Gontran Cherrier Tokyo vs The Peck : Battle of the Matcha Breads

Matcha scene turns hot in May as many pastry shops or bakeries launched their matcha fair. The Peck, a bakery under Takashimaya and Gontran Cherrier have both started their matcha fair. I won't say which is better because the breads are different to start with. Gontran Cherrier's selection are predominantly croissant-based while The Peck's items are more yeasted buns based.

The Peck is generally cheaper but very sweet. My favourite item is neither the cinnamon roll nor the matcha mascarpone bun but the matcha muffin as it wasn't as heavy like an American muffin but moist and cakey. From Gontran, my vote goes to the Matcha Almond Croissant. It was much better than its Matcha Yuzu Croissant as the matcha almond paste in the center boost up the matcha intensity.

The Matcha Mont Blanc is another interesting fusion bread that contains matcha bean paste inside. Both the cream puff and roll cake were excellent and must-try. The cream puff was accented with yuzu peels while the ring of matcha ganache ratcheted the satisfaction level. Shiok

The Peck @ Takashimaya Shinjuku : http://www.takashimaya.co.jp/store/special/pb/peck/#sec01

Gontran Cherrier Tokyo
http://gontran-cherrier.jp/

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

and Ecle by Olivier Rodriguez : Excellent French Cuisine at Super Affordable Prices

‘きよら’卵黄のオリーブオイルポーチ & ミモレットチーズ with ブロッコリークーリ
Poached in olive oil ‘Kiyora’ egg yolk / broccoli coulis / mimolette cheese



One of the BEST MEALS in TOKYO, EVER.

Gone are the days when one comes to Tokyo only for Japanese food because the city is a congregation of esteemed restaurants serving excellent French, Italian or other non-Japanese cuisines. It's not difficult to find good food in Tokyo but it's hard to find top-notched quality food at reasonable prices.

Alas, there's and ecle, a Neo bistro offering "classic French cuisine with a modern twist". But it's simply too humble to describe the food with these few words as the sophistication of the dishes warrants a deeper consideration. The ingredients are sourced locally from various parts of Japan, for instance fish are shipped in directly from Hakodate Harbour and ricotta cheese from Matsubara san in Hiroshima, then weaved harmoniously under the magical hands of owner-chef Olivier Rodriguez.

Having had numerous years of experience in Michelin starred restaurants, Chef Olivier joined Mandarin Oriental Tokyo opening team to be the Chef of restaurant "Signature" which obtained one star in 2007. He kept the star for 7 years before moving on to open his own creative Neo-bistro where gastronomy and innovation are accessible in an "eclectique" atmosphere.


It's a truly magical gastronomic experience without the confinements of rigid fine-dining. There was never a single moment of predictability during our dinner, only pleasant surprises dish after dish. The ala carte menu is broadly divided into starters, "Ocean", "Farm" and "Coulicious". The latter "Coulicious" is an original genre of food developed by Chef Olivier which harness the potential of rice/cereal using French coulis sauce. The sauces are made naturally using vegetables without any artificial colouring or additives. Partnering with Koike Tadao, the third generation owner of Harajuku's only rice shop of over 80 years in history, as well as Shouji Kokabu from Shiga prefecture who adopts a eco-friendly rice cultivation without any insecticide, Chef Olivier goes the extra mile to ensure that the selection of black, red, green, brown or white rice is of the highest quality in Japan.

With so much anticipation built up just from the menu, my partner and I decided to go for the Chef's 4-course and 5-course dinner as we were confident that Chef Olivier would know which would be the right kind of dish to serve for each course. Needless to say, it was the right decision.

I began with a hot appetizer of Kiyora egg yolk poached in olive oil. The mustard provided a wonderful kick to cut through the richness of the yolks and brocolli coulis. There's so much flavours going on in the mouth, racing to a brilliant finish with the cumin-coated bread crumbs which were more than just an accessory.

My partner's cold appetizer of Mr Matsubara's ricoatta cheese was equally competent. Contrary to the Kiyora yolk, this was on the lighter end of the spectrum with a refreshing green tomato sauce to liven the palates. The spring garden composition included the dandelion that was said to have health benefits.

Our appetizers were followed by the "Coulicious". The crunchy bamboo ash powder black rice from Shiga prefecture was a perfect match with the well-seasoned white asparagus coulis and sautéed bamboo shoots. The surprise element here were the toasted almonds which added a light crispness to the dish. My black olive gin-no-mikazuki rice was paired with lusciously tendered red wine beef cheek and "Hitomi-gosun" carrot coulis which had an inexplicable sweetness that soothed the mind.

The total of 3 mains that followed did not depart too far from classic French dishes but they were outstanding on numerous levels. In particular, the lamb was the most delicious lamb we've ever had in our life. The tricky meat is roasted-braised-poached; a rare cooking process that born fruitful results on the texture. Next to the lamb was an unusual sight of tartar sauce on lamb tongue, not beef tongue, and some tangy sweetbread. Genius.

