In his very selective micro-club all done up with black tiles, chef Taku Watanabe performs a masterclass in fish for 12 lucky guests seated around the chestnut bar. The night we went, the €145 tasting menu featured a suite of appetizers that felt like a series of briny uppercut punches to the mouth: virginal bass sashimi, brilliantly fresh bluefin tuna, amazing red mullet, green asparagus and shiitakes in a clam broth, sumptuous lobster with white asparagus in a soy vinaigrette and lightly fried meagre. Next came the fireworks in the second act, with sushi so good it’ll bring a tear to your eye, made on warm rice, glazed with soy sauce and pimped out with wasabi – bass, cuttlefish, sea bream, meagre, jack mackerel, bluefin and fatty tuna. The samurai deals the final deathblow and leaves us stunned, completely lost in translation. For a sweet return back to reality, there are soba noodles in a full-bodied lobster broth, then three small desserts (sheep’s milk ice cream with melon soup, yuzu-chocolate cake, and mochi stuffed with red bean paste) to conclude this journey to the heart of Tokyo. // C.C.
FEELING THIRSTY? There are pure sensations up for grabs: lightly roasted hojicha tea (€6.50) or a beautiful selection of stylish sakes, like the Mizuo Ichiaji from the Nagano region (€12 a glass) and the amazing Sawaya Matsumoto with its powerful flavor, produced in collaboration with rice producers in the Tojo region (€13).
PRICE: The price of excellence… The sushi menu (only at lunch) runs to €65, the tasting menu (five appetizers + a selection of sushi + soup + dessert) is €135 at lunch and €145 at dinner, the signature menu (the same as the tasting menu + toro and caviar appetizer) is €195, the Jin menu (same as the tasting menu but with even higher grade fish) is €255. Food and sake pairings + €95.
