Lately I’ve been hunting for restaurants where you can go with friends on a not-too-steep budget and eat a bit of everything. When you’re out in the working world, you end up needing a place like that more often than you’d think. If you scout them out ahead of time, they come in handy for all kinds of occasions.
Aux Bacchanales is another place I’d only heard good things about for ages, and this time I finally got the chance to go. It’s up on the slope right in front of Shinagawa Station, but the sign doesn’t really stand out, so it might be a little tricky to find. They have branches in Ginza and a few other spots, so it’s fair to call it a popular place. It doubles as a bakery and serves French bistro food at not-too-expensive prices, which seems like the perfect concept for drinks or a casual get-together.
Water glass
The server was a bit brusque. You could say the service looks a little half-hearted, but it isn’t unfriendly. A place like this ought to have a bit of that attitude anyway.
Baguette
I ordered the 1,500-yen lunch special, and the baguette is unlimited. And… it’s seriously good. I knew they doubled as a bakery, but I never imagined it would be at this level.
They had Echire butter on the menu, so I ordered some.
I think it was 350 yen, and at that price there’s no need to go queue at the flagship shop to buy it. It tastes best when it’s just starting to soften, and since it seemed to come straight out of the fridge it was a bit awkward to eat, but it’s still Echire, so the flavor is fantastic. A perfect pairing with a top-notch baguette. That alone is worth coming back for.
Fish lunch
It came with grilled salmon, and both the portion and the taste were above the bar. The 1,500-yen price didn’t feel expensive at all.
Chicken pot-au-feu
This one was nicely done too, gentle and clean-tasting with no off-flavors. Plenty of vegetables in it, and it holds up perfectly well as home-style cooking. A bistro with this level of cooking at these prices would make a great regular haunt. Now that I know the food is really satisfying, next time I want to order some drinks and go mostly for small plates. There’s also a terrace out front with a nice view, so it would be even better in autumn like this.
And with that I wrapped up this Tokyo trip and hopped on the Shinkansen back home.
Stir-fried soft-shell crab rice bowl from Mango Tree Deli
I agonized over which ekiben to buy today before settling on this one. 1,000 yen, and it was spicy, refined Thai food. The flavor was good, but the portion was on the small side.
Barbecue chicken
I bought it as a side, and this one little box was 500 yen. Not cheap, but it was tasty enough. I’m already wondering which ekiben to get next time. Maybe I should take another shot at an Imahan bento. Hmm…