spot for sophisticated 30-somethings, it is a refined and all together elegant one which lives up to its mission statement as "a restaurant for adults."

Visit with friends and lovers rather than business colleagues, who would no doubt turn Bistro Aida to their own evil ends. And look for the more mature lurker in the corner - it would be nice to make your acquaintance!

Pip! Pip!

Bistro Aida [Map]: 1F No. 2 AS Bldg, 1-16-33 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku; t: 03-5422-9685
Rating: Food: 8/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Maturity: 7/10; Price-Performance: 8/10. Total: 37/50 (3 Forks)

EOIT rates the Michelin 2011 Tokyo 2-Stars

What is it, Gentle Reader, that makes the difference between a 3-Star and a 2-Star?

One could be tempted to suggest that at least for the Tokyo Michelin Guide 2011 that difference lies in some gourmandesque battle between Japanese and Western cuisines among the beknighted Inspecteurs Michelin. The proportion of non-Japanese venues among the 2-Stars "feels" higher than the 3-Star list, but reading between the lines of the commentary one can't help but get a feeling that there is some sort of jingoism at play.

And yet, if one assumes that the target audience for said Guide includes the Office Ladies and Gentlemen plus the faux-gourmands of the "international set" (kokusai-ha) of Japan then the preponderance of Japanese restaurants may indeed be a mathematical oddity as the good people at Michelin claim. Not likely, but certainly a possibility.

Still, it might be interesting to survey Guide buyers to determine how many of the starred restaurants which seat 11 or 15 people they are actually able to afford to visit. A less kind perspective would be that these are "wrapping paper" rankings and not meant to guide any sensible diner's selection. You will no doubt notice that Your Humble Correspondent has a slightly different set of ratings.

Aimee Vibert French Tel: 03-5216-8585; 14-1 Nibancho, Chiyoda-ku. EOIT Rating: 3 Forks
The setting is elegant, and the Ile de France cuisine gentle on the fork and perhaps the imagination. Chef Wakatsuki is hugely talented, yet one gets the impression that tradition and pomp are rather over-weighted to keep up with the "tone" of the neighbourhood. Think Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Chelsea. Think cuisine classique. Think JPY35K per person.

Ajiman Fugu Tel: 03-3408-2910; 3-8-8 Roppongi, Minato-ku. EOIT Rating: 3 Forks
There is a awful lot going on here at Ajiman, and it is perhaps a little unapproachable for fugu novices. At the same time, there is a warm sense of professionalism and the Matsubara clan make for a tight counter and "floor" team (there is actually no floor to speak of). Getting reservations can sometimes be a chore, and the JPY40K+ bill at the end can leave one shaking one's head at the profitability inherent in audacity.

Argento Aso Italian contemporary Tel: 03-5524-1270;9F, ZOE Ginza, 3-3-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku. EOIT Rating: 4 Forks
The wonders of alphabetical ordering make this the first of the Hiramatsu Group restaurants in the Guide, although it perhaps does not deserve such prominence within the HG's 24 venues (and counting!). The formality and precision of the operation is typical of a Hiramatsu venue, and this military style can sometimes carry over to the food. Still, a very feminine venue that is bound to impress first-time visitors. JPY30K.

Chugoku Hanten Fureika UP! Chinese Tel: 03-5561-7788; 3-7-5 Higashi Azabu, Minato-ku. EOIT Rating: 3 Forks
This is the jewel in the crown of the five restaurant Fureika group, and boasts an elegant setting to match the very high quality Chinese cuisine on offer. This is Japanese-style traditional Chinese fare, so don't expect any surprises in terms of contemporary cooking. The service style and high-end customer service strike some as a little hide-bound. Expect a bill of about JPY30K each.

Crescent French Tel: 03-3436-3211; 1-8-20 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku.  EOIT Rating: Barely 3 Forks
Hmmm. The first impression here is faux Victorian - the splendid building was constructed seventy years too  late for the dumpy Dowager Queen in 1968. The cuisine follows the same basic trend: this is definitely cuisine classique with a heavy dose of fin de siecle trills and frippery. The business was originally an antique dealer, and based on the food likely still is. The addition will be about JPY30K each.

Cuisine Michel Troisgros French contemporary Tel: 03.5321.3915 Hyatt Regency Hotel 1F, 2-7-2 Nishi-Shinjyuku , Shinjuku-ku. EOIT Rating: 4 Forks
Good friends swear by this place, and this is one Michelin rating that Your Humble Correspondent can wholeheartedly support. The cuisine matches the very contemporary architecture of the Shinjuku area, and at times leans heavily towards a constructionist approach. Service is, of course, excellent. While the location is a little down-market, this restaurant certainly is not and well worth the JPY20K you'll pay.

Daigo Shonin Tel: 03-3431-0811 Forest Tower 2F, 2-3-1 Atago , Minato-ku EOIT Rating: 4 Forks
As far as we know, there are no other 2-star Buddhist temple cuisine restaurants in the world. While this alone is ample reason to visit, you will be amazed at the stunning food and the remarkably tranquil experience at Daigo. Although the overarching philosophy is ahisma or non-violence, "vegetarian" is an entirely adequate shortcut. This may be the most refreshing JPY20K you will spend in Tokyo.

Fugu Fukuji Fugu  Tel: 03-5148-2922; 3F Koda Bldg, 5-11-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku  EOIT Rating: 3 Forks
Here they go with the poisonous fish thing again. To be sure, EOIT rates this place above Usuki which somehow garnered a 3-star rating. There's a whole lot more originality at Fukiji for a start, and everyone seems frightfully busy although JPY30K seems a little steep. Perhaps the rent is high ...

Fukudaya Kaiseki Tel: 03-3261-8577 6-12 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku. EOIT Rating: 5 Forks
An invitation to Fukudaya is a sure sign one has finally made the "Big Time". This kaiseki-ya has been serving refined food that pleases both eye and palate for 70 years, although there are those who see that tradition as a mere bagatelle compared to other venues (mostly un-Michelin-ed). Be invited rather than inviting, as JPY50K + per head can empty a bank account faster than YHC can drink a coupe de champagne.

Fukuju UP! Kaiseki Tel: 03-3571-8596 5F, 8-8-19 Ginza, Chuo-ku EOIT Rating: 2 Forks
Fukuju has lifted its rating from 1- to 2-stars. Heaven knows why! Perhaps the service and quality goes up as the inspectors become jourenkyaku at some of these venues. There are 8 counter seats and a private room for 8 - and the experience will cost a massive JPY60K per person. You're paying more for exclusiveness than excellence - this is one kaiseki where you won't bump into Your Humble Correspondent!

Harutaka UP! Sushi Tel: 03-3573-1144; Kawabata Building 3F, 8-5-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku. EOIT Rating: 4 Forks
If you ask sushi chefs and industry-insiders where they head for sushi, they will invariably tell you Harutaka. It may be an age thing, but there seems to be more energy and a greater sense of a shared journey of discovery with Harutaka Takahashi. An excellent thing, and a welcome change from the discipleship required at some venues ranked higher. Dinner will cost about JPY20K. Visitors: You should choose to go here!

