When you search Tabelog for French restaurants, the ranking is pretty much always the same. I already know the names and ratings of most of the famous places by heart, so deciding where to go when a friend comes to visit is not hard. Just sort by rating and pick the first one that has a table free. So this time I went to a nu in Hiroo.

Champagne cocktail

First of all, bonus points for the atmosphere. Maybe because it is a restaurant in Hiroo, the neighbourhood where Tokyo’s wealthy live, the whole place feels calm yet luxurious.

Amuse-bouche

A fun presentation. I will skip the details.. actually no, I won’t: you slot the food into the holes at the back of the plate yourself. A little attraction.

Butter

The butter comes slightly melted, and dipping the bread into it is seriously addictive.

Bread

The butter was so good that I ended up filling up on bread.

Flash-steamed abalone with prosciutto consomme jelly

A generous piece of abalone in there. Tasted good too.

Sauteed foie gras with caramel popcorn

A dish built around corn. Koji Shimomura was using corn as well, so it must be the trend these days. Tasted good too.

Fish of the day with almond croquant and a hint of bottarga

The fish and vegetables go together beautifully.

Roast beef of the day, anchovy and caper sauce

The meat is good as well. You need at least this much of a foundation before you can call it French.

Mango soup with black pepper ice cream

The dessert was fine too. Nothing amazing, but..

Tea

I have almost never been disappointed ordering herbal tea at a restaurant in Japan.

Petits fours

The financier was top-notch too, but the way the chocolate (gateau au chocolat) melted was truly the best in the world. It is similar to the gateau au chocolat at Ken’s Cafe, but here it is served right on the verge of melting, so the moment it hits your mouth it just vanishes. A wonderful dessert that only a first-class French restaurant could pull off.

Having come all the way to Hiroo, I could not leave without gelato from Acqua Pazza.

Expensive does not mean tasty, it turns out. The grapefruit and watermelon gelato were good, but the mango and pistachio cost more and were just so-so.

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