I am glad that I got to try yet another great restaurant before departing the city for good. This fortunate dining experience came courtesy of a wonderful friend of mine who had an exquisite taste in food and who had a very high expectation when it came to satisfying the palate. Tonight, on an unusually breezy Tokyo summer evening, we met for a farewell dinner.
Unless you know about the place, there is no way you can find this restaurant just by strolling by it because it is rather hidden from view. The place itself is not difficult to find, as an easy landmark would be the two wings of the famous Hotel Okura in Toranomon. It becomes even easier if you know where the Nobu Tokyo is, because you head to the same area, and as you face the Nobu entrance, walk away from it, away from the Hotel Okura direction, and you will see a pole with three direction markers: two of them should be "Toranomon Towers Residence" and the bottom one "Elements Restaurant." Just follow the sign, down one level to an open forum, and across you will see the Elements Bar. The entrance to the Elements Restaurant is opposite and diagonal to the entrance to the bar. The entrance is very unassuming. An automatic door opens up and leads you to a higher level through few steps of stairs. It then opens up to the dining hall.
Steps leading to the dining hall
The Dining Hall
Counter Seats
Window Seats
(All pictures of the restaurant are lifted from their official website. Food pictures courtesy of Bloompy.com).
Tonight was a quiet night, and the clear weather enhanced the beauty of the adjoining garden. We were presented with a small sheet of paper with the Prix Fixe Menu,
although the price was nowhere to be seen. The only thing we had to choose was the type of meat we would like. Both my host and the wait staff highly recommend the lean Tankaku Beef from Iwate Prefecture. Meanwhile, my partner wanted to try the beef offering of the day.
The attentive wait staff, upon realizing that my partner and I could not decide who would order which, did the most sensible thing and gave each of us a taste of both: when the beef portion of the course came, we each had the lean Tankaku Beef and a Lamb Chop, and each meat came with its own sauce. Now that's what I would deem a great service. Normally, my partner and I could have just serve each other what we ordered, but the waiter made it easier by giving each of us both of the meats.
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Le Menu: The Woodfire French Course
Amuse Gueule (Amuse Bouche) in the form of Aji (Horse Mackerel) with radish and onion.
Hors d'oeuvre: Huitre Roche Cru en Gelee de Vinegre et Iwanori.
This was a personal favorite of mine, the freshness of the oysters enhanced by the refreshing gelee.
Foie Gras Poele Sauce Plum
The generous serving of the rich Foie Gras lay on slices of Japanese potato (which appeared like beets but were actually potato).
Poisson: Grillee d'Oreille de Mer Sauce Beurre Blanc aux Herbes
Lavande Granite
To wash the palate between the fish course and the meat course. The fresh lavender aroma really cleansed the palate.
Viande: Choix de Viande Special du Jour: Lean Tankaku Beef from Iwaizumi, Iwate Prefecture.
The beef was cooked rare as I had requested, and it came out perfectly: the color, the texture, and the taste! The waiter's attentiveness led to an additional type of meat on our plate: the Lamb Chop that did not disappoint. Each came with its own sauce.
Shime-Soba: Soba avec Canard
The soba swam in a vinegary broth with a touch of wasabi and topped with three mini slices of duck. This was very refreshing, and the dab of wasabi added a sting to the palate.
Dessert: Cibust de Mangue et Roti de Mangue
The richness of the Mango Mousse was balanced by the tartness of the Blood Orange Sorbet.
***
Elements
Toranomon Towers Residence 1F
4-1-34 Toranomon, Minato-ku
Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
(03) 5733-0222
M-F:
Lunch: 11:30-15:00
Dinner: 18:00-23:00
Saturdays:
Dinner: 17:00-22:00
Map to Elements Restaurant
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