Hatsunezushi Sushi Tel: 03-3731-2403; 5-20-2 Nishi-Kamata, Ota-ku. EOIT Rating: NOT YET!
One needs to be an explorer to find Hantsunezushi, way out in Ota Ward (Actually, it's only a little over 350m from JR Kamata Station). YHC refrains from restaurants where one needs sustenance en route, so we haven't ventured out this far into Tokyo's suburban jungle. On Tabelog, it only rates 3.62 out of 5, which suggests a little elitism on the part of the Guide. The rumor is that you'll need about JPY20K per person.

Hishinuma Kaiseki Tel:03-3568-6588 B1F, AXIS Bldg, 5-17-1 Roppongi, Minato-Ku EOIT Rating: 4 Forks
Gadzooks, Gentle Reader! Les Inspecteurs have snuck one in on us here. Probably the most approachable kaiseki in Tokyo, with a natty little wine list to go along with it. Very popular, and you should get the butler to make a reservation ahead of time. Easy to find (if you can get past the French Fries upstairs at Va Tout), and well worth the JPY20K per head.

Horikane Japanese Contemporary Tel: 03-3280-4629 ; 1F, Maison ITO, 5-10-13 Shirokanedai, Minato-Ku. EOIT Rating: NOT YET
That ravenously popular Japanese site Tabelog only rates Horikane at 3.37, although that probably reflects the expectations of the younger crowd who contribute to said site. The menu sounds sublime. Expect about JPY30K per person in "damage". YHC will toddle along shortly.

Come back regularly, there's MORE TO FOLLOW ...

EOIT rates the Michelin 2011 Tokyo 3-Stars

Tokyo is, apparently, the culinary capital of the world. So much so that it boasts 266 venues that rate at least one Michelin star. That number is even more impressive when one considers that there are only 7 inspectors (all Japanese) and they can only visit a small percentage of Tokyo's 200,000 eating establishments.

But methinks it is time for some kaizen, laddies. One gets the overwhelming impression from the 2011 edition that Tokyo is rather the capital of Japanese cuisine, which it absolutely should be. I'm all for celebrating washoku-arity, but something is amiss and the whiff of a synthesized Japo-Gallic arrogance is in the air.

At the same time, Tokyo is home to a stunning array of non-Japanese restaurants which I fear M. Michelin is ignoring in order to keep sales of the guide at 150K. A nice little earner, I'm sure, but in the view of Your Humble Correspondent sells the Edo dining experience considerably short. Perhaps, Sir, you might enlist even one non-Japanese reviewer so that we can see balance restored.

Here's the list of this year's Michelin 3-stars listed alphabetically:
Araki (Debut) Sushi Tel: 03-3545-0199 Sunlitte Ginza II 1F 5-14-14 Ginza, Chuo-ku
If any sushi restaurant deserves the express elevator straight to the top of the Michelin rankings, then it is surely Araki. In my particular and peculiar opinion, there is more show than sushi - but then again, see the "trencherman" comment to the right of the page!

Esaki Japanese Contemporary Tel: 03-3408-5056 Hills Aoyama B1F, 3-39-9 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
For a place hidden away in the residential part of Jingu-mae, Esaki gets a lot of well-deserved attention. This kaiseki restaurant focuses on food purity and "safety". Ask for the details of their organic vegetable supplier ... the produce is stunning!

Hamadaya (Rank Up) Japanese Tel: 03-3661-5940 Ningyocho, 3-13-5 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku
Hadayama is the real deal - a passion for great ingredients, delightful presentation, and an angelic balance of flavors and textures. If you're visiting - or living here and need to impress visitors - you can't go wrong at Hamadaya.

Ishikawa Japanese Tel: 03-5225-0173 3-4 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku
Kagurazaka needs another fine restaurant in the same way that London needs another pub. But if you're in this part of Tokyo, and you're in the mood for both some exploration (it's hard to find) and high-brow kaiseki, then Ishikawa fits the bill. It all seems a little pretentious for Your Humble Correspondent, but there's no doubt the food is first-rate.

Joel Robuchon French Contemporary Tel: 03-5424-1338 Ebisu Garden Place, 1-13-1 Mita, Meguro-ku
One has to question Michelin's definition of "contemporary", but this restaurant would deserve three stars whatever city it chose to grace. Probably the best cheese board on the planet, and more varieties of bread than one can possibly comprehend without reaching for multi-dimensional mathematics. Excellent wine list that doesn't forget older whites (no pun intended). Unfortunately one needs to rob a bank to enjoy the full spectrum of what M. Robuchon has to offer, but it might be worth the gaol sentence if there is time off for good behavior.

Kanda Japanese Tel: 03-5786-0150 3-6-34 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Your Humble Correspondent's previous Hellhole was in Moto-Azabu, and Kanda was that place that one always wanted to visit but never got around to ... Lack-a-day friends who have visited (but failed to invite) say that the food here is remarkable even for a three-star.

Koju Japanese Tel: 03-6215-9544 8-5-25 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
If you were, God forbid, at a gastronomic short end in Ginza then Koju is restaurant enough to restore your faith in food. Exceptional seasonal produce, with the finesse and delicacy of Japanese cuisine on display here. Chef Toru Okuda is a proudly confident master of his trade.

Quintessence French Contemporary Tel: 03-5791-3715 5-4-7 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku
Not on your Nellie! There is way too much ego and energy on the table at Quintessence to deserve a three star rating. While Chef Shuzo Kishida is still only 36, there is no doubt he can cook. But he can't control an agressive floor team whose poor manners drag down a good restaurant.

7chome Kyoboshi (Rank Up) Tempura  Ozio Ginza Bldg 6F, 5-5-9 Ginza, Chuo-ku
Interesting choice by Michelin ... no doubt the best tempura in the world, but 3-stars? For sheer virtuosity and creativity, this is one restaurant you should try if visiting Tokyo. Save you pennies, because it is certainly not cheap. Sakakibara-san does amazing things with batter and bits, but after all it is just a fish-fry. This is one sign that the all-Japanese Michelin inspector team has got things a little out of whack. In Japanese, a little too マニアック (or, the dude's gone mono on us)!.

Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten Sushi Tel: 03-3535-3600 , Tsukamoto Bld. B1F, 2-15 Ginza 4-chome, Chuo-ku
Jiro Ono is 84 years old and he's not going to be hurried by anyone. He says he has one more year at the helm of the best sushi restaurant in the world. The thing to notice here is the quality of the rice, and the intensity of the food - to the eye, to the mouth, to the brain. English speakers are only entertained at the Roppongi venue, so if you don't speak Japanese you need to find a friend... quick. This is seriously the one sushi experience you don't want to miss.

Sushi Mizutani Sushi Tel: 03-3573-5258 Seiwa Silver Building B1F, 8-2-10 Ginza, Chuo-ku
Mizutani-san is very serious about sushi, and you had better be as well if you get along to this fabulous 10 seat temple to fish. The location near Shimbashi station is good, and the price is good value (actually, that's a relative statement because good sushi is never cheap). The art is in the selection of the fish, they say, and there is no better example than Sushi Mizutani.

