Kagurazaka is full of high-end restaurants with Michelin stars, but it also has plenty of places that are great value for the money. Brasserie Gus is one of those well-reviewed spots. Precisely because it is such good value it can be hard to book, but our flight was late anyway, so we decided to just turn up without a reservation. In case it was full and we could not get in, I had also drawn up a list of other places nearby worth trying.
The front entrance
Maybe we were lucky, but we were seated right away. The place is not large, yet it has quite a few seats, and of course every one of them was taken.
Wine by the glass
It was cheap and it tasted good too. Looking at the list, there were quite a few wines that were not expensive. As I remember it, the course was around 3,000 yen including a starter, a main and dessert, and it is almost unbelievable that you can enjoy a proper French dinner at that price. It is French with a bistro concept, of course.
Foie gras terrine
I ordered it as a starter, and it was perfect with a drink. The big plate piled high with nicely cooked asparagus and plenty of fresh vegetables suited my taste exactly.
Red pepper mousse, served with avocado
The red pepper was as dainty and pretty as it looked, and the flavour was refreshing too. To think you get something like this as the starter on a 3,000 yen course. We were only getting started, but it was already clear why this place has become so popular.
Bread
It goes without saying, but the bread is better than merely decent.
Black pork belly braised in red wine vinegar
The pork, braised down deeply until it is meltingly tender, has a really interesting texture. This is what French cooking should be. And just looking at it, the portion is enormous. The garnish is a mountain too, easily enough for two or three people. It may be a set course, but coming with a group and sharing would work well.
Beef cheek braised in red wine
This dish overwhelmed me with sheer volume as well. It was not premium beef, but it was cooked beautifully. I nearly burst… It did overlap a little with the pork dish, so next time I will order something different.
Armagnac
Even after eating all that, the meal was so cheap that I thought about ordering something more, and ended up getting a digestif. Armagnac is a place name in France and also a brand of brandy, and it is a drink I had wanted to try ever since it turned up in Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister. It is brandy, so it is strong, but the taste was not bad at all. Given the chance, I would like to try a fancier one.
Fresh milk ice cream
Maybe because it is made with fresh milk, it was certainly different from ordinary ice cream, though the impact was not that big. Again, I like the attitude of competing on volume even with the dessert.
Tarte Tatin
Given the season, I ended up ordering tarte Tatin a lot on this trip. The shape had collapsed a little, but eaten together with the ice cream the flavour gets even better.
We were lucky to get into a restaurant that is hard to book. The food really was delicious, so if I get the chance I would love to come back with friends.