| Restaurant Review |
By Steve Trautlein
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Sasashige
A new teppanyaki grill in Nishi-Azabu pleases all comerso
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| Photos Courtesy of Food Stadium |
It’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t enjoy
dining at Sasashige. This newly opened teppanyaki grill in Nishi-Azabu ticks all the boxes: ground-central location? Check. Eye-catching interior? You bet. Trendy vibe? In spades. But the best reasons to go are the fantastic course dinners courtesy of chef-manager Takeya Yamamoto, whose extensive experience in French cooking is on display throughout the menu.
Available at ¥6,000, ¥8,000 and ¥10,000, Sasahige’s course dinners all include an otoshi; appetizer; vegetable, fish and meat courses; and dessert. In place of a rice or noodle dish, the chef offers up an expertly made okonomiyaki with the works. Diners looking for just a quick bite,
or those who want to choose their own food, can explore the a la carte menu, which features everything from housemade tofu (¥700) to 14 varieties of grilled vegetables (all ¥500) to lobster (¥3,200) and Japanese beef (¥2,000-¥2,800).
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Sasashige further stands out because of its deep wine list. Some 80 bottles from France and the New World are available, starting at around ¥5,000 and climbing upwards of ¥50,000. The by-the-glass house wines are fantastic, especially the red, a Zweigelt-Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Marko wineries in Austria (¥1,100).
Our ¥10,000 prix fixe menu started with a simple amuse bouche of pickled udo and nanohana (broccoli rabe) with a dollop of walnut miso, followed by a cleverly presented appetizer of chilled crabmeat, served in the shell. We’ve always thought that a reliable way of judging teppanyaki restaurants is by how they handle the delicate task of grilling vegetables, and Sasashige passes this test admirably. Our yasai course comprised thick disks of bamboo capped with shiitake buttons, and a pair of hefty asparagus spears stacked like cordwood. These and subsequent dishes were accompanied by a condiment array that included yuzu-flavored miso, sesame salt and a Dijon mustard-shoyu mix.
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After a lovely fish course of tai topped with shiso leaf and ume (on another occasion we enjoyed roasted madai filled with a duxelle of champignons and a touch of basil oil), we cooled our palates with a grapefruit granité before the main course: wagyu chateaubriand. Yamamoto clearly respects the top-quality beef, gently seasoning the meat and cooking it just long enough to get the juices flowing. Served with wafer-thin slices of onion, garlic chips, and grilled moyashi and spinach, this dish is worthy of a top-flight grill.
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Sasashige’s interior strikes a smart balance between elegant and welcoming, with subtle spotlighting and tasteful furniture. A semi-private lounge is shrouded by hanging beads, and a small picture window looks out on a tiny space crowded with greenery. Counter seats provide a front-row view of all the teppanyaki action. Place settings include classy stainless steel hashi-oki, and all dishes are tastefully presented on classic ceramic dishes.
The crowd during our visit included a genki group of co-workers in the lounge and, at another table, a foursome that included a well-known celebrity transvestite. To say that Sasashige attracts a diverse crowd is an understatement; to say that it pleases them all is a guarantee.
2F 2-13-15 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5774-4439. Open daily 6pm-midnight. Nearest stn: Hiro-o or Roppongi. Smoking unrestricted. www.sasashige.com
After seeing Café Tsubu Tsubu featured on a bunch of Japanese TV shows and magazines, we were eager to try out the restaurant’s vegan, organic and multigrain dishes. On a sunny Friday, we made a short trip from our Omotesando office to Benten-cho, a quiet residential area in Shinjuku-ku. As soon as we walked into the spacious café decorated with simple wooden furniture, we felt like we had found respite from the hustle and hassle of Tokyo life. Knowing how difficult it is to find satisfying vegan restaurants in Japan, we were psyched to splurge on a full-course lunch set (¥1,995), which came with an appetizer assortment, a main dish, dessert and a drink. Our lunch included a millet croquette, simmered daikon and koya dofu, along with rolled-barley and hijiki soup and a bowl of rice (customers can choose brown or multigrain). The croquettes were definitely the highlight of the course—so hearty and flavorful it was hard to believe they were meat-free. For dessert, we chose macha green tea cake with a brown rice coffee. While we normally find vegan sweets dry and, to be honest, not-tasty, the cake won us over with its rich texture and subtle sweetness. Some folks, especially those who are used to processed food filled with artificial coloring and flavor, might find dishes at Tsubu Tsubu blunt. For us, the restaurant offered perfect sustenance.
143-5 Benten-cho, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 03-3203-2093. Open daily noon-5:30pm. Nearest stn: Ushigome-Yanagicho.
www.tsubutsubu.jp YT |
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