Sushi Saito Sushi Tel: 03-3589-4412 Nihon Jitensha Kaikan 1F, 1-9-15 Akasaka, Minato-ku
Sigh! Why on earth one would take a superb sushi-ya and move it to outside the US Embassy well away from "sushi alley" in and around Tsukiji / Ginza is beyond me. I think the 2009 rating of 2-stars is probably closer to the mark. Sushi Saito is all about Saito-san, and he's always happy to lecture diners (in Japanese) about the art and cant of sushi. Perhaps it's that personal attention that has attracted the eye of Michelin inspectors. Calm down boys!

Usukifugu Yamadaya (Rank Up) Fugu Tel: 03-3499-5501 Fleg Nishi-Azabu, 4-11-14 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku
Nothing like a little poison to spice up your ranking! The Japanese passion for the poisonour puffer fish is well know, although it's all a little over the top if you ask me. If you're lucky to be one of the 23 people seated (22 if you go with me) here, you had better have about JPY30K in your pocket because this place is not cheap. Perhaps the fish fly first class on their daily journey from Usuki in Kyushu. But remember, several people die every year from Fugu poisoning in Japan ... although no-one can remember the last time it happened here.

Yukimura Japanese Tel: 03-5772-1610 3F, 1-5-5 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku
There is no doubt this place is the pick of the kaiseki 3-stars. You'd never know, as it is located on the 3rd floor in a nondescript building in the Azabu Juban. But the things he does with food ... oh be still my racing heart! Be warned: no tables, only 11 counter seats, and a prix fixe. You should be thinking JPY40K.

Restaurant J - Prithee, A Moment's Silence

Gentle Reader, it is with deep regret that we advise that master chef Masahito Ueki is soon (actually, today!) to leave Restaurant J for destinations as yet unknown. It seems that there is some considerable difference between Chef and his business partner in terms of direction and policy for Restaurant J going forward.

What an pity! While Your Humble Correspondent does not pretend to understand the gritty details of foul commerce, it is obvious even to him that some level of profit is essential to good financial health. At the same time, stand-out quality in a city that boasts a galaxy of Michelin stars is a must-have and Chef is within his rights to demand a free hand in the kitchen.

This outcome is sad for all of us who are fans of Ueki-san, although his commitment to delighting diners - and to opening again soon in a new venue - leave us with the hope that he will rise pheonix-like from the ashes of a spoiled relationship to even greater heights. Chef is a singular talent; and if greatness comes at least partially from passion and unwillingness to compromise in matters culinary, then we have a treat on our hands once he finds new digs.

One faint (feint?) glimmer of light from all of this is that spills and tumbles are always signs of an active and energetic gastronomic culture, and the rejection of "gaman" in favor of integrity augurs well for a bright future for diners in our fair city by the bay.

Your Humble Correspondent will no doubt wend his weary way to "The J" to document the fall of a good restaurant, and will race to put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) as soon as possible [although not this evening as I am off to Bistro Aida!].

Until then, then ...

Pip! Pip!

Restaurant Davis - Hidden Treasure

The article in the Japan Times about Restaurant Davis some two years by the effable Robbie Swinnerton caused Your Humble Correspondent no end of consternation, Gentle Reader. The Once and Future Blonde pointed out said article, and asked why we had not yet visited such a fine establishment. To which one could only respond "dunno", in the best traditions of conjugal communication. That started a brief but energetic campaign targeted at Mr. Davis in a vain attempt to earn an invitation. Foolish, really ... he was really far too busy with matters economical, and had the undoubted good taste to murmur something soothing before turning his face away to concentrate on other, more socially reliable interlocutors.

Mrs. Davis, on the other hand, has been welcoming vagabonds for some 12 years in the Takanawa edition of Restaurant and Wine Bar Davis, along with a brief interlude in a second venue in the vicinity of Daimon. In my humblest of opinions, this is a restaurant that you should mark down in your little red book as a "keeper". Well-oiled and efficient are words that come to mind at first blush, but that would take something away from the wonderful food and wine; and the atmosphere redolent with ... umm ... restaurantness. Mrs. Davis has a very good chef with her here, and the home-made (jikasei) anything is well worth trying. Meats - particularly those that might cause another less-capable to tremble - roll out of this kitchen. One hears that Christmas sees roast goose and traditional Xmas pudding available to the lucky few with the foresight to book early.

 

The seafood is sourced from reliable providors all over Japan, and Chef shows a deft hand here as well. Firmness and flakiness are the mark of any good fish, and the dish that YHC shared with The Texan Ranger (Note to self: I wonder if he found it difficult to find R&WBD?) was testament to a deep vein of experience and flair. The pastas should neither be overlooked, with excellent seasonality and full flavors.

 

Above all, one mustn't ignore the wine list. Others have offered fulsome praise, which can only be echoed in these dreary pages. But the refreshing thing about Mrs Davis' list is that it is both eclectic and representative of the world's major vignobles, showing discernment and a firm hand on the rudder.

 

There are those who complain that Restaurant Davis is hard to find: Pshaw! It is actually quite simple really, and only took Your Humble Correspondent about 30 minutes from 150 meters away. One feckless approach might be:

1. Ask your reinsman to take you to Takanawa Police Station...
2. Across the street is the Takanawa Fire Station with a natty fire observation tower (rodai) adorning the roof ...
3. It may be useful to take the tour of the Fire Station which includes the observation deck so that you can eyeball your eventual destination ...
4. Head north along the road towards Tokyo Tower until your reach the first street to your right ...
5. Delight your companion by buying a flower, and then ...
6. Turn right (east) until you hit the first road on your left...
7. Turn left (north) until you see the sign for Restaurant Davis on the left...
8. Complain that it is difficult to find. You'll be in good company.

A word on the l'addition - Restaurant Davis is remarkably ... well, cheap ... for the value received and one should not doubt Mrs Davis' arithmetical skills. The bill is correct and represents real value for money.

 

 Restaurant and Wine Bar Davis should only be enjoyed with friends and lovers, and it may benefit the rest of us if you only take them once. There is no chance they will remember where it is with only one visit, and then reservations will still be readily available for Fat Boys and vagabonds!

 

Pip! Pip!
Restaurant Davis: 2-5-6 Takanawa, Minato-ku; t: 03-3440-6007
Rating: Food: 7/10; Mrs Davis-ness: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Price-Performance: 9/10. Total: 37/50 (3 Forks)

Le Clos Montmartre - Worth further investigation!

Only an unfortunate rapscallion like your Humble Correspondent would find himself with a teetotaller in a Kagurazaka bistro like Le Clos Montmatre that had been established by renowned French sommelier Jannic Durand. Hard to fathom really. Considerable lack of foresight, and world-class lack of planning.

At the same time, the recommendation of my vinetarius Eric the Cork was too good to pass up, Gentle Reader, especially when one was journeying to Suidobashi anyhow. Lavish praise is due to Eric, for this is indeed a splendid little spot! To my mind, the most accurate and concise description of Le Clos is provided by our erudite and amazingly informed friends at Pig Out Diary who described it as "authentic". Pig Out Diary is one of the best Tokyo food blogs we have encountered, Gentle Reader, although sadly it doesn't link to this Humble collection of mutterings.

"Authentic!", it is (note the added exclamation mark). Le Clos Montmatre prides itself on refusing to Japonicize its food and service style. Your Humble Correspondent likes this approach - the food is prepared and delivered with an eye more to quality and taste than sugoi-ness or performance.

