Kaïto

In the family of well-rolled Japanese eats, we’re partial to Kaïto! This Tokyoite enclave feels like a 2.0 design showroom, dreamt up by the Mur.Mur agency, all centered around a blue-hued marble bar upon which Takuya Watanabe’s luxurious handrolls parade out like small presents. Killed ikejime-style and then dry-aged, the fish gets wrapped up in crisp nori leaf with perfectly pearly rice, and savored standing up like you would at a Japanese fish market. Knowing the high standards (some might even say intransigence) of the master sushi chef behind the sushiya Jin, we’ll let your imagination run wild… During our last lunch there, after a few mini but delicious side dishes (tamagoyaki, crab salad and a salmon-avocado tartare), we opted for a trio of simple salmon, crab and sea bream rolls, along with tender toro (fatty tuna) taken to dizzying heights with the addition of wasabi, followed by a knockout signature roll combining toro, akami (a less fatty cut of tuna), marinated squash, shiso and sesame seeds. And to round out the meal, a chic white chocolate and matcha terrine, as dense as it was delicious, that rang the final gong: Kaïto is declared a winner in our book! // Albertine Simonet 

FEELING THIRSTY? : Jugetsudo tea (€6), Burgundy grand crus (a white from the Domaine Saumaize at €75 a bottle), Japanese whisky (Yamazaki at €15 for 40 ml) and best of all, a series of carefully sourced sakes, including a balanced Kokuryu junmai (€9 for 125 ml or €65 for 720 ml). 
PRICE: : Set menus €23-39 (weekday lunch), rolls €6-13 a piece, chirashi €23-25, sides €5-13, dessert €6.