Oh, Chez Matsuo!

Twice in the last two months I've been able to sneak off to Chez Matsuo [Japanese only] [map] for lunch. What a blessing this is - a peaceful retreat in Shoto. Far from the madding crowds, Gentle Reader, and as far from the hubbub of Shibuya as Denny's is from food!

The Engineer and I needed to discuss some business matters, so what better refuge than the delightful C. Matsuo. Established in this elegant residence in 1980, one might visit just to take in the wonderful collection of modern art with Chagall and Picasso particularly well represented. But as two long-term foodies from way back, we dived deep into the Dejeuner du Printemps (Luncheon) before we noticed the decoration. I've listed the menu below, but be aware that it changes on a daily basis, and difficult to influence unless you discuss matters with Chef well in advance.

Our food was, in a word, magnificent. Beautifully prepared, and wonderously plated on crockery that was especially designed for the restaurant. Each course was a lovely little journey into Chef's mind, and we both came away eager to travel with him again some time soon.

The service in English, French and Japanese is exemplary and the wine list outstanding (although a little on the steep side). Steeped in ambiance, C. Matsuo also boasts a lovely garden with running water and an exquisite Edwardian/Taisho feel - if you're a good boy or girl, you'll be invited to enjoy your dessert and coffee out here.

I'm surprised that Michelin only deigned to award 1 star here - perhaps the judges were having a collective bad day, or otherwise felt some animus to this long-standing star of the Tokyo dining scene. I will agree that there are aspects that feel quaint - but the food, wine and atmosphere overcome all of that with aplomb.

For your Humble Correspondent, true fine dining in the best foodie city on the planet!

Rating: Food: 8/10; Wine: 8/10; Ambiance: 8/10; Service: 8/10; Price ($$$$): 7/10. Total: 39/50
Chez Matsuo [Japanese only] : 1-23-15 Shoto, Shibuya Ward, 03-3485-0566 [map]

Dejeuner du Printemps

Hareng marine au verjus a la fleur de raifort vert a la chevre fraiche
Terrine de proc d'iberico et jeune shiitake chaud en tartine, au pissenlit
Soupe de gobo aux crouquettes de calmar
Noix de St-Jacques mi-cuit au Bai Ma-krut, au fenouil, aux oignons noveaux
Trou normand
Supreme de canard roti au miel et thym au Udo caramelise a la reglisse
Balnc-manger au lait de soja au basalic, sirop de cafe express au pralin

Benoit - Alain Ducasse's Tokyo Adventure

Some little time ago, I had the chance to visit Benoit [Map] with The Expat and a Candidate for an "interview" over dinner. You can imagine, Gentle Reader, the expectations I had for this Michelin-starred restaurant and I'm delighted to tell you that it deserves its rating. But there's something missing ... something I can't put my finger on, but something that leaves me wanting.

The food is stunning, and the bill of fare is full of spectacularly classic french cuisine. Each of us pronounced the hors d'oeuvre selection as marvellous with the stand-outs being the Tourteau facon aspic (Spider Crab in Aspic) and Jambon persille (Marbled Ham with parsley).

The starters and the mains are equally delightful, and I recommend the Vol-au-vent, the Dodine de canard, and Risotto for starters. Follow these with Scallops dorees, Kagoshima pork, or the Filet de boeuf Rossini.

As you would expect, the wine list is excellent and we chose a Sancerre followed by a nice Chateau Neuf-du-Pape that didn't dent the pocket as much as I expected. The service is also exemplary, and both the maitre d' and the sommelier paid us more attention than we probably deserved.

Still, something's missing. Maybe it's the effort to fit a faux French brasserie into a very contemporary building, but something feels false. I'm sure that the sharp edges and the sparkly gleam will fade into a more pleasant familiarity, but now it feels a bit like a new kitchen in a new apartment ... pretty, obviously functional, but needing some dents and dings to make it feel comfortable.

Visit Benoit with someone you intend to impress (you might try asking me!). It's worth every yen, and a wonderful eating experience!

Rating: Food: 8/10; Wine: 7/10; Ambiance: 6/10; Service: 8/10; Price ($$): 7/10. Total: 36/50
Benoit [Map]: 10th floor 5-51-8, Jingumae; 03-5468-0881

A ta guele - please don't shut your mouth

I've written before, Gentle Reader, about my cohorts in the Tokyo Darkside - a fine assembly of ladies and gentlemen who enjoy gathering once a month for the company and good food. We started this little club because we came to the realization that we rarely took the time for friends, living this expat networking life on the gin-and-tonic front lines of Tokyo.

This time, it was with a touch of regret that we gathered at A ta guele [Map] to farewell brave Sir Roderick, off to the Antipodes on a year's academic adventure as part of something called sabbatical. Funny - no mention of the same in my contract...

