MACCARINA

Mar11 by Bianca

A recent ski trip to Niseko in Hokkaido allowed me to stumble upon a few lovely restaurants that I simply have to share with you in my next few posts. The abundance of excellent food around tiny Niseko has always amazed me, so let me start by sharing a post about Maccarina.

Maccarina is a French-Japanese restaurant with one michelin star. Its located in a tiny town called Makkari, about 30 minutes drive from Hirafu village where all the main hotels are.

Housed in a small wooden building, Maccarina’s interior is a little outdated yet somehow still manages to ooze some coziness.

There are two choices of set menus. We chose the more extensive one which cost around 11.000 yen per person and here is what we had.

The first course was a mixture of tiny appetizers beautifully arranged on one plate. Grilled abalone, breadcrumbed beef tongue, roasted duck cooked in red wine, foie gras apple tart and a mixture of vegetables of the season.

I’m not sure I liked the concept of having all the appetizers mixed together in one plate but each of them tasted delicious and the presentation was amazing.

Next came an interesting dish. Poached lily bulbs in a most delicately light cream sauce. I loved this dish.

A mini traditional French onion soup followed. I love onion soup and I found this one to be particularly delectable. It was light and had the perfect amount of cheese in it.

A pleasant seafood risotto came after. It was light and absolutely delicious.

You had a choice of roasted beef steak or roasted venison for your main course. I chose the beef.

It was accompanied by the most delicious roasted potatoes. I was disappointed by the fact that I was so full I could not bring myself to finish them.

I always have a soft spot for all things sweet, especially caramel so I loved the hot pumpkin tart dessert with caramel ice cream. The mixture of hot and cold can never go wrong in my opinion.

The food at Maccarina was delicious in a more classic French kind of style, but were I a michelin star judge, I don’t think I would have given them a star simply due to the fact that they didn’t really have a sommelier and the service really wasn’t up to michelin star standards. But then again, I am not a judge and what’s most important in my book is excellent food and Maccarina certainly has this. So I believe it is well worth the 30 minute drive.

Prize : $$$

MACCARINA

172-3 Midorioka, Makkari, Abuta District, Hokkaido Prefecture 048-1615, Japan
+81 136-48-2100

L’OSIER Lunch

Jan2 by Bianca

It is close to impossible to find a table at the newly opened three star Michelin restaurant L’Osier in Ginza. Even after requesting a table a month before, we only managed to snag a table for lunch and that was in their private room. So we had to summon a group of 8 people to accompany us for lunch last week. The interior of new L’Osier Ginza is subtly grand and I loved the cream-colored interior. Here is a picture I snatched from their website.

I was expecting their service to be somewhat formal and stuffy but was pleasantly surprised by the warm and hearty welcome. Lionel who served us, spoke perfect English and took great care of every detail throughout our lunch. I was really hungry and did not feel like drinking champagne on an empty stomach so he sent me some lovely nibbles.

Little nibbles

Followed by a lovely mushroom custard.

A sea urchin and shell fish custard with an egg shell broth flavored with saffron followed.

Next, came a sea bass fillet encased in bread with grapefruit juice served with mint flavored zucchini puree. I have never been much of a grapefruit fan and found this dish to be a little sour, but most of my other friends liked it.

Next course was a slice of beef cheek, glazed beetroot and turnips with carrot puree and cumin moose. The beef cheek was wonderfully soft.

A fresh pre dessert sorbet followed.

The dessert was a lovely creme brûlée, flavored with orange blossom, cottage cheese and lemon ice cream.

And to end things on a sweet note, some lovely little delights from the sweet delicacy trolley.

It was truly an extraordinary elaborate lunch which will throw you back about 14.000 yen excluding drinks but well worth it!.

Price : $$$

L’OSIER

7-5-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061

Phone : +81-(0)3-3571-6050

AHILL

Nov28 by Bianca

This restaurant calls itself a “French Teppanyaki” restaurant so I was rather intrigued to find out what that meant. Ahill has a branch in nishi-azabu but I visited the one at the Velvia building in Ginza a few days ago for lunch with some friends. It was a small and cozy restaurant on the 8th floor with a very reasonable lunch set menu of 2000 or 3500 yen.