We sampled a variety of dishes - pretty little quiches, meaty terrines, comfortable confits, a splendid little salad, and some quite remarkable seafood. The single terrible disappointment was that one was reduced to drinking apple juice (although there was a slight indulgence in a pleasant little pinot which appeared to one's left, and deserved a modicum of attention). The service was attentive yet non-intruding, and M. Durand's steady control of proceedings was evident despite the homme himself being rather retiring.

M. Durand believes that there are many wonderful wines to be discovered in the space between the grand chateau and 2-shilling plonk. He is of course correct. His goal is to - bless him - sacrifice himself on our behalfby finding these wines. One has to admire his dedication, for the wines on offer are amazingly varied and remarkably well-chosen. This chap is a bit of a globe-trotter, and after a stint at a Paris 2-star babysitting 28,000 bottles representing about 3,000 labels he was sommelier at Belle Epoche at the Hotel Okura for 8 years. He opened Le Clos in 1998.

Finding information on this restaurant is almost as difficult as finding the place itself - to achieve the latter, intrepid travellers should walk up Waseda-dori from Sotobori-dori to the Royal Host. Without entering that house of pain, turn right and then take the next right down the alleyway.

Your Humble Correspondent will be visiting Le Clos Montmatre again soon. You will be able to identify me through the conspicuous lack of apple juice on the table. Cast a weather eye over the clientele, Gentle Reader, and should you glimpse a likely and furtive rapscallion you might consider sending over a glass of said juice. For which you would earn my undying enmity ...

Le Clos Montmatre [Map]: Ryo1 Kagurazaka Bldg. 1F, 2-12 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku Ward. t: 03-5228-6478 [Closed Sunday]
Rating: Food: 7/10; Apple Juice: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Price-Performance: 7/10. Total: 35/50

Aux Gourmands - Entirely Apt!

If Aux Gourmands [Map] (Japanese only, Bento.com review here) was in any other city in the world, Gentle Reader, it would be championed and feted with considerable passion. And it would be impossible to get a reservation for one of the 12 table seats or 5 counter stools. Despite the fact that it is deliberately location-disadvantaged down a laneway in Azabudai ... But with blessed happen-stance, it competes for attention in Tokyo - so that mere mortals like your Humble Correspondent get to savour its superb eccentricities and sharply-focused commitment to quality.

It had been some time, Gentle Reader, since my last chance to dine with Sir James. At his suggestion, we repaired to Aux Gourmands on a cold winter's evening for the serendipitous reason that neither of us had ever been there before. My delightfully Oxbridge companion was not at his best, having joined an Indian business partner singing Beatles songs at karaoke until slightly before 6:00 a.m. Despite that, he had bravely chosen to honor our engagement and was determined to battle on.

It would be false of me, Gentle Reader, not to admit to having getting no little thrill out of the mere name of this establishment. "How entirely apt for an erudite couple like Sir James and moi", I thought. Perhaps he had deliberately chosen this restaurant as some sort of subtle compliment. Perhaps, oh happy thought, he had finally recognized your Humble Correspondent's finer side. No, it was just coincidence he advised, neatly pricking the bubble of ego.

Chef Yokosaki has wended a different road to most chefs. You should know, Gentle Reader, that he boasts a ten year career as a professional boxer prior to starting in the world of gastronomy. This information is offered in your best interests, so that you might avoid overt criticism of the meal. After time studying in France, he was chef at Bistro Mars for four years before opening Aux Gourmands some six years ago.

Our meal was just before your Humble Correspondent's Lenten observance, so we agreed that we would 'omakase' and leave the food up to Chef. Wherein, we were presented with some wonderful small plates of oysters, boudin, and a splendid mousse. You will recall, Gentle Reader, that one doesn't share at table, so this approach by the floor staff seemed appropriate and, well, apt. In terms of libations, Sir James had chosen the Morey St Denis Domaine Paulot 2001 ... thereby demonstrating considerable skill and a certain understanding of my predelictions on the wine front.

Then came some startling courses - firstly a brave Game Terrine followed by a stellar Fois Gras and Truffle risotto and then a simply delightful Porc Couchon. Since my earliest times breasting the table (these days, more like 'belly-ing' the table!), your Humble Correspondent has delighted in carefully prepared crackling as the only proper accompaniment to pork - and Aux Gourmands produces a version that would have the staunchest of friends fighting to the death for the last piece. We finished with a selection of cheeses.

This is a restaurant that deserves your custom, Gentle Reader, as both its name and its food are entirely apt. Suited to people like you, ... and me. You should dine there with friends and colleagues rather than visitors, given the tight seating arrangements. But should you happen to notice a rather noxious individual hunting for crackling in a sort of "Precious" ring-seeker fashion, be kind and look the other way!

Aux Gourmands [Map]: 3-4-14 Azabudai, Minato Ward. t: 03-5114-0195
Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Aptness: 7/10; Price-Performance: 7/10. Total: 35/50

Restaurant Hiromichi - Elegance emerges in Meguro

There is little that has previously commended itself, Gentle Reader, to the tiresome thoroughfare between Ebisu and Meguro that parallels the railroad tracks. It has been consigned to a dreary existence since it was the scene of some discombobulation by your Humble Correspondent many years back when he tumbled from a motor-scooter and tore the seat out of a new suit. Regardless of the heroics. Regardless, again, of the children thereby saved from perfidy.

But that has all changed now that Restaurant Hiromichi [Map] has landed, as if from some gastronomic Elysium. Or more precisely, now that Chef Hiromichi Kodama has landed from the 1-star Chemins in Akasaka. While it still has some way to go before becoming a gourmands' mecca - after all, there is only one place worth visiting and this is it - there is suddenly a reason to wander lonely as a cloud along this very carriageway. At which your Humble Correspondent is somewhat of an expert.

Chef Kodama aims to produce "jitsuryoku-ha" French cuisine. He succeeds, brilliantly. The Japanese word jitsuryoku is normally translated as capable and effective, but it also has a feeling of "the power behind the throne" in certain uses.

This is more than "capable" cooking; it is a mastery that expresses itself in food that is quietly confident and an unrepentant expression of sublime virtuosity. Chef Kodama represents the younger generation of highly experienced French chefs in Tokyo, the presence of which group goes a long way to explaining the continuing rise of this fair city in the gastronomic halls of fame.

Your Humble Correspondent first ventured there sometime back to meet The Duchess in a vain effort to convince here to add her considerable skills to the burgeoning team in Yokohama. Got my just desserts, actually, because one should never mix business with pleasure - particularly when the pleasure component is as Xanadific as Restaurant Hiromichi.

For entrees, we enjoyed Les Bonbons de boudin noir et pommes de terre croustillantes (nuggets of boudin noir wrapped in crispy potato with a caramel and apple reduction) and Bien fait des mer du printemps,montagnes,et de nature (Goodness, how poetic ... Blessings of the Oceans, Mountains, and Fields, or much more mundanely 'spring salad'). Oh the decadence, oh the delicacy! Delightfully prepared, and each dish a feast for the all the five senses.

Our main courses were Ballottine de "Shamo Kawamata" parfum de romarin (Ballotine of Kawamata gamecock fragranced with Rosemary) and Canard challandaise rôti et Crème de confit de canard (Roasted Challandaise duckling with Cream of Duck Thighs). A coarser scribe might tend to a rampantly sexual description but I shall forbear, except to say that it was better.

