As we are in Paris, we had to go to our favorite japanese restaurant as it had been a long time since we last ate there And/or had a really EXQUISITE and fancy dinner.
Fried Tofu with sesame in a spinach and basil soup. a nice and refreshing start to the meal. the crunchy tofu was a great complement to the creaminess of the soup. basil was also an unique touch with the spinach and tofu.
Fig with sake, white miso and lime. This was the most interesting dish and probably my favorite dish of the night. i would have never thought to put these ingredients together but they work really well together. i might even try to EXPERIMENT at home.
fish with celery, onion and vinegar. A very fresh and super delicate dish, the vinegar did not overpower the fish or the other elements.
shrimp, okra and eggplant in a bonito broth. Every element was cooked perfectly but I am sure not in the same pot. the eggplant was cooked so well, it was soft but not slimy or chewy. and the bonito broth was so tasty, i could have just drank that.
sashimi of sea bream, octopus, and one week old aged red tuna. You will always have a great sashimi selection here. i have never had any type of aged sashimi but i want more, it was so incredibly delicious, the fish COMPLETELY melted in your mouth. I have no idea how they aged it but i would like to know to create that amazing texture.
tempura of eel, red and green chilis. this had the right amount of breading, sometimes the tempura batter can be so thick. although it looks too thin, it was the perfect amount and still had such a crispy and crunchy texture.
BINCHOTAN grilled salmon with Miso sesame eggplant. You can’t go wrong with grilled salmon and miso eggplant, a very typical japanese flavor profile. other options were beef and pork but as i had that before i wanted to try something different. and this did not disappoint.
signature dish: mackerel sushi with kombo that was cooked with sugar and vinegar and red miso soup. Always a favorite and UNDERSTANDABLE why it is a signature dish. the chef comes from kyoto so this is how they traditional eat their sushi, not with seaweed wrapped but with kombo. the red miso definitely has a stronger flavor than yellow miso but it is a good combination to the mackerel sushi.
Dessert: white peach, rice cake, cherry and mint jelly. UNFORTUNATELY I forgot to take a picture of the dessert. however it was like usually, beautifully presented and tasted delicious. it had just the right amount of sweetness, no flavors were too overpowering. the rice cake had a bit of chewiness and the mint jelly was a refreshing fresh touch. Mint jelly is quite a clever idea to add some freshness to the dish but without having such an overpowering mint flavor and most of the time they just add mint for decoration, so in this case it actually adds flavor to the dish.
it was well worth the trip and long drive to paris just to eat here again. it has to be one of my favorite restaurants in paris. most people would think it would be a french restaurant but it is a japanese one instead. many of the INGREDIENTS do come from france and the menu does change due to the seasons but all with a japanese touch. the ingredient list in each dish isn’t a lot but the quality of the ingredients, the combination of the flavors and the presentation is what makes these dishes stand out. the effortless simplicity. not only is the food amazing but if you like sake, you will not be DISAPPOINTED in their collection or sake pairing. They have two set menus for dinner but they also have a SIMPLER set menu for lunch, both options are delicious and there is more than enough food. I will always come back here when i am in paris, it is a must.