A Japanese wave is crashing into the coastal Basque town of Ciboure! After stints at Koba in Paris and Etxe Nami in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Megumi Yanase can now be found on the Quai Ravel working with local, terroir-rich ingredients, infusing them with flavors from the island of Honshu. The lunch formula menu the day we went featured some incredibly simple and delicious fare: a smoking hot dashi broth made with kombu, katsuobushi and shiitake mushrooms, with diced zucchini, chives and whipped egg whites; followed by thick egg rolls stuffed with zucchini, eggplant, onion and green pepper, all served with white rice. In addition to all that? A well-made fraisier for dessert, or perhaps a pear cooked in homemade yuzu syrup to round off the meal, and at night, Japanese-style plates: gyoza and vegetable broth with ginger, pork and onions topped with fried breadcrumbs… // Gérard Roubeix 

FEELING THIRSTY? Wine by organic-minded friends (a Catalan white from L’Apical at €4 a glass, a Gard red from Le Petit Oratoire…), Japanese Kirin beer (€5 for 330 ml) and a local Datxa kombucha (€5). 
PRICE: Set menu €18, desserts €7 (lunch), plates €5-18 (dinner).