Yen

Ever since the year 2000, the oh-so-chic Yen has been teleporting diners from the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood to the Land of the Rising Sun, in this muffled split-level space with light wood furniture. The day we went for lunch, we opted for the copious “Obento to Soba” menu served on delicate tableware: raw scallops, ginger vinaigrette, hazelnut and shiso for the amuse-bouche; a bento box combining zucchini, shiitake mushroom, sweet potato and shrimp tempura, impeccable salmon, sea bream and bluefin tuna sashimi, tender bluefin tuna maki, a winning sushi trio (tuna, salmon, black cod) and flash-seared eel in a miso glaze; before masterfully made (cold) soba noodles, served with a soy dipping sauce, which you emulsify with their cooking liquid for maximum umami (and amino acids). To round out this aesthetic feast, there’s black sesame, yuzu or ginger ice cream. If you decide to order à la carte, expect to pay more: whelks à la japonaise, toro sushi, bottarga mochi… // Henriette Ma

FEELING THIRSTY? Excellent sakes, like the Dassai, a Junmai daiginjo (€14 for 100 ml or €90 for the bottle) or the Kirizan from Niigata (€24 for 180 ml), Japanese yuzu or umé plum liqueurs (€10.50 for 90 ml), along with a sizeable selection of fine Burgundy and Bordeaux wines, including a few served by the glass: a pinot noir from Michel Arcelain (€12.50), and Asahi or Kirin beers (€6 for 330 ml).
PRICE: Prix-fixe menu €65, soba €14.50 to €32.50, appetizers €15-40, mains €34-72, desserts €4.50 to €11.