| Restaurant Review |
By Kevin Mcgue |
Café de Shinran
Dine with a 13th-Century
monk in Tsukiji
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| Photos courtesy of Café de Shinran |
When we heard that Café de Shinran was right next to Tsukiji Hongan-ji temple, we didn’t realize that it was actually within the temple grounds. The restaurant sits just below a towering statue of its namesake, the monk Shinran, who helped revive Buddhism in 13th-century Japan. We knew right away that we were in for a unique dining experience.
Café de Shinran has a relaxed, natural atmosphere with a hip edge. This is no surprise, as it bills itself as a LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) café. Open since autumn, Shinran seems to have already built up quite a following. The tables were nearly full with couples on dates, and we were lucky to be seated in a corner with a wonderful view of the temple’s imposing façade.
Since we were eating in the shadow of a temple, we expected the cuisine to be an update on shojin ryori, the vegetarian fare traditionally eaten by Buddhist monks. Yet the menu features items such as beef tripe and tomato stew (¥1,700) and oven roasted lamb with organic vegetables (¥4,000). Shinran is a place of fun contradictions: Nat King Cole was on the sound system, wishing everyone in this Buddhist restaurant a Merry Christmas in the middle of spring.
We settled in and started off with a couple of cocktails recommended by the staff, both made from Tondennaka White all-grain shochu from Kyushu. One was mixed with umeshu plum liquor, and the other was paired with orange juice (¥650 each). The shochu was smooth and slightly sweet, nicely complemented by the tangy amuse bouche served tiny bundles of enoki sautéed in garlic and butter, and pumpkin with raisins, marinated in sesame seed oil.
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Still enjoying our drinks, we ordered a pickle assortment (¥600), which was a very colorful combination of red, yellow and green peppers, along with cauliflower. We decided to try one of the specialties of the house, a meatless tartare made with mixed grains and grilled vegetables reduced to a paste and topped with dried ricotta cheese and served with toasted multi-grain bread (¥1,600). This very tasty dish got us ready for another round of drinks: a Tondennaka Black on the rocks (¥800), which is stronger and drier than the white shochu we had in our cocktails, and a glass of the house white wine (¥600), a decent chardonnay.
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Since we were a stone’s throw from the Tsukiji fish market, we decided to try some seafood, knowing it would be the freshest available. We ordered the carpaccio of tobiuo (¥1,500), the Japanese flying fish that produces tobiko, the bright orange roe that is often found on top of sushi. This was served lightly drizzled with fresh lemon and olive oil, and topped with arugula. We finished with the very satisfying spaghetti with Japanese small-neck clams and Chinese cabbage (¥1,500).
As we left, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity of a pleasant walk through the serene temple grounds, another part of the experience that will definitely bring us back.
3-15-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3248-0010. Open Mon-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun & hols 11am-10pm. Menu in Japanese only. Non-smoking only. Nearest stn: Tsukiji. www.sotokoto.net/lohasbar
Kushiage is not one of the most famous Japanese dishes, nor is it very popular in the Kanto area. Originating from Kansai, these skewered, breaded, then deep-fried morsels nevertheless make a very interesting meal, giving a new taste with practically every bite. Kushinobo used to be located in Hiroo, and we dined there every few weeks for many years until it suddenly disappeared. Now we have found it again, rejuvenated in the bustling Roppongi Hills. Although all the food is deep-fried, the first thing we notice when entering is that there is not the slightest whiff of oil in the air. Upon being seated—pairs at the bar counter, larger groups on tables—we were immediately served a jar of fresh vegetable sticks. We ordered our first drinks at the same time as the food course, which should always be the omakase chef’s selection (price varies, but typically around ¥4,500). Now’s the time to make any dislikes known, and the chefs will spare you from them. While waiting for the drinks and the first skewers, we prepared our condiments: in the sectioned dish in front of us we poured tonkatsu sauce, ponzu, mustard, ketchup, and mixed ground salt and sesame seeds. Then the first items arrived, piping hot from the deep-fryer: prawns with shiso leaves, beef, and rolled crab meat. We dipped the prawns into ponzu and the beef into sauce, and dripped some lemon juice over the crab. The feast goes on—asparagus, mushrooms, shellfish, pork, potato cubes rolled in bacon, salmon, quail eggs, ginkgo nuts, lotus roots—in a procession that won’t end until you say stop. It’s hard to believe that these small items can actually make you full, but they do, and satisfyingly so. We found that the dry rosé wines on offer (¥5,250) match this kind of food well, but there also are a number of reds and whites (from ¥3,600), as well as beer, sake, and shochu.
5F West Walk, Roppongi Hills, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Open Sun-Wed 11am-midnight, Thu-Sat 11am-5am. Tel. 03-5771-0094. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.kushinobo.jp Pat Willener |
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