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)

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

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

La Cometa - Stellar!

You may have noticed, Gentle Reader, a certain predilection on the part of your Humble Correspondent for French and Italian cuisine. Which is not in itself a bad thing, but which can sometimes lead to monotony. One is always on the search for new venues, with a high likelihood of disappointment.

So imagine my delight when introduced to a "new" establishment within a gentle stroll from the Hellhole - La Cometa [no website, but Tabelog entry here] is in Azabu Juban just below Toriizaka, on the second floor up a gentle set of stairs. "New" is rather an odd choice of words in this case, for La Cometa has been delighting customers for more than 25 years ... and despite the fact that your Humble Correspondent has been disturbing the good burghers of that fine village for the best part of 15 of those years, I had never taken the opportunity to try the fare.

So in the company of the gentle friends of the Tokyo Darkside, I made forth to repair this oversight with the Child Bride. Young Joseph had negotiated a seemly menu with Chef, which more than satisfied for a very reasonable price (Y6,000). He had also been shopping for some wine in the Italian section of Nissen (may their praises be sung for generations!), and had come up with a mouth-watering Gavi de Gavi white wine, and a choice of Chianti Classico or Montepulciano reds.

Make no mistake - the food here is good, wholesome, and thoughtful. While La Cometa is not likely to win a Michelin Star or Silver Spoon any time soon, such a goal is likely the furtherest thing from the proprietors' minds. Full marks to them for focusing on quality and imagination, rather than being all skirt and no knickers like some other "hussies" doing the rounds in Tokyo.

While we welcomed a number of new Darkside participants, this venue is small enough to feel comfortable and large enough to accomodate around 20 punters. I like the clean and uncomplicated atmosphere - far too many restaurants that have been running for some time tend to collect more bric-a-brac than the Antique Roadshow (it seems to me that many of these are Italian restaurants ... maybe it's something in the parmesano?).

Service here is happy and bustling, much like one would expect in a rural osteria, and La Cometa has a patina of friendliness that I for one enjoy above all else. Your Humble Correspondent fully expects to become a regular customer of this fine hostelerie, which fact may convince some to stay well clear!

Visit La Cometa with family and friends, and expect to share a variety of well-prepared Italian classics dusted with the occasional dash of magic. Look out for the portly and vaguely familar figure in the corner - he's sure to raise a glass ... and have it added to your account!

La Cometa [Map]: 2nd Floor, 1-7-2 Azabu Juban, Minato Ward. t: 03-3470-5105
Rating: Food: 7/10; Friendliness: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Value ($$): 7/10. Total: 35/50

I Sentieri - A Collaboration

Some of you will recall the Tokyo Dining Group I started called "Tokyo Darkside" (post a comment if you'd like an invitation). The goals of the group, Gentle Reader, are to spend time with friends once a month, enjoy some good food and wine, and to do all of this for under Y10,000 each. Froth and bubble, I know, but we all wander around networking and/or high society events and rarely put aside an hour or two for friendship. Which is a sorely needed commodity in these troubled times.

Accompanied by The Child Bride and ten of our brave Darkside companions, we set off in search of the Holy Grail and a shrubbery ... no, in search of amusement and social intercourse ... to i Sentieri [Map] in Nishi Azabu. The map is directionally useless, Gentle Reader, so stroll in a sedate and gentile manner from Hobsons towards Shibuya, turn left at the first street (you're now heading towards Hiroo), walk approximately 50 paces and look for an illegible sign about the size of one of Their Majesty's Royal Mail stamps, and fix upon the concrete left-handed spiral staircase on your left going up to the 2nd floor with some imposing metallic doors. That is i Sentieri.

Mario Frittoli has enjoyed a frantic and peripatetic career in Japan and is a star of television and print. He is also a cook of some talent, so we were looking forward to great things in his Collaboration with Chef Yasuji Morizumi of Chabu-Ya and Mist. The affable Eric of Wine Prosperite had sent along some excellent wines (at a good price!), and all was in readiness for frivolity.

The menu was well considered: Sea Bream in Fish Broth, Handkerchief Noodles, Roasted Vegetables with Tuscany Oil, Quail Ragout Risotto, Coffee-scented Roast Lamb with Foie Gras, Lamb and Quail Chabuya Ramen, and dessert. Mario certainly shows great promise, and we all know that Morizumi is a ramen genius. The staff are excellent, and the atmosphere warm and welcoming. Layout and design are endowed with Mario's elegant sense of aesthetic. The map is, for those who may have missed Your Humble Correspondent's earlier vitriol, a navigational nightmare.

Unfortunately it didn't all come together exactly right; similar I imagine to Shakespeare's plays before rehearsals came into fashion. Serving that many, with seven courses, from a small kitchen, is no easy task. Perhaps a trial run with helpful friends (pick me, my Captain!) would assist.

That said, I'm actually prepared to recommend i Sentieri as a relaxing yet elegant venue for time with friends and lovers. There are nooks and crannies, as well as well-lit open spaces. Mario has always been an adventurous and skillful chef, and his innate Italian-ness means that you're treated almost as a family friend.

