Hando Vendôme

The design brief for the second Hando location now open in the Vendôme neighborhood? Wabi sabi, but not too much of it, and just the right amount of modernity. This space from artistic director Adrien Albou and chef Lee Cheng revolves around a striking bamboo-clad bar beneath a ceiling of origami-like wooden panels, with J-Pop icons and bottles of sake adorning the walls. At the tip of chef Chiharu Takada’s chopsticks (ex-Takara), much like at the original location on Rue de Sèvres, you’ll find freshly-prepared handrolls, which combine expertly cooked rice served at exactly the right temperature, highly flavorful raw fish (salmon, bass, yellowtail, bluefin tuna) and a crispy sheet of toasted nori. New to the menu are the nigiri: sushi showcasing a delicate slice of fish atop a lovely little mound of rice – think raw shrimp and bottarga, or yellowtail and spicy yuzu mayonnaise. For dessert, there are Tomo mochi and Enzo & Lily vegan ice cream to end to meal on a truly Japanese note. // Madeleine Proust

FEELING THIRSTY? : An authentic selection of Nipponese drinks, including delicate teas (€6), Kirin or Asahi beers (€7-8 for 330 ml) and a specialist selection of sakes (unfiltered Nigori at €7 for 60 ml or €30 for a 200-ml pitcher), or, for something stronger, Nikka and Suntory whisky (€12-20 for 40 ml) and Nanko plum liqueur (€8 for 60 ml).
PRICE: : Set menus €19-42 (3 to 10 pieces), handrolls €6-18 (€40 for the caviar version), sashimi €14-25 (6-7 slices), nigiri €8-16 each, mochi €8.