Beige in Ginza is a French restaurant famous for Chanel, chef Alain Ducasse and its two Michelin stars. I had been curious for a long time about what Alain Ducasse’s food tastes like, so when a friend came over from Korea I took the chance to make a reservation.
The entrance
The restaurant is inside the Chanel building, but you do not go in through the main entrance; there is a dedicated entrance on the side.
The table setting
The interior is spacious and clean, and the service was close to perfect. Judging by the atmosphere alone, it deserves its two stars.
Pepper / salt / pencil
Little props for a touch of sophistication. I wonder if the pencil is there for bloggers to write down the menu. But the menu was so complicated that I could not take photos and note down the dish names at the same time.
Rose wine
Starting off light.
Amuse-bouche
Cured ham on bread. Tastes about how you would imagine.
Amuse-bouche 2
I forget what was in it, but it was ordinary.
Bread
This was so-so too..
Soupe de poisson jelly, simmered vegetables and hamaguri clam gremolata
The fish soup jelly had a unique texture and a rich, savoury flavour. The hamaguri clam was huge too, which I liked.
Pressé of chicken and duck foie gras, Burgundy style
A liver dish can hardly taste bad. The jelly on the outside was very intense too.
Sautéed red mullet from Hagi, Yamaguchi with green beans, black olive and fried sage
Hard to explain, but it is an assortment of fried vegetables. Pretty good.
Poêlé of striped beakfish with herbs, courgette
It was cooked just right, and it was fine, but nothing felt particularly special.
Oven-roasted sea bass, tomato and onion, socca
A roasted seasonal fish, and the sauce was delicious.
Risotto with quail from Dombes, France
The quail was just okay, but the risotto was cooked well. Ever since I had wild game quail, quail at this level just does not move me any more.
Beef rump steak, shallot-scented carrots and potatoes
Tender even though it is a lean cut. The garnishes were delicious too.
Macaron
Dessert comes right after the main. This macaron looks ordinary, but it ranks among the best macarons I have ever had.
Carré Chanel, chocolate praliné
They said it is a chocolate cake inspired by Chanel. The gold leaf is decoration; it looks luxurious but does nothing for the taste. The cake itself is rich and delicious.
Hazelnut ice cream
It comes as a set with the cake above, and it was good.
Armagnac
I suppose the idea is to pour it over the dessert.
Baba, Monte-Carlo style
It looks unusual, but the taste is standard.
Tahitian vanilla millefeuille
The millefeuille was so-so as well..
The herbal tea cart
I ordered herbal tea and they brought out a cart. I suppose the point is that the tea is made from herbs they grow and dry themselves.
Steeping..
You have to wait a bit.
Herbal tea
Freshly brewed herbal tea can hardly taste bad. Maybe I should grow some herbs at home myself..
The view from a building with a good view in Ginza
The guests who had arrived before us got up and the seat was free, so I took a shot. It is not a high floor, so the view is not completely open, but it is worth a look.
Chanel chocolates
Chocolates inspired by Chanel. They said they do not sell these chocolates on their own, though. A bit of a shame
Madeleine and macaron
After finishing the petits fours as well, it finally feels like the course is over.
What impressed me was the top-class service, seamless from start to finish, and the interior was on a level worthy of the Chanel name. The food, though, struck me as safe and unremarkable in style. For a French restaurant, I think it could have been a bit more flamboyant. Anyway, thanks to my friend I had a delicious lunch at a proper fine dining restaurant for the first time in a while. Many thanks~