Starter 2
Capesante ai carciofi, con crema di baccala mantecato all’olio extra vergine di oliva e bottarga
Sautéed scallop with baccalà crema, artichoke and bottarga
A scallop dish. The thing sitting on top is apparently an anchovy fritter. The slightly salty sauce with olives and herbs is lovely and mellow. The scallop itself is top quality and goes really well with the sauce, so it delivers on both texture and flavor.
Capesante, fegato grasso e mousse di cipolla in gelatina di cacciucco
Scallop topped with foie gras, set on a chilled fish consommé jelly
Another scallop dish, but this one has more of a seasonal feel and tastes much better. The jelly is refreshing, and then you get the sweetness of the foie gras and the freshness of the scallop on top of that. Italian plating is definitely a bit more rustic than French, but flavor-wise this could hold its own anywhere.
This one only comes with the Menu Degustazione.
San pietro con intingolo di porcini e shiitake a prezzemolo
Line-caught John Dory from Choshi port in Hokkaido, cooked a la plancha, with an intingolo of log-grown shiitake and porcini
As the plate arrives, the nutty aroma of porcini fills the air. The earthy mushrooms give a lift to the fish, which could easily have come across as bland. It’s not refined, but it’s easygoing and delicious. Maybe that’s the charm of Italian food.
This being Italian, it’s pasta time next.
Agnolotti di pappa al pomodoro con gamberetti, zafferano e menta
Agnolotti filled with tomato pappa, with a mint-scented shrimp sauce
Agnolotti are a kind of ravioli. Tangy tomato, plump shrimp, and that hint of mint on top. It’s been a really long time since I had a pasta this fun to eat.
Spaghetti alla chitarra con zucchine e olive nere appassite
Zucchini spaghetti alla chitarra with black olive croccante
The weakest dish of the day. Whatever else, the noodles weren’t al dente. They were overcooked, with no bite to them at all. Spaghetti shouldn’t be like that.
Finally, the main courses.
Petto di anatra all’aglio e salvia, con salsa al limone e riso nero croccante
Charcoal-grilled duck breast, black rice croccante, and a lime-scented chicken gizzard sauce
Nicely cooked, but nothing distinctive. The black rice tastes better than it looks, and I liked the chewiness of the gizzards too.
Teppan-grilled Hokkaido beef tenderloin
This was the dish I was most looking forward to, and it didn’t disappoint. The best beef I’ve had in a while. Top-grade meat that slides apart the moment the knife touches it. A beef steak at a high-end restaurant should be at least this good. My only complaint is that the portion was so small.
A palate-cleanser dessert before the main dessert
Apple sorbet and a cream made with cheese, topped with a single mint leaf. It tasted like the sweet-tart flavor of fresh green apples came straight through. Sorbet can easily end up being all about the cold, so the smooth cream and that one zingy mint leaf really made a big difference. It made me forget the midsummer heat for a moment.
Composizione di cannoli: al pistacchio, ai fiori di arancio e alla ricotta, gelatina di amarene e gelato al timo
A composition of cannoli: pistachio, orange blossom and ricotta, with amarena cherry gelatina and thyme gelato
The gelato melted while I was taking pictures. Sad. The design was gorgeous, the three sugar pastries were nice and crisp, and the tartness of the cherries was good too, but there was nothing that really surprised me. That was a real shame. The biggest reason to go out of your way to an expensive restaurant is the dessert. Small places built around a single chef can have exceptionally good food, but they can’t afford to hire a talented pastry chef.
Le uova: Cuore di mango ricoperto di una mousse di cioccolato bianco e cocco
Cuore di wisky ricoperto di cioccolato al caffe; granita al latte e pasta croccanete
Two eggs: a white chocolate and coconut mousse with a mango heart
A coffee-flavored chocolate mousse with a whisky heart
I actually gasped the moment I saw it. This is exactly what I’d been hoping for, a dessert beyond anything I imagined. A dessert with this much artistry deserves to be called a work of art. I almost felt bad touching it. Ordering the pricey course was worth it.
A bit messy, but here’s the cross-section.
Crack the white chocolate and the yellow mango spills out like a yolk. It doesn’t just look amazing, it tastes amazing too. I never imagined fresh tropical fruit and cold chocolate would go together, let alone produce such an elegant sweetness. I didn’t realize it at first, but the nest is edible too. Break off some of the nest and eat it with the chocolate, and a crispy crunch gets added to what was all smoothness. A perfect dessert that satisfied not only my eyes and palate but my imagination as well.
That’s the end of the meal, and afternoon tea time begins.
Chocolates served with the tea, for two
The chocolates are pretty ordinary.
Gelato
This one melted while I was taking pictures too. Sigh. Lemon and black tea gelato, on par with a top gelato shop.
Honey for the herbal tea
I forgot to take a picture of the herbal tea I ordered. This is the honey that came with it.
Finally, a seasonal herbal tea that came out just as we were finishing paying
Ordinary. It tastes like herbs.
Both the service and the food were satisfying. The friendliness and knowledge of the server in particular showed me why this is considered the best Italian place around. I picked and booked it myself, but I didn’t expect to be this happy with it. I had some complaints about the wine, but that just means I need to earn more money, sob.
By the way, I hear the Odaiba branch closed in June. Keep that in mind if you’re planning to go.