Restaurant Hiromichi has over 200 French wines for your enjoyment, although your Humble Correspondent has to admit to not trying them all (yet). The Sancerre we enjoyed was delightfully laced with the minerality of the terroir with a fresh acidic finish, and expressing all of the full character of the fruit.

Enjoy Restaurant Hiromichi with someone special, someone very special indeed. This is one of a handful of restaurants that will be best enjoyed as an occasional extravagance, rather than a casual stop-gap. Try not to visit more than, say, once a week.

And raise a coupe de champagne to the Shadow at the window. After all, The Shadows knows ...

Restaurant Hiromichi [Map]: Mita 1-12-24, Meguro Ward. t: 03-5768-0722
Rating: Food: 8/10; Wine: 8/10; Service: 7/10; Capability: 8/10; Price-Performance: 7/10. Total: 38/50

Bonne Femme - A little saucy for some!

One begins to intimately understand the fancies and foibles of friends, Gentle Reader, when one is engaged in this foodie blogging thing. Some like it hot, some like it slow, others prefer gentle, and still others look for urbanity and sophistication. While there's no accounting for it, people's tastes really are quite varied. And in the humble opinion of this Casual Observer, there is not much profit in trying to satisfy all.

We ventured as 16 brave souls of the Tokyo Darkside recently to Bistro Bonne Femme in Tameike [Map]. It had come strongly recommended by none other than Gourmand Eric Dahler [Eric's Wine Prosperite] as a venue particularly suited to our formidable gathering of illuminati, and we were all looking forward to re-visiting this bastion of diplomatic dining located as it is so conveniently to the Embassy quarter.

Your Humble Correspondent was very pleasantly surprised by the technique and flair demonstrated by the kitchen at Bonne Femme. It is no mean feat to serve cuisine classique to 16 diners simultaneously. The five courses (Amuse, two entree, a main course, and dessert) served to the Darkside were all turned out neatly with the highest standard of presentation. The sauces were a feature of the meal (note this point for later reference). The ingredients were excellent, definitely not like the variety served below stairs that one would expect at the price (Y5,000).

The house wines which we enjoyed in considerable volume are also exceedingly well-priced (Y3,500) given the above-average quality. Combined with friendly and accommodating service, this makes Bonne Femme a good choice for events between 12-16 ne'er-do-wells as well as an appealing venue for quieter tetes-a-tete.

So you can imagine my surprise, Gentle Reader, when I received a post-dated comment from someone we shall just call 'Joe' to preserve anonymity: Chef could "do just as well cooking in a Massachusetts roadside diner ...", and calling for a chef whose "idea of French Food isn't sauce, sauce, sauce.....". A quick survey of other attendees indicates that 'Joe' is rather in the minority on this, and that many Massachusetts roadside diners could definitely benefit from this sort of improvement.

Oh, and cuisine classique is my favorite style of French, based on the work of Escoffier and made famous in the legendary restaurants of Europe like the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo and the Savoy in London. We have it on good authority, Gentle Reader, that Escoffier never visited Massachusetts. Unless it was Massachusetts, Monaco.

This revolution in the kitchen with the introduction of chef de cuisine brought about the replacement of service à la française (serving all dishes at once) with service à la russe (serving meals in courses), as well as the formalization of the preparation of both sauces (Bigod! Fancy that ...) and complex dishes based on Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire.

For your Humble Correspondent it defines the pinnacle of haute cuisine: sinfully and delightfully distinct from cuisine bourgeoise, the quick and working-class cuisine of bistros [the word bistro likely comes from the Russian быстро bystro meaning "quickly"], and the (blessedly!) bafflingly delicious array of French provincial cuisines.

Cuisine classique has been criticized for heavy sauces, silly names for dishes, and very involved preparation. Yet cuisine as an art form needs a formal component, and a chef who has mastered the disciplines of cuisine classique is better equipped thereby to venture other pathways.

Sadly, more restaurants today focus on nouvelle cuisine and cuisine du terroir which offer better margin performance for the wretchedly money-minded restaurateur. Suitable perhaps for San Francisco, which is not in Monte Carlo either. Mind you, neither is Tameike come to think of it but it is close to a palace.

But cuisine classique is - well - classic. And therefore suited to fat boys, and unrepentant followers of la belle epoch. Just the thing for the more saucy among us. Like moi... but not 'Joe'.

Bonne Femme [Map]: Akasaka 1-3-13, Tameike Suzuki Bldg. 1F. t: 03-3582-0200
Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Sauciness: 7/10; Price-Performance: 7/10.
Total: 35/50

La Terrace, Hong Kong

It is a little far to travel, one supposes, to Hong Kong to visit a neighbourhood French restaurant. Surely more appropriate to enjoy the splendid Chinese cuisine on offer, what ho! And we had, at a splendid Yum Cha luncheon washed down by a refreshing quaff of Australian Sauvignon Blanc (one wonders if that should be Sauvignon Blanche). It was also Spring, when a fat man's thoughts turn to ... well, food.

Your Humble Correspondent was indeed in the Pearl City for other reasons, but ever vigilant in pursuit of your dining pleasure we visited La Terrasse in Soho for a splendid meal at the suggestion of the redoubtable Colin. In the time-honoured tradition of this random collection of mutterings, Colin is not Colin's real name but it is remarkably easy to remember and one in which he seems to revel. He also has a well-developed love for good wine, which is a singularly endearing characteristic. Surprisingly, Colin is sans wine-pimp and relies on the normally unreliable off-licenses which in true HK fashion are perfectly reliable. Hmm, seems like an opportunity for an enterprising young man ...

The Soho area in the Mid-Levels of Hong Kong is probably one of your more favourite haunts, dear Gentle and Well-Travelled Reader, but for your Humble Correspondent and The Once and Future Blonde it was a revelation. Colin informs me that there is often more mediocrity on offer than mastery, often exacerbated by an influx of restaurant entrepreneurs perhaps more focused on margins than on the dining experience. But happily this is not the case at La Terrasse, which has delighted patrons for many years and relies exclusively on word-of-mouth rather than crass publicity.

You will no doubt be surprised to learn that we were seated on the very pleasant terrace at the rear of the restaurant. This showed estimable foresight by Chef Rene, as it meant that we were located in such a way as to feel suitably honored yet at the same time we were unable to frighten away any other potential patrons.

A word to the wise - avoid pastis as a pre-dinner drink. More accurately, avoid a surfeit of pastis as pre-dinner drinks. Actually, avoid very large quantities of pastis (think barrique).

It was scrumptious, mais oui, but left one considerably light-headed and with a resounding after-taste of aniseed. Of course this effect could possibly be put down to quantity rather than quality, but one was en vacance after all! In fact, it is now apparent to me why so many French bohemians became ... ah, bohemian. Pastis could quite likely induce aberrant behaviour in even the most-level headed of Correspondents.

