Between the sweltering summer and not feeling great lately, I’ve had no appetite at all. I know I have to eat something, but the problem is I can’t even work up the will to. At home it’s not so bad since I cook for myself, but eating out is a real headache. Tramping around in the blazing sun looking for a restaurant is no small task, and eating something weird just leaves you more worn out. I went out to Shinjuku at lunchtime and, after dithering for ages, tried Cressonnière, which is apparently hugely popular these days for its 1,000-yen one-plate lunch. When you’re running low on energy, the best thing is to eat something delicious and get your strength back.
The entrance
This place was opened in Shinjuku’s Saison Plaza by Chef Tanaka of Les Cristallines, riding on the success of Concombre, the casual bistro he opened in Shibuya, with the same concept. It’s on the first basement floor of Saison Plaza in Shinjuku 3-chome, across from Isetan. It must have been a huge hit, because I hear a fourth sister restaurant, Cowbell, opened in Shibuya on June 28. The inside isn’t big. Even though it’s supposedly popular, maybe it’s still not that well known, because I went around lunchtime and got straight in without queuing.
Water glass and wine glass
At lunch you can order a small glass of wine for 200 yen. They said it was a Californian wine, and it tasted very ordinary. Still, being able to have a glass of daytime wine in a good mood for next to nothing is really appealing. I had a look at their wine list, and for the price it’s just so-so. It seems like a place that makes the food cheap and gets its money back on the wine. That’s what you have to do if you want to make money running a French restaurant ^_^
One-plate lunch
Since it was called a one-plate lunch, I figured everything would come on a single plate, but out came an enormous tray. It was a struggle to photograph. The portions are hefty, the bread is refilled as often as you like, and coffee comes after the meal, all for just 1,000 yen. There aren’t many serving staff, but even so the service was lacking in nothing; if anything, they were so attentive I almost felt bad. Of all the places I’ve been to recently, this one gave me the most satisfaction for the money.
Pumpkin soup
Making soup isn’t especially hard, but doing it properly costs money for ingredients and takes effort, so finding good soup when eating out isn’t easy. Last time at Troisgros they didn’t serve soup at all -_- The soup here doesn’t use any special ingredients, but it’s made properly, with no effort spared. The sweetness of the pumpkin, mellowed by the dairy, fills your whole mouth. The moment I took my first spoonful, I could tell this isn’t a place that competes on cheapness alone. And there was plenty of it, which made me even happier.
Salad
It’s not a big portion, but it sticks to the basics. Um… the taste is nothing special. It didn’t come out well in the photo, but you can see the bread on the side. The bread wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t bad enough to complain about either, so I had one more refill.
Main dish
It’s a tomato stuffed with minced meat and steamed, served with potato salad and a carrot sauce. Given that it’s made with cheap ingredients it’s not top-tier, but the fresh tomato, the well-seasoned minced meat, the sweet and tangy carrot sauce and the smooth potato salad each make up for what the others lack, and together they have a distinctive flavour. It’s proper, classic-style French cooking. I honestly never imagined a main of this level for just 1,000 yen.
Dessert
Even though it’s a one-plate lunch, a cake-like dessert comes with it. It didn’t taste bad, but there was coffee caramel drizzled around it, so I only ate the inside.
When I said I can’t drink coffee or tea, they brought me juice instead.
Usually once you’ve finished eating they give you a look to hurry you out, but this place has a relaxed atmosphere where you can take your time over your meal. They even brought me a drink without my asking… I liked that.
If you’re visiting as a tourist, you should probably order a course rather than the 1,000-yen lunch. Their lunch course is reasonable too, at around 2,800 yen. But for someone like me using it for an everyday lunch, this is more than satisfying. I’ll have to come often and help their sales so they don’t go under.