So wander along like a good chap and tell Mario I sent you. That should mean we both benefit. And if you see a tubby chubby sitting at the bar drinking Peroni, offer to pick up the account!

i Sentieri [Map]: Conforia Nishi Azabu 4-1-10 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku t: 03 6418 7072 e: info@mario-frittoli.com
Rating: Food: 6; Wine: 8; Service: 7; Ambiance: 8; Price: 7 ($$). Total 36/50

Mystery a la Carte

Just a quick note, Gentle Reader, to remind that the Tyler Foundation event "Mystery a la Carte" is on 26 September at the Hilton Hotel, Shinjuku. This will be a wonderful combination of food, wine and entertainment for a great cause. Only the bubonic plague will stop your Humble Correspondent being there!

Bravo Bolice!

Most Italian restaurants in Tokyo focus on the better known regional cuisines - Tuscan, Venetian, Milanese and the like. Few, if any, understand or prepare Roman food. Enter Bolice, introduced to me by the erudite and urbane James Ashley. Funny, then, that Bolice doesn't seem to have a website ...

Italian food is done marvellously well here in Tokyo, and competition is tough. Bolice stands up to the broiling crowd, and shines likes a chic and comfortable beacon in Minami-Aoyama down at the tawdry end of Nisseki-dori where it abuts Roppongi-dori (Route 246). One senses a refuge as soon as one enters, and the gentle staff make the experience painless and pleasant all at the same time.

It was not difficult for James to convince me to take the o-makase option and we leapt into a Moretti beer (me) and a gin and tonic (James). See what I mean about urbanity? It must be something with these English people - at a bar with an English lordling recently, I found myself reduced to a quivering mass of masculine jelly when forced to order a Pimms for a fellow male.

Chef delighted us with a succession of pastas, with the gnocchi and the nero di seppia standing out. We chose a pleasant pinot nero to accompany the meal, but in a completely senior moment I neglected to take a note of the label. Fawning apologies, Gentle Reader, but you needs forgive your Humble Correspondent occasional slips of memory if you wish to continue on this food adventure here in Tokyo.

Our pork followed (it was for this that I had ordered the Pinot Nero). Oh dear ... this was sublime, light and "truffulent" (think truculent and truffle), with little in the way of vegetable matter to get in the way of two committed carnivores. There is much to be said, Gentle Reader, for the theory that Italians invented pigs although little in way of convincing evidence except their extraordinary facility in dealing with the meat of that blessed beast.

The dessert menu looked remarkably tempting, but seriously glycemic so we opted for a little cheese to put the remainder of our wine to rest.

Oh brave Bolice, oh bellisimo Bolice! Il cibo era buonissimo. I think I love you... Keep Bolice for very personal moments with little regard for the company. I shall be bringing the denizens of the Darkside here for our July baccanale, so if you see 16 glazed-eyed diners sitting inside it may be a good time to avoid Bolice. Otherwise, it's closed on Mondays.

Bolice [Map]: 7-10-9 Minami-Aoyama, Minami-Aoyama Rapp? (ラップ) Bldg. Tel: 03-6659-4924
Rating: Food: 7; Wine: 7; Service: 7; Ambience: 8; Price: 7 ($$). Total 36/50

Le Marche Shines Through!

You may recall, Gentle Reader, that I introduced Le Marche aux Puces (LMaP) in November as a pleasant spot for a Sunday brunch, coming with the recommendation of a friend well-connected to the French Embassy. Intrigued by that encounter, I recently sallied forth with my dubious group of evening diners (Tokyo Darkside) to test the dinner options.

Oh joy! Oh bliss! Not only did the fleas behave themselves, but the 11 brave Knights of the Darkside agreed that we had found ourselves one of Tokyo's hidden secrets at a simply unbelievable price.

Serving 11 is never easy, particularly when there is plenty to interest the punters on the bill of fare. LMaP managed this feat with no fuss, plenty of friendly cross-lingual banter, and lashings of quiet efficiency. From among the entree (starter) on the menu, people variously chose Warmed Lobster en Croute, Marinated Salmon with Dill Sauce, Boudin en Croute, Salad Nicoise, Terrine de Foie Gras, and Pate de Canard (your humble correspondent!). Each and every punter reported a great start to the meal, ably lubricated with numerous examples of Chablis and Sancerre white wines at very reasonable prices.

Les Plats that were enjoyed by the madding crowd of Darksiders included Sirloin of Vension in Red Wine Pepper sauce, Thigh of Duck Challandais confit, Coquilles St Jacques Provencal, Lamb Chops in thyme sauce, Fresh fish of the day and Scallops in lobster sauce, Roast Pigeon, Sausgae Andouillete on Lentils. I had the pleasure of the last on this list, and it was magnificent! King Arthur chose a round little Burgundy to go with the dinner.

The rustic campagne cooking at LMaP is among the best in Tokyo, and that's saying something! And here's the kicker - dinner runs to Y3,200 per head for 3 courses, and the wine is very reasonably well-priced. That's an incredible deal, and even with the very thirsty Darksiders imbibing at their best full steam ahead, the whole dinner only came to Y9,000 per head.

I'm now prepared to enjoy LMaP with colleagues and with lovers, friends and scaly mates.

Rating:
Food: 8/10; Wine: 7/10; Service: 7/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Price: 8/10 ($). Total: 37/50
LMaP: Ebisu 2-5-8, Shibuya-Ku (03) 5420-3691 (Map)