But we digress. With The Don and Bride, we let ourselves be gently guided by Colin and Mrs Colin into a selection of entree and main courses that would test most kitchens. Do try the roasted heritage tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella - a very interesting and successful variation on Caprese. The Sea Bass and Scallops was delicious, and was sauced prettily with a magical combination of butter and chives. Entrecote is somewhat of a speciality at La Terrasse, and given the satisfied faces of my companions you can safely assume it was entirely up to scratch. Do not give in to the siren call of the house-made bread ... well, at least try to avoid over-indulging.

Chef Badu is passionate about sourcing quality produce, which virtue results in a focus on precision in preparation and an admirable lack of fuss in presentation. La Terrasse is good at simplicity, and offers the visitor a guarantee of quality dining without the trappings of celebrity status.

The wine list at La Terrasse is more than adequate, with an above-average range of vintage and chateau at reasonable prices. While this is no doubt due to the enlightened move by Government to remove the tax on wine, it also encourages experimentation and indulgence - qualities that are your Humble Correspondent's forte. We sampled a Sancerre and two vintages of a sterling Bordeaux, and despite a slight tang of aniseed (see above) these quickly evaporated by the glassful in the pleasant Hong King spring weather. As did my memory of their labels. However, my companions assure me that I enjoyed them immensely. And the champagne ... Champagne? We had Champagne?

The floor team at La Terrasse are both efficient and friendly, a combination that seems strangely rare in Hong Kong. All of this makes for a very pleasant dining experience, for which we are all suitably grateful to Simon ... oops, Colin.

La Terrasse is such a pleasant combination of all of the things that go to make a "keeper" that it comes as somewhat of a surprise that it is on such a cruelly steep hill. Surely Rene could have managed it better! Thighs ache and chests heave if you approach from Staunton Street. The cost of the Sherpa team can be prohibitive. But follow the second option in the directions below and you should find it relatively easy.

Visit La Terrasse with friends and locals you wish to impress, but whose company you intend to enjoy. Like Colin. And smile sweetly at the fat boy in the back with the oxygen mask; after all, I'm the one who recommended the place!

La Terrasse [Directions]: 19 Old Bailey Street, Mid-levels, Central, Hong Kong. t:(852) 2147 2225
Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 8/10; Service: 7/10; Terrace-ness: 7/10; Price-Performance: 7/10.
Total: 36/50.

Les Halles - Worth the hunt!

It was with considerable anticipation, Gentle Reader, that I scooted off to Gotanda with the Once and Future Blonde to an assignation at Les Halles [no website, this introduction courtesy of Pieroth] with our dear friends the Lord Schatzie and Her Excellency The Duchess of Piffle.

This restaurant has delighted Tokyo foodies for a number of years, yet was still on your Humble Correspondent's list of "must-visit" of restaurants. There is no sensible reason why I had not ventured out here, save that the venue is 200 metres outside the self-imposed Yamamoto Line boundary. One has to wonder why other acquaintances have never invited me to this wonderfully comfortable venue ... one settles into it easily like a well-used lounge chair, and the staff make one feel at once welcome and well-known.

Piffle and Schatzie are long-term regulars at Les Halles, and we four were undercover scouting potential venues for Tokyo Darkside. There are no finer partners for dinner, and the table was loud and warm with companionship and humour. It should be a natural for TDS.

A word to the wise - ask your driver to place you somewhere in the vicinity of Les Halles, rather than try to navigate you to the door. Be especially wary of any sound he makes that resemble "Huh!?!". Our good man burst upon the area, and "Huh!?!"-ed the Car-Navi with rather a sharp-pitched squeal. Only a tight pull on the reins saved us from the ignomy of roaming around Nishi-Gotanda forever.

Owner/chef Chihito Uchida has created a warm and pleasant environment at Les Halles, and glad we were to get inside on a cold wintery night. But a glass of champagne and a glance at the carte were enough to return a sparkle to the eye. Uchida-san offers a number of "courses" that can satisfy even the most discerning customer and the menu shows more than a hint of classical training and considerable experience standing behind the dishes on offer.

We all chose Course A @ Y4,800, with the Countess and The Blonde choosing the venison and Shatzie and your Humble Correspondent settling on the Roast Pork. Sweetly poached oysters served as a stunning appetizer, followed by a delightful soup course, and the pork was stunning.

Uchida-san is that type of chef, Gentle Reader, that you could trust with your social life and your wallet. Cooking is as much part of his life as breathing, and with his young assistant he makes light of even the most demanding request while delivering a quality dining experience that feels like it could be in one's own home. The food at Les Halles is classique francais, and classic Tokyo in terms of quality and price-performance.

The wine list seems well matched to most pockets - with reasonable quality at the low end, some bargains in the mid-range, and a welcome lack of greed at the higher end. We settled on a pleasant Chablis at Y5,900 and followed this with a very satisying Pinot Noir at a little more. Our bill, for four, came to a little over Y30,000 including drinks and wine.

Les Halles is a place to visit with friends and family, rather than colleagues or business visitors. Find a place in the diary, Gentle Reader, to visit Les Halles - it deserves your support and you deserve its warm welcome and gentle insistence on relaxation.

And if you happen to see a table for four that seems a little noiser than most, send over a jug of claret please. I can promise we'll appreciate it!

Les Halles: 8-1-13 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa Ward. t: 03-5437-1271
Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Price: 7/10; Yamanote-ness: 7/10. Total: 35/50

Restaurant J, Hiroo

One has learnt to be very wary, Gentle Reader, of companies that choose to use initials only in their names. TGIF is apparently ancient Sumerian for "very bad food with too much grease", Kentucky Fried Chicken paled to a shadow of its former self when it became KFC, and FCUK appears to be an abbreviation for that company's intentions with one's wallet. Even the iconic Louis Vuitton seems to have been transformed into a Latin version of "lump(en)" with its metamorphosis into LVMH.

But all that is now a faint and distant memory after a recent foray into the back streets of Hiroo to dine with my Stern friend at Restaurant J [Map], perched happily above Enoteca in the Arisugawa West building. Reviews - see this by Robbie Swinnerton at the Japan Times, [or RS @ JT?] - have been blushingly gushing about Restaurant and Bar J (should that be RBJ? If so, I'm all the way ...). This is a very fine contemporary restaurant, and deserves every ounce of that praise.

Chef Masahito Ueki has been freed from the chains of the Sabatini group to return to his first love Restaurant J, after earlier fighting free of Global Dining (where he starred at Tableau and Stellato). The first Restaurant J was located off Omotesando, but closed when Chef flitted off for 4 years to Massa's in Karuizawa (whereby the Sabatini connection). But the time in Karuizawa certainly has not been wasted, with Chef returning to his roots - fresh, organic vegetables. Your Humble Correspondent feels it fey not to forgive him for the dalliance, given the splendid results it seems to have delivered.

We opted for the second course option (6 courses @ Y6,500) and the Wine Flight which features a Champagne, two whites, and three red wines. All were delicious, and carefully chosen. Strange to relate, our dinner conversation suffered resounding silences as each course was delivered. We were stunned by the superb Organic Vegetable Soup, left in awe by the Poisson Frites, and dazzled by the Chitogenton Pork. Indeed, I confess to briefly forgetting my Stern companion for an awkward lacuna of time rhapsodizing over the Bavarois of Winter Radish with Tasmanian Pepper Berry Sauce.

