Monthly Archive: April 2008 [7]
April 09, 2008
Salle à manger (サラマンジェ＠虎ノ門)
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.
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.
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
Comments(1120) [ french food ]
April 08, 2008
Testa Matta
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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
April 06, 2008
C'est la Vie! Nagano (セラヴィナガノ)
A 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".
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
Comments(11328) [ french food | 代々木・新宿・新大久保 ]
April 03, 2008
The French Kitchen (フレンチ キッチン)
From the 5800yen(+10% service charge) lunch buffet.
Egg Benedict. A glass of champagne that is included.
Appetizer. Omelette with your choice of ingredients.
Second round of appetizer...
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.
Desserts. French toast.
You can choose the fruits from the counter and they are cut nicely and delivered to your table.
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.
Comments(1430) [ my favourites | other cuisines | 麻布・六本木・赤坂 ]
April 01, 2008
甘味処 初音 (Hatsune)
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
Comments(16) [ japanese sweets | 新橋・銀座・日本橋 ]
R style by 両口屋是清
きんとんフロマージュ、￥５００。
Cream cheese "Kinto" with red bean paste inside.
あみ焼きだんご、￥７００。
Amiyaki Dango: grilled Japanese rice dumpling(you do it yourself). Dipped in sweet soy sauce or red bean.
Both of the sweets are good. Japanese green tea is about 500yen and you can ask for hot-water refill and sit there for hours.
This cafe is produced by a traditional Japanese wagashi shop.
R style is on the top floor of Omotesando Hills.