Desserts were another territory not to be underestimated. Who would have expect a beautiful chemistry between tomatoes and coconuts? Or superbly airy chocolate mousse with balsamic vinegar and plenty of crispy nuts? They might not be the most complex desserts out there but each is priced jaw-droppingly at ¥900 on the ala carte menu.

Beyond the food, what truly touched us were the humility of the chef who went the extra mile to serve food to each and every customer during the dinner service when we visited. This was truly one of the BEST MEALS I've ever had and I can't wait to return to try his new menu that will be launched end of May.

This is what I call, food from the heart

LUNCH 11:30 - 14:30 (L.O)
DINNER (Weekday/Sat.) 18:00 - 21:00 (L.O)
DINNER (Sun. or holiday) 18:00 - 20:00 (L.O)
〒107-0062　東京都港区南青山5-5-4 LUCE南青山2F
TEL 03-6712-5018

Luce Minamiaoyama 2F 5-5-4
Minamiaoyama Minato-ku Tokyo Zip107-0062 Japan
TEL 03-6712-5018

http://and-ecle.com/

Lamb roasted-braised-poached / seared romaine lettuce / thyme-flavored gravy & black olive coulis

Black pepper-roasted ‘kajika’ fillet / young onion & potato with sherry vinegar sauce

Cheese selection: Hokkaido Mr.Noya, Shiga pref. Ms.Tsuyako ＆ Hirosima pref Mr.Matsubara Selection

Crémet d’Anjou / mango compote / dragon fruit coulis

Tomato & coconuts composition

Manate’ milk chocolate mousse / crispy nuts / balsamic vinegar coulis

Strawberry Parfait with Pink Peppercorn

Four Textures of Strawberries

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Andaz Tokyo Pastry Boutique : Shincha Bitter Sweets

 
May marks the season of Shincha (first tea harvest) and Andaz Hotel has launched a series of Shincha sweets featuring teas from Shizuoka Prefecture. Just when you expect everything to be green, the cakes are mostly decked in white. But all the cakes we've tasted would have passed with flying colors if there was a cake examination.

The textures were brilliant and the structure of the cakes were coherent. Take for example the Shincha Opera (650 yen), probably the best opera I've ever had. The green tea ganache was smooth yet potent, contrasted by the nutty chocolate feuilletine in the center. The Vert (650 yen) was a showcase of exemplary chocolate mousse; not porous but silky tight like wearing a comfortable pair of leggings. Again, there's a variation of textures here which took to our fancy.

The Shincha roll cake (600 yen) tasted normal but the fluffy texture could easily threaten the position of Es Koyama's roll in my ranking chart. I was intrigued by The Barley Tea (麦茶) Chocolate (550 yen) as very few chefs would play with this underrated tea. Clearly, mugicha was an excellent partner with chocolate just like Hojicha. The eclairs (small 200 yen / large 490 yen) were decent but I would recommend getting the regular sized ones for a deeper satisfaction. 

Good to know: With 20 dine-in seats, this pastry shop offers a truly relaxed space for enjoyingquality cakes without having to queue or pay for any compulsory beverage. Pastry chef Tanaka Reito has vast experience in French pastries and has been working with Grand Hyatt Tokyo for more than 15 years before being appointed as the chef for Andaz Tokyo

Period: now till June 16 2017
Details: https://www.andaztokyo.jp/restaurants/jp/pastry-shop/

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Hattifnatt Cafe @ Kichijoji : Not your typical Kawaii Cafe

There are many kawaii cafes around in Japan but the kind of kawaii at Hattifnatt is rather different. It's a kind of kawaii that draws from childhood storybooks and probably makes your hair stand less than the other. It feels like a form of Zakka-graffiti fusion art to me and one can expect this place to be popular among teenage girls here.

The food plays along the same line but thankfully they taste good. I'm surprised by the quality of the desserts as kawaii food usually taste worse or like sh*t. The caramel sauce of the banana chiffon was intensely bitter and the cake wasn't too dry. As for he Pumpkin Mont Blanc, the base was constructed of puff pastry--a welcome change from the usual tart base. It gave a flaky savoury touch to the sweet pumpkin cream that was strangely filled with frozen apple cubes. The drinks are too sweet but I guessed it's hard to resist ordering them since they are probably the "cutest" food on the menu.

For more handmade Zakka items, hop over to its sister retail shop just next door.

Kichijoji outlet
〒180-0003 東京都武蔵野市吉祥寺南町２丁目２２−１
11.30am-10pm Mon-Thur, Sun
11.30am-11pm Fri-Sat
http://www.hattifnatt.jp/

 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Kyoyo Shoku Akatsuki 京洋食 あかつき @ Shibuya Hikarie : Kakigori and other Japanese desserts

Friends were looking for a dessert place after Okonomiyaki dinner at Shibuya Hikarie and I suggested Akatsuki, a Japanese-western fusion restaurant that serves Kakigori in its desserts menu. This is actually very rare as most Japanese restaurants, especially those located in department stores, usually offer predictable sweets like parfaits, ice cream or pudding. Everything but Kakigori.  I've always wanted to try the unique pumpkin miso Kakigori but it was unavailable as guessed since pumpkin is likely a seasonal flavor.