Chef Ueki's food is graced with both delicacy and firm flavor directions, and there is no doubt that Restaurant J will be pushing for Michelin consideration as the rating season picks up in ferocity through Spring. The floor staff are very attentive and highly skilled, although there is a tendency to serve courses a little quickly thus putting the kitchen's convenience ahead of the customer's. But one quiet word sufficed to put this to rights, and the rest of the evening was an elegant minuet through a broad palette of tastes and textures that reminded your Humble Correspondent why he first got into this food blogging game in the first place.

The "J" apparently refers to both jeu and joie, play and joy in the noble Frankish tongue. This seems to be a very apt description of the relationship between chef and diner at Restaurant J. Make a reservation to dine a deux with lovers, or with clients and colleagues you really want to impress.

And should you see a furtive figure peering in from the balcony, please ask me to come join your celebration. I won't eat much, I promise!

Restaurant J [Map]: Arisugawa West 2F, 5-14-15 Minami-Azabu, Minato Ward. t: 03-5798-9070
Rating: Food: 8/10; Wine: 8/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Vegetarianism: 8/10; Price: 7/10. Total: 38/50.

Brasserie Manoir - Calm Sophistication

It can be tedious, Gentle Reader, to visit restaurants that have already been blogged by the nibbling crowds ... it can be so difficult to find something new to say, or a new way to say something. At the same time, there is such enormous variety and variation that I suppose one must struggle manfully through despite the mundane cacophony of varying opinions.

Your Humble Correspondent had wandered off the Brasserie Manoir in Ebisu with The Once and Future Blonde looking for a brief moment of culinary respite. Frankly, one gets the distinct feeling that many establishments are cutting costs a little too deeply and while we are not likely to return to the days of Chicken Kiev and Veal Cordon Bleu, many menus in Tokyo recently seem to trend to a vague beige jumble of low-cost, high-return winter-ish dishes. I swear I shall go a violent shade of purple if I am offered even one more haricot bean or ragout.

Manoir, happily, fell into none of these gastronomic cliches. I started with an excellent plate of seasonal vegetables which is somewhat of a speciality of the house, with good reason. Well presented, each of the offerings was delightfully tooth-ish and flavorsome. The Blonde was in raptures over a fois gras with a fig garnish, and our Sancerre Domaine du Nozay 2007 was a subtle partner for the flavors of both dishes.

Those of you who know your Humble Correspondent are aware of his predilection for all things porcine - so you can imagine how tickled I was to be offered a charcuturie of hand-made meats representing almost the entire anatomy of the noble swine. House-prepared ham, bacon, and sausage: all splendidly piggish. For Madame, a Beef Bourgogne that showed excellent balance between the meat and the accompaniments which is too often lacking when prepared by less experienced chefs.

Brasserie Manoir is an elegant and sophisticated venue, where attention to detail is obvious and the service is both professional and friendly. Toddle along there, Gentle Reader, when you're looking for culinary relief from the pressing hordes. And should you spy a strange creature in the corner strangely resembling a pig-man, toss a crust!

Brasserie Manoir [Map]: Hiroo 1-10-6; t: 03-3446-8288
Rating: Food 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 8/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Value: 7/10. Total: 36/50

Chez Tomo - A Pilgrimage

Continuing a tradition of plagiarism that began with The Mysterious Affair at Provinage, we turn to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales:

When June with his showers sweet with fruit
The drought of May has pierced unto the root
And bathed each glass with liquor that has power
To generate therein, so sweet words flower;

... And many little bloggers make prosody
That dine through all the night with open eye
(So Nature pricks them on to praise and rage)
-Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage,

... And specially from every divers end
of Japan they to restaurants wend,
The blessed tasty victuals there to seek
Which sustained them when they sat so lorn and weak

Befell that, in that season, on a day
In Mita, near Roppongi, as I lay
Ready to start upon my pilgrimage
To Shirogane, full of devout homage,

Fortunate indeed I was, Gentle Reader, to join with fellow Eaters-Out-in-Tokyo Dominic and Jon on a visit to Chez Tomo, the Michelin 1-star in Shirokane that has attracted plenty of attention. Both of my fellow correspondents, neither of them Humble, have already posted (here and here) about our experience at the hands of Chef Tomoji Ichikawa. I shan't bore you with mundane details, the telling of which they are far more suited to than your Humble Correspondent.

What both comforts and confuses me is, on the other hand, how our palates get jaded here in the Michelin-City of Tokyo. My two companions on this pilgrimage damned Chez Tomo with faint (feint?) praise - splendid venue, superb service, great attention to detail ... what ho! But just a tad disappointed with the fare were my erudite friends. Pshaw! I say to them. The food is creative and highly focused around the highest quality ingredients. Imagination and presentation are at least the grade of many an establishment garnished with 2 stars. And the fact that the main dish was not to our taste may reflect, I fear, more on the diners than the kitchen.

What your Humble Correspondent begs to submit, milords and gentle ladies, is that our collective expectations around haute cuisine in Tokyo perhaps exceeds the reality that surrounds us. Perhaps, indeed, we are all a tad spoiled. For me, Chez Tomo is an elegant and enjoyable addition to both this fair city and the Guide. Remember, one star means "worth a visit if in the area" - not "expect the stars". Visit Chez Tomo when you visit Shirogane, and when you seek to impress rather than entertain. And your Humble Correspondent? He'll blog on ...

But none the less, whilst I have time and space,
Before yet farther in this life I pace,
It seems to me accordant with good manners true
To inform you of the state of every culinary venue!!!

Chez Tomo: 5-15-5 Shirokane, Minato Ward. t: 03-5789-7731
Rating: Food: 8/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 8/10; Ambience: 7/10; Value: ($) 8/10. Total: 38/50

Le Petit Courageux - a little brave indeed!

The more faithful of you, Gentle Reader, will likely be aware that your Humble Correspondent rarely takes advice on restaurants. This unpleasant character flaw is the unfortunate result of too much time around those who believe that nachos constitute food, and that Budweiser stands for beer. There has also been little willingness to lend an ear to those from the Old Dart, on the assumption that there is even less likelihood of sensible conversations about food, for reasons that should be obvious. [Disclaimer: There are a number of you from the UK and USA whom I obviously listen to avidly. Please ignore the claptrap above. You know who you are...]

So you can imagine my consternation when a British acquaintance suggested recently that we dine at a "little place" he had noticed. My pulse rate climbed when he mentioned that he had never eaten there, and I was almost quivering with fear after he told me that said restaurant had pushed a flier under his door some time ago entitling him to a 10% discount.

What a horrid man I am! How dare I doubt a man obviously seized with a passion to impress! What detestable arrogance! The restaurant, Le Petit Courageux, is two streets behind the main Motomachi shopping area in a residential area and might be a little difficult to find. But on entering, one is struck by a sense of simplicity and quiet elegance. A glance at the menu was enough to quieten my restless spirit and quicken the appetite. We were in for a treat!

Chef spent a considerable time at the famous Michelin 2-star Restaurant Richard & Christopher Coutanceau at La Rochelle in Poitou-Charentes. La Rochelle is one of the more beautiful towns in France, and the port has an extraordinary history from the time of Eleanor of Acquitaine all the way through to the present day.

