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)