There are three choices of appetizers and we decided to each take something different to taste. Here is what we had :

First appetizer choice : Shrimp quenelles gratin style with mushroom and potatoes

Second appetizers choice : Yellowtail marinated with ginger, tomato and eggplant tapenade

And the third appetizer choice some roast beef with horseradish gravy

Then came a soothing warm pumpkin potage.

Warm pumpkin potage

If you order the 3500 yen set you will get an extra plate of today’s fish.

Salmon. The fish of the day.

There are also three choices of the main course which is rump steak, hamburger or sautéed pork.

The rump steak

The hamburger with pieces of foie gras inside

What comes next is a definite must try. Their fried curry rice. The 2000 yen menu doesn’t have this in it, but you can order extra for 500 yen. Definitely worth it!. It was one of the best curry rice I’ve tried.

The fried curry rice

The creme brule is also a definite must try. I loved how thin it was so you can really taste the burnt crust.

The creme brule

And there is also a choice of apple mousse dessert.

Apple mousse dessert

So this is what you call French-Teppanyaki. I loved my meal. It was delicious for its reasonable price. I especially loved the curry rice and creme brule. I think I might come back.

Price : $

AHILL.

Ginza2-4-6, Ginza Velcia-kan 8F

Phone : 3562-8080

TERRES DE TRUFFE

Oct25 by Bianca

Truffles have always held the top spot on my list of favorite foods, right up there next to honey. So when I found this restaurant that serves all things truffles up to its desserts, I was naturally overjoyed. I used to frequent this restaurant when it was still housed in Roppongi Hills. They closed for a year before recently (finally) opening their cosy doors to the public in a quiet back street of Aoyama. The interior is less formal in their new location, looking more like a cosy french bistro.

They have a set and ala carte menu with wine pairing options. The set menu costs about 15.000 yen. My husband and I tried the set menu and before I go and post pictures of our meal, here is a picture of my favorite food up close.

Isn’t she a beauty ?

And here is what we had on our menu…

Starting off simple with a slice of bread covered with cheese and slices of truffle accompanied by a small cup of hot chicken soup. This is always my favorite starter.

Followed by some sliced fish covered with truffles. This dish is deliciously fresh.

Another one of my favorite dish came after. A perfectly soft half poached egg in a light chicken broth with truffle slices.

Next is a signature dish of Terres de truffe. Baked potato in a cream sauce with generous shavings of white truffle on top.

And a wonderful seared scallop with zucchini and a slice of truffle came soon after.

Followed by the main dish. Wagyu beef with foie gras and black truffles.

This dish was accompanied by some lovely truffled rice.

For dessert, we decided to try two different options. A vanilla ice cream with truffled caramel sauce and truffled cheese pannacota. Both were delicious.

It was an absolutely wonderful feast and it being truffle season right now, it would be the perfect time to go.

Price : $$$

TERRES DE TRUFFE.

Reve Minami Aoyama Bldg 1F

2-27-6 Minami Aoyama

Minato-ku, Tokyo

Phone : 0357722139

IRIE LE JOYEUX

Sep27 by Bianca

I am thrilled to be sharing with you my latest discovery, a wonderful little french restaurant serenely and fashionably nestled somewhere behind the Prada flagship store in Omotesando/Aoyama. If you are familiar with the area, Irie Le Joyeux is on the second floor of the building right next to Dries van Noten.

Decorated in soothing hues of nude colors, you immediately feel welcomed. None of the stuffy atmosphere of a classic french restaurant here. Minimalism is the name of the game.

Through an elongated window at its side wall, you can watch chef Irie and his team work their magic. They have two choices of dinner menus, one that is around 12.000 yen and their grand menu that cost around 15.000 yen per person. The menu only comes in Japanese and French but within minutes of choosing the grand menu, chef Irie himself had a special menu printed for us with English translations and his signature in the back. I thought this was a nice touch. So, here are pictures of our feast that wasn’t just pleasing for the stomach but also soothing to the eyes.

First came a cute little plate of bite size bread munchies.

Followed by the first small appetizer which was a very vibrant dish of Hokkaido marinated Sanma fish with Gunma eggplant puree, red beets and tomato jelly.

Our next dish was a wonderful and very color coordinated cold entree of Hokkaido scallop carpaccio and caviar with purple cabbage marinated in amontillado served with wasabi goat cheese.

