| Restaurant Review |
By Beau Miller
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Leroux
Fill up on veggies at
this inviting Shibuya bistro
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| Photos by Karryn Cartelle |
After a recent Friday evening at Shibuya’s Leroux, we can promise one thing: this quaint bistro will leave your notions about French food in shambles.
Located along Inokashira Dori west of Yoyogi Park, the restaurant can be easily spotted by its yellow sign, outdoor tables and ceramic statue of an old maid. A chalkboard announces the day’s specials.
Crossing the threshold, we find Leroux’s interior warm, wooden and cozy. The décor is minimal, with empty wine bottles lined up on a ledge in front of the open kitchen, which is where head chef Shuichi Sorimachi does his work.
Before Sorimachi was a chef, though, he was a nomad, scouring the world for cooking techniques, then touring Japan’s farms to source ingredients. The relationships he forged on this journey have enabled him to use seasonal, farm-to-plate vegetables on Leroux’ multidimensional menu.
The five course menus—all priced quite reasonably considering the quality of the cuisine, not to mention the cost of fresh produce at Tokyo grocery stores—include an omakase (¥5,800), three ¥3,500 sets (including a vegetarian option), and a recently added course for groups of women (¥2,800). The English descriptions aren’t perfect, but this is a two-man operation (Sorimachi plus sous chef), and we appreciate the effort.
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We began with a selection from the wine list, which has several enticing bottles under ¥5,000: a sparkling Opéra Brut (¥3,800). The seven-course feast started off on the right foot with a vegetable cocktail with three dipping sauces: black miso, sea salt and a creamy house dressing. By the second dish—marinated baby eggplants with ginger and tomato topped with broccoli sprouts—we were already thinking about booking our next reservation.
The third course, sautéed yuba with dried plum filling, we considered a speed bump, going for adventurous fusion and ending up more appealing to our eyes and nose than taste buds. We decided it was time to slow down, have an ice cold Premium Malts (¥630), and anticipate entrées yet to come.
It turned out the draft beer was fortuitous, as it perfectly complemented the next dish: marinated and beautiful grilled shiitake mushrooms, dressed unnecessarily but divinely with lemon and parsley.
To this point, the only carbohydrates had come in the form of beer and the fresh focaccia, served with thick olive oil and big granular rocks of salt (a la carte, ¥400). So we were pleased as the rigatoni pasta arrived in a marinara sauce with Japanese myoga ginger and gobo burdock root.
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As we loosened our belts a bit, course number six arrived: vegetables en papillote, including eggplant, goya, pumpkin, tomato, bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, squash, okra, onions and beet root. With the soy-vinegar sauce: wow.
Dessert was a warm apple tart made with Calvados and whole-wheat flour, accompanied by homemade vanilla bean ice cream.
1-16-3 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-3467-1247. Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-2pm,
6-11pm (LO), closed Mon. Smoking not allowed. English menu available. Nearest stn: Yoyogi Koen (exit 2) or Yoyogi Hachiman. www.leroux.jp
There are very few Tokyo restaurants you can count on for reliably rude service. Of these select few, Chinese Café Eight takes the proverbial cake. Don’t be fooled by the cheery website, which promises customers will be “welcomed by a warm and hospitable atmosphere that will leave you with lasting memories of your visit.” At this popular 24-hour Roppongi eatery, the irritable waitstaff are as much a part of its odd charm as the 3D breasts adorning the walls, or the giant iron bell in the room’s center with the accompanying phallic mallet. It’s fun thinking that all this is just across the street from the prim and proper trappings of Roppongi Hills and the five-star Grand Hyatt. Another nice thing about Chinese Café Eight is that it offers various regional cuisines of the mainland. Hailing from central Sichuan, hotpot dishes (huoguo in Chinese, but nabe to you) are featured prominently, with nearly three dozen items to add to your own bubbling cauldron, ranging from garlic-infused oil (¥160) to “fondue” (¥515). For Beijing delicacies, Chinese Café Eight features its Peking duck dinner as menu item number one (¥3,680). If going for lunch, expect a few minutes’ wait, as the ¥550 set menu—three choices for a main dish, unlimited rice, drinks and dessert—is a mainstay of the area’s office workers. Just don’t expect a smile with the service.
2F, 3-2-13 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5414-5708. Open daily 24 hours. www.cceight.com (Additional branches in Ebisu and Akasaka.) BM
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