Archive for April, 2008

Salle à manger (サラマンジェ@虎ノ門)

07120800010712080003
サラダ ガストロノミ。
ブーダン・ノワールとレンズ豆、林檎 バナナのラグー。
Salad gastronomy: smoked duck breast, foie gras, karasumi, cresson(water cress). Boudin Noir with lentil, apple and banana ragu.
07120800040712080005

0712080007詰め物をしたホロホロ鳥のロースト キノコとフォワ・グラのソース。
蝦夷鹿ロースト 赤すぐりソース。
仔羊すね肉のカスレ。
Stuffed guinea fowl, mushroom and foie gras sauce.
Hokkaido venison with redcurrant sauce.
Lamb shank Cassoulet.

07120800080712080010
Oven-baked la France(European pear) with ice-cream. Chocolate cake.

This place calls itself “Oyaji’s French”, basically saying that the food is macho, meat-heavy, straightforward, no fancy presentation and no sensational fanfare of creative fusion which is more pleasing to female customers. I starved myself at lunch to prepare for this dinner, but turned out that it is not that macho afterall. The menu is mainly meat dishes, but the portion is not too big. Surprisingly the taste is quite delicate and never too greasy or salty. Two of us shared two appetizers and THREE main courses, before we had desserts. Everything we ordered was delicious, except perhaps the chocolate cake which was grossly sweet. Among the 3 main dishes we had, I like the guinea fowl the most. The bill was about 10,000yen per person including a glass of champagne and 2 glasses of wine and also coffee. Not exactly cheap, but not overpriced either. The interior is not so pretty - it is more like a cheap yoshoku place than a French restaurant. But the young waiter is friendly and the chef, whom you can see cooking all by himself in the open kitchen, is also helpful in explaining the menu.

Salle à manger
Add: B1, 1-11-5 Toranomon, Minato-ku
Tel: 03-6903-6730

Testa Matta

07092300010709230003
ツナとブロッコリーのクリームソース、グラタン風。
Spaghetti with tuna and broccoli in cream sauce, gratin style, 1200yen.
07102600040804040043
パプリカ、モッツァレッラのピッツァ。サラミ、モッツァレッラのピッツァ。
Paprika and mozzarella pizza, 1200yen. Salami and mozzarella pizza, 1200yen.
Pizzas are quite good(much better than the spaghetti). Slightly greasy and salty though. Lunch comes with salad and coffee.
07122400010712240002

07122400040712240006

07122400070710260001
From the 2800yen full course lunch. Pasta is Peperoncino with green chilli. Main dish is oven-grilled chicken. The chicken is not bad while the appetizer and the pasta are just okay. Portion is small.

The quality of food is not that fantastic but the location is great - very near Shibuya station but since it is on the 3rd floor of a building and the entrance is hard to spot, it is never full. The view by the window is great too.
Lunch menu(J) here.

Testa Matta
Add: 3F, Dougenzaka, Shibuya-ku
Tel: 03-3461-0160

魚山亭 渋谷店 (Gyosantei Shibuya)

07111900030801170016
冷汁定食、¥1200。
Miyazaki’s specialty Hiyajiru - cold, soybean paste soup with dried bonito, sesame and other ingredients. The Hiyajiru is very nice with rice. So nice that I always eat two bowls. Set lunch comes with Chicken Nanban and grilled fish. Chicken is delicious but the fish can be a little dry sometimes.
08022800310804040040
魚山亭定食(いわしの梅干煮、田舎うま煮)、¥1000。
チキン南蛮定食、¥1000。
Sardine simmered with umeboshi, Inaka Umani(root vegetables simmered in soy sauce and sugar).
Chicken Nanban(Miyazaki style). The deep-fried chicken is dipped in sweet vinegar and topped with tartare sauce before serving. Very good! Both rice and miso soup are refillable.
08011700190802280023
Hiyajiru again.

This popular shop is always overcrowded at lunch time and you’ll most likely have to share seating with strangers.
Lunch menu(J): 1, 2.

魚山亭 (Gyosantei)
Add: B1 Shibuya 2-19-21, Shibuya-ku
Tel: 03-3400-2500

C’est la Vie! Nagano (セラヴィナガノ)

07121100140712110016

0712110019A friend - who used to work in this restaurant and is now helping out as part-time - organised this dinner for us to try out the chef’s special menu. Shellfish gratin, avocado and crab mousse, and terrine. Baked shellfish and ham and cheese pie. Duck and foie gras and truffle in Cassis sauce. And my favourite dessert “Coup”.

07121100290712110008
The value is amazing in this little restaurant. The regular dinner course is 2730yen which includes an appetizer, a main dish and coffee/tea. Dessert is an extra 525yen. Lunch is even cheaper, 1260yen for appetizer+main+coffee. The location is quite convenient too - a bit hard to spot but it is less than 10mins walk from Shinjuku station. My friend said that the chef is less interested in making money than providing his customers with cheap and good food. Seriously the price is set so low that I can’t help but worry about its survival.

Dinner menu(J): 1, 2.
Lunch menu(J):1, 2.

C’est la Vie! Nagano
Add: B1, 2-8-10 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tel: 03-3350-7610

The French Kitchen (フレンチ キッチン)

08011200670801120070

08011200760801120071
From the 5800yen(+10% service charge) lunch buffet.
Egg Benedict. A glass of champagne that is included.
08011200740801120083
Appetizer. Omelette with your choice of ingredients.
08011201020801120081
Second round of appetizer…
08011200860801120089
Main dish is chosen from the menu at beginning and is served when you are done with the appetizers. Braised lamb shoulder, merguez sausage, couscous and harissa.
08011200960801120099
Desserts. French toast.
08011201010801120109
You can choose the fruits from the counter and they are cut nicely and delivered to your table.
08011201120801120117
Refillable coffee or tea are also included.

Very good-value lunch buffet. I especially like the French toast, egg benedict(though not the usual fare with English muffins) and omelette. The restaurant is inside Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi Hills. Compared to New York Grill, I like all the hotel-breakfast menu here, but I think the appetizers and the desserts are better in NYG(the salad and appetizers are slightly on the oily side here). FK is cheaper though.
Menu here.

Bagels & Bagels

08100700440801210008
The bagels are not that like fantastic but the sandwiches are okay as a cheap quick snack.
Balsamic tofu-hamburger sandwich. Duck bagel sandwich.
08100900660810100069
Pancetta and egg. Smoked salmon and cream cheese.
08041400160807070008
Strawberry white chocolate bagel with strawberry and banna cream cheese. Grilled chicken bagel sandwich.
08080200920808260026
Coconut and mango bagel with wildberry cream cheese. Tandoori Chicken.
060214 004.jpg060214 011.jpg
あぶりまぐろの醤油カリー、ベーグルフレンチトースト。
Broiled tuna soya sauce curry. Bagel French Toast.
Bagels & Bagels

甘味処 初音 (Hatsune)

08010800070801080008

08010800100802290009
栗ぜんざい、¥1000。
抹茶クリーム白玉小倉あんみつ、¥950。
Kuri zenzai - Japanese chestnut, grilled mochi and thick red bean paste. Served hot.
Matcha ice-cream, shiratama(rice flour dumpling), ogura(red bean) Anmitsu.

Established in 1837…this place is said to be the oldest wagashi shop in Tokyo. Both of the sweets are nice but…quite expensive for the small portion! I guess you pay for the history too…

初音 (Hatsune)
Add: 1-15-6 Ningyocho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku
Tel: 03-3666-3082