The influence of the Coutanceau father and son combination flows through the menu. There is a very commendable effort at authenticity, and one can readily appreciate the classique approach once the well-crafted dishes begin to arrive. The wine list is simple yet well thought through (some of which is supplied by the omnipresent Eric Dahler - my goodness, that man gets around!), and though my dinner companion was a self-imposed teetotaller I was able to enjoy a nice Macon by the glass.

The menu, which also has an a la carte option, features four courses - a light option at Y2,500, a 3 course option at Y 3,800, and a premium menu at Y8,000 where the diner conspires with Chef to develop a special one-off haute couture menu. Your Humble Correspondent was both intrigued and delighted by a special Yokohama 150 Year Anniversary menu at Y5,800 which features dishes from historically important identities or facilities over that 150 years. So impressed, in fact, that he plans a return visit within days to enjoy this wonderful opportunity together with the Child Bride!

Gentle Reader, this restaurant is a discovery! You simply must keep it in mind when looking for something out-of-the ordinary to impress friends and lovers, particularly those resident in distant Kanagawa. While Yokohama seems a trifle distant from the spires of Roppongi or Nishi-Azabu, the Shinjuku-Shonan Liner takes a mere 23 minutes from Ebisu to Yokohama station and from there it is a mere hop to Ishikawa-cho. Or couple a visit to this restaurant with an overnight stay in Minato-Mirai.

But whatever you do, find an opportunity to visit this interesting and satisfying venue. I am sure you'll come away both impressed and satisfied. And should you come across a obviously sated and happy garden gnome sitting on the roadside, do him a favor and help him to his feet. Otherwise I might miss the train!

Le Petit Courageux: 5-211-20 Motomachi, Naka Ward, Yokohama. t: 045-681-2665
Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 8/10; Ambience: 7/10; Price: ($) 7/10. Total: 36/50

Le Pre Verre - Something different

Omotesando strikes this casual observer as a cacophony of trends and trendies, something that does not quite fit well with the demeanor of your Humble Correspondent. Too many fashionistas, Gentle Reader, and too much strain on the neck as one swivels to and fro observing the constant ebb and flow of young pretties all seeking to out-do one another.

But when faced with the need to choose a restaurant that was both within reach and sufficiently sophisticated to dine with two long-term colleagues of the female persuasion, Le Pre Verre seemed a sensible yet affordable answer. I wanted to have a sensible business conversation with people who know the beauty and people business deeply - the fact that a corner table looked out of floor-to-ceiling windows meant that our chatter would be somewhat private. So putting on my best "crowd" face, I determined to push through the milling hordes of date-ers and date-ees and be a genial dinner companion despite the location.

Now, I should first register considerable surprise that the restaurant was not full - in fact, we were perhaps one of four or five tables for the entire evening. While that meant that we received excellent service, it was also slightly disconcerting. Was there something I had missed? Had some hapless Harajuku harpie cursed this fine establishment? Was the financial crisis extending its fickle finger so far?

Let me reassure you all (well, the two of you who read this blog) that your Humble Correspondent is completely baffled by this strange happenstance - Le Pre Verre (trans: The Glass Meadow??) is a good contemporary French bistro located in a fashionable and eminently visitable part of Tokyo. In fact, methinks this provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy good food at a reasonable price (Y4,800) and a very respectable carte des vin without the cat's chorus of out-of-place OLs interrupting gentile conversation.

Our entrees covered the entire pallette - we chose an excellent Bresse chicken and fois gras terrine, Tomato farcie, and a superb chilled cucumber and mint soup (YHC) and considerable debate ensued as to who "won" this round. I, of course, was in no doubt and as a very reluctant sharer refused my two companions even a teaspoon of this elixir.

The plats were even better - my veal cheeks were served with a vanilla custard that was both inspired and delicious, an often too rare combination. A red bream dish looked and tasted good, and the duck lived up to expectations by being moist and rich with a delightful lingering aftertaste.

Le Pre Verre bills itself as providing cuisine et vins d'auteurs which defies sensible translation, but delivers on a promise of creativity and fun. The restaurant would be better served by being full of mature diners, of course, but despite the somewhat "empty" feeling this is a very comfortable venue. It also represents excellent value-for-money and value-for-time-invested.

So take my advice, Gentle Reader, and stroll down the faux Parisien avenues of Harajuku to Le Pre Verre. Not only is getting a reservation straightforward, but you'll be able to enjoy both a little civility and a delightful meal at one stroke. And if you see a chap bibbed and lolling in the corner, have pity ... and be generous!

Le Pre Verre: 4th Floor, 5-10-1 Jingumae, Shibuya Ward. t: 03-3486-1603
Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Ambience: 7/10; Price: ($) 7/10. Total: 35/50

Sens - A little faux

A life on the gin-and-tonic front lines of business, Gentle Reader, leaves one somewhat gnarled and immune to the blandishments of luxury brands and "bling". A gentleman nevers pays attention to decoration, but rather focuses on companions and the purpose at hand. He certainly never takes price into account, preferring quality to fashion.

This is rather difficult to achieve at Sens, given the omnipresent and overwhelming effort that has been put into paying homage to Louis XIV style magnificence and gild. To get some idea of what confronted your Humble Correspondent on a recent visit to Sens, suspend disbelief and click on this link.

The French word "sens" can mean the physical senses like sight, touch, taste, and scent. I would counsel the operators of Sens that they may have gone a little overboard with the "sight" element, and perhaps a little under-board with the "taste" element at sister establishment Ginger's Beach in the Bay Quarter area of Yokohama. It's odd really - Sens serves reasonable food but the decoration lacks "taste"; and Ginger's Beach is light on the ocular senses, but the food lacks "taste". Ginger is apparently a Hawaiian chap, so perhaps there's more logic to this than your Humble Correspondent imagines. But I digress (again).

The menu at Sens is what one might expect - inspired by both French and Italian cuisine, there's little that can be poor, and less that might be excellent. My terrine was passing pleasant, and the beef fillet was better than most at this price. The menu feels like it was designed to be both sophisticated and approachable for less experienced punters, rather than reflecting Chef's particular preferences or peccadilloes. The wine list is similarly predictable and affordable. (Note the lack of the adjective "imaginative" in the previous sentence.)

But a word of warning - Sens is without doubt a "date spot", where the ganging (Scot: to go or walk [Old English: gangan]) hordes of nearly-30's and professional singles gather to mutually gauge matrimonial suitability. [Thought: Perhaps the feckless Jon may want to visit ...]

The decor should have been a siren warning to me, I admit. But at the same time, this restaurant is a (slight) cut above most of its colleagues in the Azabu Juban and the B1 dining area is less gaudy than the opulent ground floor... which is like saying that The Winter Palace in St Petersburg is less gaudy than Versailles.

I wouldn't recommend a special trip to Sens by any stretch of the imagination, but should you find yourself in the vicinity and wanting something more than yakiniku or pale imitations of Spanish tapas you could do worse than drop in.

But perhaps you might want to make sure the RayBan's are in ready reach. After a visit to Sens, the Taj Mahal will seem like a sensory deprivation experience!

Sens: 4-3-1 Azabu-Juban, Minato Ward. t: 03-3453-6515
Rating: Food: 6/10; Wine: 6/10; Service: 6/10; Bling: 7/10; Price: ($$) 7/10. Total: 32/50