The warm entree which was a delicate mushroom soup with sauteed foie gras, flan and milk cappuccino was actually my favorite dish of the night.

An autumn inspired seafood dish followed. Tandoori Pan fried sea bass from Ishikawa prefecture served with welk clams, chinese cabbage and black rice puree.

The meat dish that followed was absolutely delectable. Kumamoto Akaushi slow-roasted beef with Syrah sauce, hokkaido oven roasted onions and ricotta cheese accent.

After the meat course came an innovative cheese dish of blue cheese cream with hazelnut oil, radish and crouton with chrysanthemum puree.

And a little pre dessert came before the actual dessert. Sauternes Marinated Persimmon from Kyoto with mascarpone cream.

Chef irie’s tarte tatin was the grand dessert. A raspberry jelly with tart of fuji apple, custard and cinnamon ice cream.

And to accompany your tea or coffee, these lovely little delights.

This sums up our wonderful feast. Beautiful, don’t you think ?

Price: $$

IRIE LE JOYEUX

Luce Minami Aoyama, 2F

5-5-4 Minami Aoyama

phone : 03-6418-7778

TAKUMI OKUMURA

Apr2 by Bianca

I am going to take yet another detour today and write about this lovely little restaurant in Kyoto where I had a uniquely wonderful lunch a few weeks ago. Everything about this restaurant from the adorable wooden building in the Gion district of Kyoto to the intricately prepared meal was absolutely breath-taking. I don’t say ‘breath-taking’ a lot in my reviews, but Takumi Okumura is in a class of its own. A friend recommended this French-Japanese style restaurant for my day trip to Kyoto and I will be forever grateful.

A most elaborate tray of tiny appetizers in various designs and colors was presented to us and I simply could not stop marveling over the creativeness of this display.

A sensational dish of seasonal fish with a crunchy freshness followed.

Then came a lovely cup of cawan mushi (egg custard) in delicate blue and white china.

Succeeded by another seafood dish of fish and clam.

And no, we are not done yet, another lovely cup of cream soup came afterward.

And no, we are still not done, the last and main course was some luscious beef accompanied with the most decent bowl of curry rice.

Our waitress then came with a wondrous tray of dessert from which we were supposed to pick our dessert of choice. When I told her I wanted everything, she offered to give me mini portions of everything to which I joyfully accepted.

Thus, our delicious meal ends and I have to say this splendor actually came at a somewhat reasonable price for Japan. Lunch for 4 was around 32,000 yen.

I hope you noticed the ever-changing exquisite plates in which our food was presented in. I loved them. I loved our meal and I love this restaurant.

Price : $$$

TAKUMI OKUMURA: 570-6 Gion Machi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku,Kyoto. Phone : 075-541 2205.

Azzure 45

Nov13 by Bianca

This is not the first time I’ve dined at Azzure 45, the cosy French fine-dining restaurant at the Ritz Carlton Midtown, but it is my first lunch there. Lets just call it a post birthday lunch with my husband. I’ve always loved the food there and yesterday it was bright enough for me to take nice pictures. The view is always spectacular from the 45th floor and this restaurants has a perfect view of the Tokyo tower.

Mid-day bubblies

Azzure 45 has a 10.000 yen 7 course tasting menu lunch or you have choices of 3,4 and 5 course menus starting at 4.ooo yen. My husband chose the 5 course menu, I chose the 3 course menu and here is what we had :

Burdock soup. Crispy Burdock, autumn truffles and chestnuts

Zuwai crab. Crustacean essence, turnip mile-feuille

Fresh foie gras. Pan fried, autumn fruits, citrus marmalade

Japanese beef fillet. sautéed, mushroom puree, root vegetables with three wine sauce.

Lamb. Roasted, Butter squash puree, hazelnut butter, coffee flavored Lamb Jus

And for dessert :

A lovely chocolate mousse

A petite strawberry miele-feuille

With a lovely cup of coffee to end things.

It was a wonderful lunch. Being a truffle fan, I particularly loved the burdock soup. Everything else was delicious as well but the portions were kind of small, so if you’re hungry, opt for the larger courses.

Price : $$$

Azzure 45

Tokyo Midtown, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku
03-3423-8000

Tokyo Food Diary

A journal of my journey through Tokyo's various eateries

Category Archives: French-Japanese