Nonetheless, I was delighted to find Kurogoma Kinako on the menu. The kurogoma flavor was present but the intensity might not satisfy avid sesame fans. I could barely remember tasting any kinako. I preferred the special matcha Kakigori, which uses matcha from Marukyu Koyamaen and served with a big scoop of matcha ice cream. The texture of the ice was very fine and melted effortless in the mouth. One person could easily finish this as it wasn't too big.

The Houjicha Pudding was robust and tasty as well, though some found the bitter caramel sauce rather overpowering. Overall, the desserts here are reasonably priced except for the two puny scoops of ice cream that cost \420. Delicious, but one might be better off at an ice cream parlour. One of my friends said that the food here is pretty good and I will definitely be back to check it out when I'm in the area.

東京都渋谷区渋谷2-21-1 渋谷ヒカリエ6F
11am-5pm (lunch) 5pm-11pm (dinner)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

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

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

厨菓子くろぎ Kuriya Kashi Kurogi : Excellent MUST TRY Kakigori Hidden in Tokyo University

 WOW! How can Kakigori ever taste SO GOOD?

I was almost rendered speechless upon the first taste of the Kuromitsu Kinako Kakigori at this new Wagashi cafe that opened in May 2014. It is the sister café of high end Japanese restaurant Kurogi and strategically located right in Tokyo University aka Todai. Here, one can find modernized wagashi in stylish presentation which they call "artisanal works". Given that Kurogi is said to be one of the best ryoriya in town, one can expect standards of the sweets here to be no less remarkable.

This giant mountain of ice is like no other Kakigori I've ever had before. It's bigger than an average adult head size (not face) and doused generously in kinako-dusted cream. The key point here is  "generous" as there's more than enough to go with the delicate shaved ice. The cream, which I'm not too sure whether it should be called "espuma", is slightly denser than the usual espuma served in Kakigori shops but that's not a bad thing. The cream managed to hold its structure steadily till the end.

Most importantly, the chemistry between this light brownish cream, kuromitsu syrup and kinako powder was fantastic. Well, how delicious could this be since kuromitsu-kinako has always been a fail-proof combination? Extraordinarily delicious, I say. And I can only advise you to taste it for yourself. This is my best and favourite Kakigori till date, the next best is probably the Pudding Kakigori from Cheka. Anyway, this has easily beaten the version from Kissho Karyo in Kyoto or even any matcha Kakigori hands down. There's more than just red beans or black beans--before you know it, you have crunched upon some tasty walnuts.

The seasonal kakigori was Sakura-ko, a sakura-themed kakigori with a substantial layer of sakura bean paste layered within and a mixture of sakura jelly and kinako jelly. The red beans here are well-cooked without being too sweet. In fact, this is even lighter than the Kuromitsu Kinako due to the pickled taste of the sakura and the subtle cheesy taste in the cream.

The issue here might be the price. It IS expensive for 1400 yen as most kakigori is way below 1000 yen. But for the excellent quality and huge portion, there is nothing much to complain about. The coffee set is priced at 2200 yen, with a choice of 3 coffee all using beans from from Sarutahiko Coffee. Our cold ice brew (mizu-dashi ko-hi)  was smooth and concentrated, without any bitterness or acidity. I don't drink coffee regularly but I loved the brew here.

But I felt the signature kudzu jelly was overpriced at 2500 yen. The warabi mochi version costs the same but I opted for this since kudzu jelly is lighter on the belly. Needless to say, the plate of transluscent kway teow strips went hand-in-hand with the black sugar syrup and kinako powder but did not stand far from those kuzu jelly sold elsewhere.

Just as you may be eagerly jotting this down on your to-eat list, here are some points to note:

• Avoid weekends if possible or just be mentally prepared to queue for 30 min or so even though you see empty tables around. That's just how inflexible and inefficient the place is run here. But you can use the waiting time to tour around the campus since this could be your first and last time stepping into the prestigious Tokyo University. If there's no queue, that's the best thing, of course.
• Go from the side gate "Kasuga" (kasugamon　春日門), else you have to figure your way through the maze-like university campus
• Come hungry. Don't belittle the size of one kakigori. It's really BIGGER than average.
• Come with a friend or more, if you wanna try at least TWO items.

Daiwa Ubiquitous Research Building 1F, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo *located nearby the Kasuga Gate inside Hongo campus of The University of Tokyo 5 minutes walk from Hongo sanchome Station, Marunouchi Line 3 minutes walk from Hongo sanchome Station, Oedo Line 東京都文京区本郷　7-3-1 国立大学法人 東京大学 本郷キャンパス春日門側 ダイワユビキタス学術研究館１階 丸ノ内線　本郷3丁目駅より 徒歩5分 大江戸線　本郷3丁目駅より 徒歩3分 Phone: +81-3-5802-5577 http://www.wagashi-kurogi.co.jp/

reade more... Résuméabuiyad