Saru @ Jiyugaoka

April 7, 2019 Dave Perry

***Sicilian style mackerel ragout pasta***

***Sardine confit with marinated mushrooms***

***Smoked tuna head with wasabi tapenade***

***Veal cutlet with blue cheese sauce***

***Ezo venison steak with wild rocket and balsamic sauce***

***Chocolate terrine with semi dried grapes***

After a soft launch in late 2018 and successful reboot as Saru Apero Bistro early this year, the fifth restaurant in the Saru family is now a thriving Jiyugaoka favourite.

Set amidst a broad wooden dining counter, the small open kitchen delivers on the restaurant's promise of a 'delicious European-style eatery' with a handful of lunch plates and plenty of a la carte options by day as well as an extended menu of northern European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired ‘small bistro dishes’ by night.

The menu is complimented by a selection of Japanese and eastern European 'historic world wines.’

Saru Apero Bistro

050 5266 0440

Trunk @ Meguro

March 3, 2019 Dave Perry

***Andive, apple, blue cheese and walnut salad***

***Shizuoka mushroom and ham Caesar salad***

Our favourite Meguro restaurant, ‘osteria, tavern and wine bar’ Trunk is a gem of conviviality secluded amidst an aging warren of bars and restaurants, offering hearty cooking and a carefully selected range of ‘casually approachable’ world wines.

The restaurant itself evokes a worn, rustic European charm. The small kitchen proffers a delicious menu rooted in Italian and French cuisines accented with Japanese sensibilities. Eclectic fish, game meats and risottos punctuate a menu of classic salads, pates and pastas.

Update: Trunk’s sister shop, Iron House, opened in November 2020.

Trunk

050 5594 6662

Juban Ukyo @ Ebisu

February 25, 2019 Dave Perry

***Avocado and tomato salad with mascarpone***

***Tai, maguro, mackerel and kampachi sashimi***

***Aubergine topped with miso mince meat***

The Ebisu iteration of Azabu Juban's popular Franco-Japanese fusion restaurant focuses on regional Japanese cuisine supplemented by an extensive array of quality sake.

With an approach that is more dining-bar chic than traditional izakaya, the juxtaposition of tatami and gilded screens with monogrammed Louis Vuitton upholstery and 1980s ghetto blasters lends an air of sophisticated intimacy to the dining experience.

Not to be outshone be the interior aesthetic the food is also suitably instagenic, if somewhat blingy, with several signature dishes such as the egg rice and potato salad being laced with gold leaf and truffle shavings.

Juban Ukyo

03 3440 7888

Barrafina @ Drury Lane

July 30, 2018 Dave Perry

Barrafina on Drury Lane is one of three lauded family owned tapas restaurants in central London proffering perfectly executed tapas alongside a considered array of wines and sherries.

Stylish yet unpretentious presentation, quality ingredients, great cooking and attentive service combine to create a dining experience to be relished and not easily forgotten.

Reservations aren't accepted, so best to arrive early and join the queue.

Barrafina

Emilia @ Jingumae

June 30, 2018 Dave Perry

***Fish carpaccio with peppers, tomatoes and snap peas***

***Ayu with coriander confi and porcini***

***Thick cut pasta with cabbage and mushroom***

***Mozzarella, aubergine, tomato and basil salad***

***Ricotta cheese and spinach filled tortellone***

***Pan-fried sea bream with grilled vegetables***

***Fruit cake with figs and mascarpone***

Emilia is a casual neighborhood Italian specializing in the cuisine and wines of the Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont regions of northern Italy. It is also sister shop to Shimo-Kitazawa’s Daniela.

The relaxed setting, hand made pastas, eclectic game meats and generous courses are backed up with an extensive wine list and unrivaled cost performance.

At peak times the service can be erratic, but even this somehow adds to the charm of this fine restaurant.

Emilia

03 3402 5517