The entrance is stark with an angular and sparse feel. A slightly curved wall surrounds the large entrance door that hides the cuisine that combines French techniques with Japanese tastes. This combination peaked my interest! I was anticipating subtle flavors with impeccable technique.
Upon entering, I unexpectedly found a casual interior with rustic tables and open ceiling beams in addition to a central fireplace. It felt like a friend's backyard.
Lamb sausage, green chickpeas, summer berries
I enjoyed the lamb sausage, albeit slightly dry for my preference. It was spicy and gamey meat that had a restrained and gentle spice evident. The sweetness of the berries was refreshing and lightened the bite, leaving me seeking a berry to accompany each forkful. I found that the parsley added more depth to the freshness with the peas adding texture.
Maitake mushroom, green strawberry, mint
I always enjoy the unusual plate and I loved the creativity of adding fruit and mint to a mushroom! The accompanying sauce was the texture of a thick yogurt, but without the tartness one would find with yogurt. Rather, the sauce provided a creamy texture, achieving both richness and refreshment at the same time.
Octopus rice, squid ink, pickled shallot
This was disappointing for me, as there was too much rice in ratio to the other ingredients. The result was an overall more plain dish that the others that I tried. The octopus had a strong charred flavor with each bite, so although the texture of the octopus was nicely done since it was tender without being overcooked, the char dominated each mouthful, making it harsh and unpleasant. For me, the shallot, onion, and parsley were too subtle and the egg was not adequate in proportion to the rice resulting in less creaminess that I would have preferred. This was my least favorite dish.
Hinoki scented black cod
The cod was perfectly silky and buttery with a gentle smoked essence from the hinoki wood on the skin of the fish. It was accompanied by a very lively and fresh yogurt sauce of mediteranean flavors with cucumber and green herbs. I enjoyed the sauce individually and paired it myself with the lamb sausage, octopus, and even the mushroom dishes, but I found that it completely masked the cod, so did not eat the two together since I wanted to savor the warm and subtle flavoring of the cod.
Miso mochi, butterscotch, togarashi
This was a complex creation of a basic salted caramel. The mochi was cold and reminded me of a gelatinous ice cream with a highly creamy butterscotch sauce that was very sweet, but in perfect proportion to the size of the mochi and the miso adding the salty component. It was a delightful bit, as I enjoy creamy sweetness.
Blueberry shaved ice, greek yogurt ice cream, fresh blueberries
This was delivered with chunky and irregular ice chunks, as a traditional shaved ice is served. It maintained a definitive tart blueberry flavor that was a nice contrast to the very smooth, thick, and tart yogurt. The fresh blueberries also provided additional texture as they were firm and popped as they were bitten into. I would have enjoyed much more with a crunchy aspect added as well as adding an additional herbs or spice such as basil or pepper.
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