| Restaurant Review |
By Yusuke Takahashi |
Sou
Enjoy heaps of Kyoto vegetables at Ginza’s
“modern Zen” eatery
.jpg) |
| Photos Courtesy of At Ones’ Inc |
Ever since the Marronnier Gate complex opened
in the heart of Ginza last year, we’ve had our eye on Sou, the 12th-floor restaurant with a magnificent city view. On a recent rainy Friday, we finally made it over to enjoy their specialty: Kyoto-grown vegetable dishes.
(Before getting into the details of our superb dining experience, we should divulge the Golden Rule of exploring the Ginza gourmet scene: always avoid Wednesdays, because that’s when the legions of garrulous middle-aged Japanese women, a.k.a. obachan, descend on the area to take advantage of the cheap “Ladies Day” movie tickets at local cinemas.)
When we arrived at Sou just after the lunch rush at 1:30pm, we felt like VIPs because we had almost the entire restaurant to ourselves. On the other hand, we were a bit nervous since it seemed like the staffers were watching every move of our chopsticks.
We would term the atmosphere at Sou as “modern Zen-chic.” Clean white walls, a high ceiling and minimal decorations well echo the beauty of the simple yet exquisite food.
 |
Although diners can get a glimpse of Sou’s menu with the daily rice bowl (¥1,200), we ordered the “Sui” course (¥5,250), the most elaborate on the lunch menu. After a cup of green tea, our meal began with a neatly presented appetizer plate of rape blossom, sakura-shaped jelly, smoked hotaru squid stuffed with pine nuts, and tamago-yaki, among other delicacies. Since we were seated at the counter facing the chefs—who were watching every move and reaction we made—we felt the need to throw down a glass of Kiccho Houzan (¥1,260), a sweet potato-based shochu, to ease the tension.
Our second course, a seasonal salad, introduced us to a whole new approach to greens. The dish included kogomi (a mountain vegetable), onion, turnip, carrot and shiitake, served with condiments like miso, powdered soy sauce, carrot jam, a sweet potato jam, and mashed daitokuji natto. This last item is unique to Kyoto and tastes saltier than regular natto, with a more flavorful finish.
 |
We then moved on to the main dish, which was a choice of grilled vegetables, fish or meat. Without a second thought, we went for the vegetables: a medley of bamboo shoots, potatoes, shiitake mushrooms and others, gently seasoned with oil, salt and pepper. As simple and satisfying as the veggies were, the white miso-based soup was the real pleasure. After enjoying its creamy texture, we were surprised to learn that the soup was made from just vegetable stock. According to a chef, Kyoto-style white miso is the key to the flavor.
After servings of multi-grain rice and Japanese pickles, our meal finished with a citrus jelly. As we walked out of the restaurant, we thought how nice it was to experience such a luxurious course during the daytime. Although we probably wouldn’t drop ¥5,000 on lunch anytime soon—we’re the kind of folks who would rather settle down with a good ¥1,000 lunch set—we did enjoy indulging ourselves just this once at Sou.
12F Marronnier Gate,
2-2-14 Ginza, Chuo-ku.
Tel: 03-5524-6677. Open daily 11am-4pm, 5-11pm. Nearest stn: Ginza or Yurakucho.
Billing itself as a home-style Korean restaurant using all-natural, high-quality ingredients, newly opened Sosonje was definitely a place we were excited to visit. We realized we were in for a sophisticated treat when we entered the dining room, which is bathed in neutral colors and filled with modern but natural-looking decor. Stretching out on the sofa-like seats, we set the mood with a glass of Chamisul soju (a kind of Korean shochu), and after a brief introduction from the waiter, we embarked on our 13-course dining adventure (¥6,000). While 13 dishes sounds like a lot, each represented a carefully crafted blend of flavors that took only a few bites to finish. Highlights included the iwa nori chijimi pancake and the possam, a simple dish of roast pork wrapped in garlic leaves that the owner had imported directly from Korea. Both were impossibly fragrant and had a lovely deep flavor. But what left us longing for more was the pumpkin and potato korokke: four small deep-fried balls with an almost mochi-like texture, topped with sauces made with ingredients like wine and cream. While Sosonje’s food was excellent, the portions were tiny, and nine courses into the meal, we still had plenty of room in our stomachs. That was until the waiter brought us the grand finale, a masterpiece of 10 banchan side dishes and doenjang jjigae,
a rich seafood soup made with 10-year fermented miso. By the time we had finished gorging on this smorgasbord, we barely had room for dessert. Although a departure from the spicy Korean cuisine we’re used to, this flavorful experience was definitely one we’d like to repeat.
3F, 1-8-12 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5445-6691. Open daily 11:30am-3pm and 6-11:30pm. Nearest stn: Azabu-Juban. Sarah Noorbakhsh
|
Got something to say about this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.
Listen to the Metropolis Podcast, the coolest guide to what goes on this week in Tokyo.
Looking for international friends? Check Japan, Inc. Friends now - it's 100% free!
|
