Bistro Partager @ Shinsen

March 29, 2020 Dave Perry

***Liver pate and apple jam French puff***

***Duck ham, foie gras and mushroom salad***

***Pork offal sausage with mashed potato***

Situated on a semi-residential backstreet not far from Shinsen’s main attractions, Partager is a comfortable neighbourhood ‘meat bistro’ dedicated to the exploration of all things ‘cow, pig, sheep, duck and chicken.’

Both a la carte and course options are available, complimented by an affordable list of organic and bio wines.

Owner-chef Nomoto’s cooking delivers cost performance with generous portions; so much so that sampling a range of dishes can be challenging when dining alone or as a couple. The delicious charcuterie moriawase of whole pig pate de campagne, duck terrine, Iwate white ham, smoked chicken liver, Oyama chicken gelatine and jidori chicken breast with olive marinade and pickled vegetables, is practically a meal in itself.

Bistro Partager

03 6416 1131

Rodeo @ Nakameguro

March 16, 2020 Dave Perry

***Rodeo hamburg in meat sauce spaghetti***

Salivating media coverage, Tabelog awards and a loyal fan base have made reservations at this secluded sister shop to Ebisu’s Restorante Da Babbo hard to come by. When fortune smiles, be sure to request a seat at the counter overlooking the kitchen to avoid being perched precariously at one of the narrow shelves lining the dining space.

The pared down chic of the interior has a pleasant intimacy accentuated by the warm, faintly smoky aroma emanating from the irori grills and firewood stacked above the counter.

Rodeo’s menu consists of a variety of wood-grilled Italian cuisine with a focus on moreish antipasti, (somewhat ungenerous) grilled meats, seasonal vegetables and pastas; the caciocavallo bruschetta and renowned spaghetti topped with juicy mashed hamburger in meat sauce are worth the visit alone.

Rodeo

03 6451 2262

Paris.Hawaii @ Waikiki

February 24, 2020 Dave Perry

***Lava rock oyster (Kualoa oyster, paprika, charcoaled coconut beignet)***

***Home baked bread with asparagus butter***

***Coconut shrimp (Kauai shrimp, coconut, cocktail sauce, nasturtium)***

***House made ricotta (Santa Barbara sea urchin, Kahuku corn, house made ricotta)***

***Paris.Poke No 5 (big island beef, ahi, local egg, apple banana)***

***Kona lobster (Kona lobster, grilled Maui onion, tomato)***

***Waimanalo mushroom consommé (Small Kine Farms mushroom, heart of palm)***

***Niihau lamb (Niihau lamb, taro, Waimanalo mushroom, watercress)***

***Kilauea lava cake (Manoa chocolate, raspberry, anglaise)***

A relatively recent addition to Waikiki’s fine dining scene, this stylishly appointed restaurant offers contemporary French cuisine prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Pre-dinner cocktails and pupus can be enjoyed in the comfortable bar before the evening’s meal and culinary theatrics commence.

The prix fixe menu is served twice daily, seating at 5:30pm and 8pm, along with optional wine, sake or tea pairing courses. Regrettably, the wine pairing comes in servings that are frustratingly ungenerous.

Thankfully the food itself is more satisfying, with Chef Yamanaka (a graduate of Japan’s lauded Tsuji Gakuen culinary school) having spent several years in Paris learning the techniques and intricacies of French cuisine, enabling him to combine Parisian sensibilities and Japanese attention to seasonal fare with the rich flavours unique to the Hawaiian islands.

Paris.Hawaii

+1 808 212 9282

Ta Que A Le Bounet @ Shirogane

February 20, 2020 Dave Perry

***Salmon roe with spinach and mushroom***

***Seiko crab with scallions, sweet potato manju and shiratama***

***Sea bass with sesame and celery vinegar***

***Simmered yuba, matsutake, awafusuma, camas and mizuna***

***Grilled squid and straw chrysanthemum puree, with squid ink and shallot sauce and walnuts***

***Tripe and shirako with homemade ricotta cheese and olive powder***

***Yellowtail pickled in sake lees with turnip Lemongrass bouillon***

***Roasted Saga beef rump with grape and red wine sauce, fried chestnuts and autumn poem***

***Spring roll skin tarte tatin with super vanilla ice cream***

***Financier chocolate truffles and petit four***

Opened in May 2019, Ta Que A Le Bounet (a play on words redolent of the mythical Takarabune or ‘Treasure Ship’) is a tastefully appointed little reservation-only, prix fixe Franco-Japanese kappo restaurant on the rapidly gentrifying Shirogane shotengai.

Owner-chef Funada’s cooking, honed during a sojourn in France, utilizes ingredients sourced from regional producers with whom he often has some personal connection or collaboration.

The result is a pleasant balance of French and Japanese culinary styles, aesthetics and flavours which meander along the well trodden path of eu d'oeuvres - fish - meat - dessert, with occasional surprises along the way. Courses are served upon an eclectic array of tableware collected from across Japan’s regions and eras, with some pieces dating back to the early-Edo period.

Ta Que A La Bounet

03 6456 4319

Celaravird @ Yoyogi-Uehara

January 13, 2020 Dave Perry

***Grissoni with cured duck ham and olives***

***Crab and chrysanthemum crystal tart***

***Asparagus, croquet and bread cracker***

***Octopus stuffed with squid and fungi***

***Creamy mousse with chestnuts, acorns, persimmon and ice cream***

***Fig macaron, chestnut biscuit and olive oil gummy***

This small restaurant’s sleepy neighbourhood locale belies its Scandinavian aesthetic and sophisticated contemporary Spanish cuisine. Such is its popularity that reservations are taken two to three months in advance.

Having honed his craft at lauded Spanish restaurants such as El Bulli and Martín Berasategui, owner-chef Hashimoto uses natural ingredients sourced from local producers to create delicately arranged morsels reflecting the essence of the Japanese seasons.

Non-alcoholic and alcoholic pairing menus are available, the latter of which consists of pleasant organic Japanese wines, sakes and a delicious Japanese grappa.

Celaravird

03 3465 8471