Brasserie Aux Amis

The spirit of an old French favorite lives on in Marunouchi

Photos Courtesy of Aux Amis

Gray buildings and featureless streets are slowly disappearing from Marunouchi under local landlord Mitsubishi Estate’s decade-long master plan. So it’s unfortunate that Brasserie Aux Amis is located on one of the grayest and most featureless of them all. But that hasn’t stopped the casual French restaurant from building itself a bright reputation.

Brasserie Aux Amis opened in 2003, when chef Masashi Hadachi was evicted from Harajuku following the scandalous closure of the area’s much-missed branch of Aux Bacchanales. His new home is part of the Aux Amis group, which operates several other wine bars in the area.
Brasseries in Japan often look more French than in France, and this is no exception. The atmosphere is equally authentic: energetic and casual by day, a little more refined by night. As the hours pass, the clientele changes and so does the food. Daily lunch specials (¥1,050) are popular with office ladies, who wait in line outside. Throughout the day, locals stop by for brasserie staples like salad Nicoise (¥800) and bavette steak frites (¥1,500), or stand for a coffee and snack at the bar (in which case the prices are a little lower).

We make a point of dropping by Brasserie Aux Amis whenever possible, always by day. Seeing its popularity grow, we recently made the effort to return at night, when proceedings are more up-market. There are two three-course prix fixe options, ¥4,725 and ¥6,090 that include dessert but not coffee. Between us, we chose from both categories, accompanied by glasses of house wine (¥500). Highlights included grilled porcini mushrooms topped with wafer-thin slices of fresh parmesan; refreshing Hanasaki crab (a specialty from Hokkaido) in a jellied seafood reduction; and tender harami steak in rich eschalote gravy with roast potatoes.

One decadent main was filet de boef Rossini: filet steak topped with foie gras and black truffles, whose richness was tamed by a base of daikon radish to balance the flavors. Steak tartar vin rouge was also excellent, with not too much Tabasco, perhaps to suit local tastes. Melon with Iberico ham and black figs was also a nice combination, although the melon could have been riper. Among the desserts, caramelized apple Tarte Tatin was outstanding, as was the cheesecake, sweet yet subtle compared with the powerful chocolate tart and maron ice-cream.

On this gray, featureless street, Brasserie Aux Amis is a beacon of charm and culinary flair, and Hadachi and his staff are deserving recipients of their share of the spirit of his former Harajuku home. And, despite all the changes going on in Marunouchi, Mitsubishi says it has no plans to redevelop this particular spot, which is good news for all of us.

Shin-Tokyo Bldg, 3-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-6212-1566. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-midnight (L.O.), Sat, Sun & hols 11am-11pm (L.O.). Nearest stn: Hibiya, Nijubashimae, Yurakucho or Tokyo. Menu in Japanese and French. No smoking lunchtime Mon-Fri. Reservations recommended for dinner. www.auxamis.com

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