What a lovely little gem! This restaurant, which seats only 15, leads one on an adventure through french cuisine with a particular focus on rich and lucious meat dishes. The extravagant menu is redolent with dishes more reminiscent of a chateau than in Tokyo. Game is a speciality, a fact obvious when one sees the partridge and pigeon hanging by the entrance.

Chef George Somura started his career at the Hotel Okura, and after a term at the Japanese Embassy in Brussels, went on to star on the Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur Orient Express and then Raffles in Singapore (your Humble Correspondent's favorite hotel in all the world). Some of you may know him from Stellato, but I for one believe the food and the imperative genius exhibited at A ta guele goes far beyond what I have experienced there.

Chef and his (by now exhausted) waiter did a great job in looking after the 14 of us, and while I probably shan't take a large group there again, we were all well-looked after. The wine list is reasonably priced, and has all the usual suspects.

Enjoy A ta guele with friends or lovers, rather than business colleagues (unless you're celebrating!).

Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Ambiance: 8/10; Service: 7/10; Price ($$): 7/10. Total: 36/50
A ta guele [Map]: 1-23-15 Ebisu; (03-3449-8757); Closed on Mondays.

Lost in Transition - New York Grill

I rarely write about my disappointments, Gentle Reader, believing my Nana's oft-dispensed wisdom that if one can not say something nice one should never say anything at all.

However, when the venue is one like the New York Grill [Map] and is actively sought out by Japanese and visitor alike, I feel like I should stand up for the rights of all the people who come away from NYG feeling strangely under-done. There is really nothing wrong with NYG - the problem is that nothing stands outs. The venue is spectacular, the design outstanding, but with the murky lighting you fumble and feel your way through the furniture and the menu.

Quite rightly the cocktails are worthy of New York, but some one's made a serious misjudgement with the wine list. I am one of the first to agree that there are some great American wines, but to go overboard with theming by having solely American wines does the guest and the chef a disservice.

The food is well prepared, but lacks imagination or flair. Each ingredient in our food was high quality and the intention was clearly right - however, each dish failed to come together into an offering worthy of the attention the NYG gets after the Lost in Translation fanfare it received.

In fact, one feels that the NYG is waiting to go somewhere. With other great hotels opening elsewhere in Tokyo and each boasting a great restaurant, the Shinjuku Park Hyatt no longer seems a natural fit for this sort of effort. Maybe there's something in the wings that we don't know about, but I get the feeling that the place needs an overhaul.

All the staff go out of their way to be nice, and service is exemplary. Somehow that's not enough, and we left feeling a little short-changed.

Rating: Food: 6/10; Wine: 5/10; Ambiance: 5/10; Service: 7/10; Price ($$$): 6/10. Total: 29/50
New York Grill [Map]: 3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tel: +81 3 5322 1234

Tuscan Tango

Italian cuisine is one of the joys of life, Gentle Reader, and my month in the Tuscan countryside en famille with The Don and his family remains one of our (shared) treasured memories. Nightly sojourns into nearby venues, the world's best pizza (I swear), and the local grape made our time in Chianti a delicious if somewhat blurry pleasure.

So I was curious to try Goutte d'or Achiano in Nishi-Azabu [Map], which boasts of a deep connection to the food traditions of Florence and surrounds. So imagine my surprise to discover that Chef Akira Watanabe had spent more than two years training in a Medici country house right by Florence, and my delight as it became obvious that he had spent his time there well. Once he uncovered my secret identity as your Humble Correspondent, he spent nearly thirty minutes with me replete with photo albums and shared acquaintances.

There with my Stern friend, and the effervescent Lance, we tried a variety of dishes that spoke most eloquently of Tuscany. Some worthy of special mention include the Grilled 30cm sausage as a starter (no need to measure, it's all there), the pork sourced from Ibaragi (I had the Milanese Cutlet which was heavenly), the Bifstek Firenze, and Venetian Risotto. A brief aside for the Bifstek - not a historical Florence dish, but actually created for English lordlings on the Grand Tour in about the start of the 18th century!

The wine list seems a little more confused, but well-chosen. I would have imagined a Tuscan and Super-Tuscan selection might be in order, but expect to see French and Italian wines jostling for attention and all rounding out a very pleasant experience. One word of caution, however, must be reserved for the ventilation system which seems a little challenged by the kitchen team.

For mine, though, Goutte d'or Achiano is a great little find and a venue that deserves your attention - soon! Look for the fat boy wrapped in 30 cm of sausage, and come to my rescue!

Rating: Food: 7/10; Wine: 7/10; Ambiance: 7/10; Service: 6/10; Price ($$): 7/10. Total: 34/50
Goutte d'or Achiano [Map]: Nishi-Azabu 4-10-7　3rd Floor. Tel: 03-5467-2648