We are the Farm Ebisu : More than just veggies

I thought I was going to have a “healthy” vegetable dinner here but I ended up in food comatose.
We are the Farm is a farm-to-table restaurant which uses organic vegetables from its company farm in Chiba. The folks here take pride of their organic produce which are on display at the counter. The walls are scribbled with messages explaining the techniques and science of farming.



I was aiming for the Kale Caesar Salad ¥980 because I was tempted by its gigantic portion. The kale was crisp and fresh, drizzled in just the right amount of dressing that won’t leave the salad too dry after a few bites.

But I guessed my mind wasn’t functioning right as I was too easily persuaded by the waitresses who recommended me to try a few other signature dishes. I don’t remember having a whole onion to myself but I knew I could trust the  quality of the ingredients here and thus opted for the grilled onion. And yes, you get just one whole onion with just speckles of salt at the side.

 The onion was beautifully torched and glistening with on the surface. I was recommended to eat from the innermost to the outermost ring as the sweetness are concentrated in the core where the nutrients are transported to. Honestly, I couldn’t detect any significant difference between the rings, though the onions were tender, sweet. Oh and slightly oily.

But what left me with the deepest impression that evening wasn’t the vegetables, it was the meats. In fact, the mains of this restaurant are  dominated by meats. The signature grilled duck with mozzarella (¥2500) took me by surprise because I didn’t imagine duck to be so tender and tasty! It tasted like smooth sausage or I should say anything but a duck. The mozzarella is flattened into a crisp and made this look like an UFO! Portion was huge as well.


Delicious food aside, I would advise coming as a group to share as the bill could easily clocked up to ¥6000 for just 3 dishes. Do note that there is a compulsory order from the drinks list that start from ¥550.

LUNCH :

EVERYDAY >> 11:30〜14:30 (LO. 14:00)

DINNER :

MON. - SAT. >> 17:00〜23:30 (LO. 22:45)

SUN. >> 17:00〜23:00 (LO. 22:00)

東京都渋谷区恵比寿西2-8-10　ORIX恵比寿西ビル 1F

TEL : 03-5784-3877

https://www.allfarm.co.jp/we-are-the-farm

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Delifucius : Premium fish burgers by sushi chef

 Fucking delicious?

Well, not quite there yet but I must say the fish burgers here at Delifucious are delicious. Opened barely for a month, Delifucius has become the next hot spot in Nakameguro where one can find artisanal beer, cheese and pizzas. Delifucius means delicious + fucking, and it sells unique fish burgers which you can’t find elsewhere. And who could have been so upfront and confident in his food? Someone who has been dealing with fish, of course.

Chef Shinya Kudo has clocked over 10 years of experience in high-end sushi restaurants including the 2-starred Michelin restaurant Ginza Harutaka which takes in customers by reservation only. Just like any sushi chef who is exceptionally particular about freshness, Chef Shinya sources the fish from Tsukiji market daily. The signature item is none other than the Konbu-zime burger. The fish, which varies according to the season, is wrapped in konbu for 2 days to absorb the umami from the seaweed. It is then fried and sandwiched with homemade coleslaw and a special slimy tofu wafu sauce. The lightness and crispness of the fish is unbeatable and the taste of the meat was simply beautiful.

My friend loves this burger but I prefer the grilled saikyo-yaki (fish grilled with miso) burger. I can’t resist the caramelized sweetness from the fish even though it might be slightly less tender than the Konbu-zime burger. The buns are just small enough to hold the hefty fillings and no one will disagree that the food is truly value for money.

Expect to queue for at least 1 hour if you drop by during peak hours. Even if there are empty seats inside, the staff will still restrict the number of diners inside. But you’ll see that most people will still queue patiently outside. After all, how often do you get to eat cheap and tasty fish burgers done by a Michelin-star sushi chef?  

1-9-13 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo

東京都目黒区東山1-9-13 1F  http://delifucious.com/
11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; closed Wed

Budget: ~1000 yen

 Saikyo-yaki burger

 Konbu-zime burger

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Green Bean to Bar : Searching for the Best Chocolate in Tokyo

 
Riding on the trend of bean to bar, I went to check out Green Bean to Bar, the last chocolate place on my list. It's actually similar to the previous two, Dandelion Chocolate and Minimal Bean to Bar, as it places an emphasis on handmade chocolates from the stage of bean with only natural ingredients. Workshops are also conducted from time to time. This place is directed by Chloé Doutre-Roussel, a Paris chocolate expert who is not based at the shop (Chances are you will spot a handsome angmoh chef playing chocolate in the kitchen). 

Like Dandelion Chocolate, Green Bean to Bar sells a variety of chocolate pastries all made in the kitchen. Both the plain vanilla choux dark chocolate eclair were delicious but not particularly different from average patisseries. I prefer the chocolate eclair as it is a humbling creation that belied some sublime cacao-imbued deliciousness in the cream sandwiched between lightly toasted chocolate choux. Yes, double chocolate components yet not doubling the happiness to be honest. 

They have other desserts that revolve around chocolate such as cookie, brownies and bread but nothing much that speaks the soul of chocolate. Even the hot chocolate could be a notch richer and bitter. 

Now I know why I left without much ecstasy. But if you are looking for artisan chocolate bars and not desserts, then this place won't be out of your radar. 

Green Bean to Bar

2-16-11 Aobadai, Meguro-ku

11am-9pm (Closed on Weds)

http://greenchocolate.jp

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