| Restaurant Review |
By Steve Trautlein
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Ristorante Ruby
Can’t decide between sushi or Italian? You won’t have to at this classy Roppongi restaurant
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| Photos courtesy of Ristorante Ruby |
Ristorante Ruby has a lot going for it. Its location in the Grace entertainment complex means that diners have a whole host of pre- or post-meal party options. The plush, stylish interior would make a fantastic backdrop to a date or business dinner. Late-night hours means that clubbers can enjoy a meal whenever their stomachs start growling. But maybe the best reason to visit Ristorante Ruby is you can enjoy gourmet Italian and Japanese fare under the same roof.
The restaurant is, literally, divided into two areas. Off to the right, the Italian section is highlighted by marble floors, heavy white linens and crystal chandeliers. The menu boasts prix fixe meals starting at around ¥10,000, as well as a 500-strong wine list. Dishes range from home-style tagliolini with lamb ragout (¥2,600) to pan-fried foie gras with organic vegetable pie (¥3,200) to sautéed snapper and turnips with black truffles (¥5,200).
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On a recent visit, we ventured over to the sushi side, where the interior is just as gorgeous. Softly spotlit tables sit in front of comfy high-backed benches, with mirrored walls arching up to the ceiling. The raised, semi-circular sushi bar is lorded over by a menacing samurai—or rather, a suit of black armor perched above the counter. Each setting includes a gorgeous lacquered tray inlaid with black and gold squares, with intimate white velour seats set snugly against one another.
Of the three set menus on offer (¥6,000, ¥8,000 and ¥10,000), we went for the “Craftsman Special Course” at ¥8,000. An otoshi of gently flavored yuba and greens was followed by an appetizer of assorted delicacies served in a bento-style lacquer box: madai (sea bream) and maguro sashimi; fugu jelly with ginger and leek; and a tsukune-like block of matsukaze tori—chicken flavored with a thick tare. The robata course consisted of a meaty, perfectly cooked kanpachi (yellow tail) shioyaki, wrapped in leaf and served on a small raised stand with lime, shoyu and grated daikon. Ruby’s solicitous service was evident with our agemono (fried) course: doubting our ability to eat shirako (cod milt), the staff offered us shrimp tempura instead. We declined—shirako is a favorite of ours—and Ruby’s take on the dish, served with nori and negi and seasoned with dashi, shoyu, sake and mirin, was one of the highlights of our meal.
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The course labeled “entrée” on the bilingual menu turned out to be hashi yasume, or salty, bite-size snacks traditionally enjoyed with sake. After this break, which included spicy karasumi roe, came the sushi course. Consisting of eight large pieces—including awabi, ika, saba, anago, kani and chu toro—the fish was served on a long, oval platter alongside a steaming bowl of miso soup. Dessert came in the form of a refreshing milk and tea jelly. After lingering over a cup of hot green tea, we left with our stomachs full and a determination to try the Italian side of Ristorante Ruby on our next visit.
7-13-7 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5414-2332. Open Mon-Sat 5:30pm-2am (Italian restaurant) and 5:30pm-5:30am (sushi), closed Sun. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.r-ruby.com
When popular restaurant Roti closed its Harumi Triton Square branch in March, there were a lot of sad diners. Fortunately, a new and exciting restaurant and wine bar has opened to take its place… or perhaps we should say “dramatic,” since that is how Garden Bay describes itself. Garden Bay offers modern Italian cuisine in a casual style at reasonable prices. The dinner menu is quite extensive. For starters, you can pick from carpaccio, tomato and basil salad, pancetta, terrine, or bacon and egg salad, for ¥680 to ¥1,380. For entrees, Garden Bay offers lots of grilled meats, seafood, pasta, rice dishes and some vegetarian fare. No entree item costs more than ¥2,400, and there is an ample selection of red and white wines from Italy, Spain, France, Argentina and Australia to go with your dinner.
The restaurant is also popular with the lunchtime crowd.
Sets, which change daily, include pasta, a rice dish and a one-plate combination of salad, rice and meat. Of course, no meal is complete without dessert, and Garden Bay offers the likes of tiramisu, gateau chocolate cake and fruit tart. The restaurant is available for parties as well, starting at ¥2,400 per person for a two-hour period. Having just opened, Garden Bay doesn’t yet have an English menu, but the staff are friendly and floor manager Kanako Uehara is more than happy to help with any inquiries.
Harumi Triton Square 1F, Harumi 1-8-16, Chuo-ku 104-0053. Tel: 03-5547-0561. Open daily 11:30am-11pm. Nearest stn: Kachidoki. www.gardenbay.jp CB |
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