Winter trip to Tokyo

[Bu Pun Su]

Regarding the sushi,

It is true that you could probably eat there (Jiro) for 45 min. only. Yeah, Jiro put a very high standard in sushi. Believe it or not, I have not eaten sushi anywhere else since my Tokyo-trip knowing that I will be disappointed. Perhaps, I should simply lower my standard and the one in NY/LA is probably the reasonable one outside Japan.

Regarding the kaiseki,

My memorable experience in Hamadaya makes me addicted to the truly Japanese kaiseki served in the ryokan-style dining room. That's why I want to try the one in Kyoto which many claim to be the place where kaiseki comes from. Thanks for the recommendation about Kikunoi Tokyo ... how about Fukudaya, also located in Japan's capital?

[robyn]

Culinista,

Based on you description of Sushi Jiro, I think I was blessed and fortunate being a foreigner and visited Tokyo for the first time last winter, at the same time could eat there.

About your Japanese dining experience, have you ever had meals at Kyoto's famous kaiseki place like Kitcho or Kikunoi? Is it comparable to Europe 3-star fine dining? This kind of place, are you allowed to eat alone or at least 2 people will be required? Thanks

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We ate at both of the less famous less elaborate "in-town" branches of Kitcho (in the hotel Granvia) and Kikunoi when we were in Kyoto. They are not in any way comparable to European 3 star restaurants - especially at Kitcho - which is very authentic very ascetic (like less than 900 calories for a long meal) kaiseki (the food was Kikunoi wasn't as pretty - but it was tastier). It is a type of cuisine you have to eat at least once or twice on a trip to Japan - but it is more ceremonial and beautiful looking than delicious - at least to my western tastes. I guarantee you will be ready for a sweet dessert elsewhere after one of these meals. In terms of dining alone - I don't think there would be any problems. Our favorite meal in Kyoto was at a relatively famous eel restaurant in the Kyoto train station complex (about the 5th or 6th floor). Robyn

[mtgtimewalker]

Bu Pun Su,

Regarding kaiseki, robyn already mentioned Kitcho, which has also been recommended to me by a friend of mine who had the chance to dine there. There are six Kitcho's in Tokyo and also six in Kyoto. However, the main ones in each city are known for being some of the most exclusive restaurants to get into, requiring you to be referred by a member to book a reservation. The branches of Kitcho are open the to public though.

Perhaps some pictures would provide you a idea what you can expect. The blog is written in Chinese, but the pictures do justice: http://blog.yam.com/aegonfelix/article/12461336

[robyn]

Just IMO - unless you have a really good reason to spend something like $600+ for 2 in a place like the main Kitcho restaurant outside of Kyoto - I think the $300 version in the Granvia will do very nicely. E.g., we were there during cherry blossom season and our first course was a fairly large dish that looked like a cherry blossom tree garden. Absolutely exquisite looking - maybe 600 calories total! Classical kaiseki meals have a lot of cultural and religious connotations which - again IMO - are lost on the average western tourist. I'd suggest doing some reading before deciding how to approach this type of Japanese cuisine.

On my part - I liked the (relatively famous) eel restaurant in the Granvia complex a lot more than our kaiseki meal (because it tasted a whole lot better!). The higher end tempura restaurants too. I can appreciate a lot of vegetables carved up to look like cherry blossom trees on an intellectual level - but my tummy usually likes something that tastes more yummy. OTOH - I do very much recommend sampling as many types of Japanese restaurants as you can (I think there are about 12 or so major types - and they tend to be fairly specialized - e.g., you won't find sushi in a high end tempura restaurant). Robyn

[Bu Pun Su]

The last part of my winter trip report last year will be Beige Tokyo, another restaurant by Alain Ducasse. Located at the top floor of Chanel Ginza building, this place is more of mixtures for foodies and people who want to have good times and spend quite substantial of money. It’s very fashionable, at the same time some of the dishes are quite serious as well. So …

Food/Wine (93/93)

I don’t usually order a la carte when I visit restaurants for the first time … however, the tasting menu here did not seem to be very appealing to me. So, I decided to go for 2 a la carte courses and left the degustation menu for my dad.

- the amuse is a hot potato and leek cream soup, quite tasty and warm your stomach after walking around in the middle of Tokyo’s wind chill

- appetizer: fresh and sublime kegani crab enhanced with osetra caviar’s salty taste as well as many cauliflower variations … great dish in your palate and a pleasure to the eyes

- for the main course, I choose to have Akagegyu beef served with port and red wine sauce (probably the best beef producers in Japan after Kobe). As expected, it’s delicious – tender and juicy, my teeth did the minimal work while enjoying this marbled beef. For me, the side dishes neither add nor subtract this wonderful beef. I think Japanese beef is the best in the world

Now come the tasting menu part

- the foie gras ravioli with “foam” … it’s a standard when you eat at French restaurant but less refined compared to the one I had in ADNY before it’s closed. My dad is not a fan of any duck liver

- frog legs with watercress sauce, my father loved every byte of it. His best dish of the night

- the turbot is lacking in texture, the sea urchins are fine. The acidity part of the chateau chalon sauce does not really help the fish. So far, I’ve never had a very good fish dish in any Ducasse restaurants

- the deer medallions, perhaps, not too bad. My father may not get used to it … but nothing really special though

- for the cheese … comte and st. nectaire are average, but the blue cheese with salad/walnut marmalade is good

- the chanel chocolate praline is superb, inside has some nutty and thin “cake” element. The chocolate is tense, fit to my taste. You can ignore the hazelnut ice cream as a side dish … maybe this is like Le Louis XV praline, but less refined

I find the some of the a la carte dishes are very good here while the tasting menu is more conservative and lacking any wow effect. Maybe the Michelin people having the degustation menu here, so that this place only got 1-star, but in my note the food here is 93/100 – about the same level as Sant Pau Tokyo and Caprice HK

I opened my meal here by zipping a glass of champagne Philipponnat reserve rosee … a pleasure by itself when you wet your lip with this fine and creamy champagne plus its rich aromas of red fruits. The 2005 le grand vallon condrieu and 2004 chateau rauzan-segla (both on tasting menu size) did not disappoint at all. Lastly, the 10 years of age Tawny port by quinta Santa Eufemia perfectly matched our chocolate praline dessert

Service/Decoration (92/90)

The staffs are friendly and professional, and most of them (Japanese), surprisingly, speak fluent English. I was dealt with the sales director quite often, Mr. Fabrice Schmitt after knowing that I’m a foodie. The only lacking part is that after they removed the main course, it took them 30 min to bring the cheese course … they probably forgot about it. The ambiance is subdued, with a quiet music on the background. The light brightness is minimal, and the high ceiling makes the dining room rather comfortable despite not too spacious. The toilet is very cool and high tech. It has buttons to open or close the bowl, flush, etc. The chair is quite big, in sofa style with a small pillow similar to Caprice.

I’m happily giving this restaurant 92/100 (low 2 ½ star) for the overall experience. I believe if the restaurant consistently work hard to make most of the dishes as good as my kegani crab and akagegyu beef, this place should be able to get its 2nd Michelin star by Tokyo standard within 2-3 years. Lastly, here are the pictures beige winter 07