This post was written in 2008. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
A friend visiting from Korea said that since he was in Tokyo, he wanted some proper fine dining at a good French place, so off we went. It has a good reputation but isn’t a particularly famous restaurant; as of Wednesday it was the only place that still had a weekend dinner table. Tokyo has a ridiculous number of French restaurants worth going to, so please, I’m begging you, plan your trip a few weeks ahead next time.
It’s a small French restaurant in a pricey neighborhood that caters to the locals. Apparently the chef trained at a pretty well-known restaurant, and the place goes for simple, honest flavors. It gets great ratings on the review sites, but since it serves neighborhood regulars rather than passing visitors, some of that is bound to be overrated.
The table setting
Clean and neat. The cutlery is silver, of course. My friend’s wife took one look and said it was a famous brand.
The table
Today’s wine
A 2005 Burgundy, a decent enough wine, but it tasted sour to me. I’ve been so busy lately that my palate seems to have gone off. -_-; I need to get back to a normal life soon.
Welcome dish
Nothing special… I forgot to photograph the menu, so I have no idea what it was.
Unlimited bread refills
Maybe because it was freshly baked, the bread was really good. I had refill after refill.
Fresh butter
You can tell a place’s basics from its butter and bread. ^_^
Sea bream and carrot (probably)
Good ingredients. I’d heard this place is all about the fundamentals, and it really is.
Asparagus and cod milt
The best dish of the night. I’ve been into vegetables lately, and the asparagus was cooked to perfection.
What was this again…
Foie gras and duck
Good. The foie gras was only average, though. Then again, I couldn’t really pick up the subtle flavors. I was in really bad shape.
That’s the end of the mains. Not weak, but no dish with real impact either. The flavors were so simple that I was a little disappointed. Since we’d come all the way for French food, it would have been nice to get something surprising. Considering the reasonable price, though, I can totally understand it.
Now for dessert.
Coconut pudding
I only had a tiny bite, but they said it was delicious.
Crème brûlée
Yep, this one was ordinary.
Ice cream
Nothing much to get excited about here either. Overall the lack of punch carried over into the desserts too.
To finish, they bring out tea and chocolates.
Herbal tea. Well, it tastes like herbal tea…
Chocolates
They looked like the work of a famous chocolatier. A nice way to finish.
The desserts were fine. Tasty, but the menu was just too middle-of-the-road overall. That’s probably why we could get a weekend booking. I’d recommend it for couples dining together, but not for a date. Still, it was fun to go to a proper French restaurant for the first time in a while. Next time, tell me earlier that you’re coming to Tokyo, my friend… there are so many places I want to try…