Frenchman Xavier Riesser, fluent in Japanese and English while retaining his mother tongue, owns and operates his business in a small barn-red building tucked in the alley between the Chanel building and Kiddy Land on Omotesando-dori. There are about 5 tables inside and around 6 tables outdoor dining. On an agreeable day and evening, it is quite pleasant to dine outdoors, under the shade of the trees, watching young people stroll in the alley that is closed to vehicular traffic. That area is a major intersection for eateries: the Thai restaurant Kaffir Lime is located not too far away from this place.
We have come here usually for the dessert crêpes. Japanese precision (the cook is a young Japanese fellow) on producing another culture's cuisine was on display here as the crêpes came out just as the ones we have always had in Quartier Latin in Paris. Occasionally there would be a special crêpes of the day, but the regular ones include Belle Hélène and Suzette. After dinner elsewhere, do stop by here for a nice cup of coffee or cappuccino or sparkling water with those delicious crêpes.
La Fée Délice
5-11-1 Jingu-mae
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan
Tel & Fax: (03) 5766-4084
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Hainan Jeefan Shokudo (Roppongi | Tokyo)
The proprietor Shiro-san is reason enough to come to this small but delicious Hawker-Style Asian Canteen, a Singaporean food restaurant, tucked in a quiet road only a block away from the bustling Roppongi Hills. His modest and shy appearance betrays the bubbly personality that resurfaces every now and then. Head to the bathroom and you will see a photo history of his life: pictures of his time in Singapore, and images of friends and family that made the place very familial.
Offerings include the traditional Hainan-style chicken and rice, coming in three different sizes; a spicy shrimp dish; kwee-tiauw (that ubiquitous wide flat rice noodle) and Roti Prata (an Indian influenced bread) with the curry dip.
Recently the place added a front deck that is covered and is equipped with heating during the cold season. The main dining room, painted white and sparsely but creatively decorated (he sawed an old Asian birdcage and used each half as a light-bulb shade), always exudes friendship and camaraderie. During dinnertime, reservation is always a safe bet, since an impromptu appearance has a slim chance of success. No separate non-smoking area.
Hainan Jeefan Shokudo
6-11-16 Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Tel/Fax: +81(03) 5474-3200
http://www.route9g.com
Mon-Fri Lunch: 11:30-14:00 (LO 13:30)
Sat, Sun & Holidays Lunch: 11:30-15:00 (LO 14:30)
Mon-Sun Dinner: 18:00-23:00 (LO 22:00)
Closed on 3rd Monday of every month.
Offerings include the traditional Hainan-style chicken and rice, coming in three different sizes; a spicy shrimp dish; kwee-tiauw (that ubiquitous wide flat rice noodle) and Roti Prata (an Indian influenced bread) with the curry dip.
Recently the place added a front deck that is covered and is equipped with heating during the cold season. The main dining room, painted white and sparsely but creatively decorated (he sawed an old Asian birdcage and used each half as a light-bulb shade), always exudes friendship and camaraderie. During dinnertime, reservation is always a safe bet, since an impromptu appearance has a slim chance of success. No separate non-smoking area.
Hainan Jeefan Shokudo
6-11-16 Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Tel/Fax: +81(03) 5474-3200
http://www.route9g.com
Mon-Fri Lunch: 11:30-14:00 (LO 13:30)
Sat, Sun & Holidays Lunch: 11:30-15:00 (LO 14:30)
Mon-Sun Dinner: 18:00-23:00 (LO 22:00)
Closed on 3rd Monday of every month.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
The Hanezawa Garden (Hiroo | Tokyo)
What looks like a fortress from the outside is actually a beautiful compound that consists of nine dining and entertaining rooms. The Hanezawa Garden, located in Hiro-o 3-chome, was originally a private mansion of the President of the Manchuria Railroad, built in 1915. This tranquil garden has witnessed numerous weddings during the milder weather of spring and late fall, and in the summer, the sound of laughter and camaraderie can be heard emanating from the outdoor barbeque place.
The main Dining room, serving French-Japanese cuisine, has two wings, located across each other at the north and south axis. Completing the compound are the Salon, the Sushi Bar, the Cigar Room, the Bar. Tucked away from the buzzing noise of the main compound are two private rooms, called the Garden Room, which can seat up to 14 people, and the Hanezawa Second, with a maximum capacity for 6 guests.
Lunch at the main Dining offers three set menus, one more elaborate than the other, and priced reasonably at ¥1600, ¥2500, and ¥4000. The most elaborate one, consisting of a plate of appetizers, a first course (usually pasta), second course (a choice between meat or fish), dessert and coffee or tea, sounds a lot, but the portion is such that at the end of lunch, one does not necessarily feel that s/he had overeaten. The view of the carefully manicured garden makes one forget that s/he is in the middle of a bustling city.
Dinner is a completely different experience: while the natural sunlight enters the dining room and makes thing aglow, the lighting at dinner consists mainly of candles illuminating the tables. The dark wood and red paint accents bring warmth to the already cozy interior. The price of the entrée is surprisingly inexpensive for such a nice ambience: pasta dishes from ¥1200 and meat entrée from around ¥2000. One must come back more than once to enjoy the different facets of this serene environment.
They have a tastefully done and informative website at www.thehanezawagarden.com/eng/
[UPDATED NEWS: April 24, 2005]
On April 11, 2005 the Main Dining became a non-smoking area. The other areas such as the bar and the cigar bar (for obvious reasons) still allow smoking.
The Hanezawa Garden
3-12-15 Hiro-o
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0012
Tel: +81(03) 3400-2013
Fax: +81(03) 3400-2014
Main Dining: Mon-Sat: 11:30-13:30, 18:00-23:00
The Sushi Bar: Mon-Sat: 18:00-02:00
The Terrace Restaurant: 17:00-22:30 (April through mid-October)
Bar & Lounge: Mon-Sat: 18:00-02:00
Restaurants and Bar closed on Sunday and Holidays.
[UPDATED NEWS: December 20, 2005]
Sadly, the Hanezawa Garden has recently closed (December 17, 2005) due to aging facility. The architecture has been in existence since 1915. I have decided to keep this review here for sentimental reasons.
Friday, March 05, 2004
Kaffir Lime (Harajuku | Tokyo)
The trend of open kitchen has gone ethnic; no longer is this phenomenon the domain of ultra-chic restaurants, as places like Kaffir Lime offers the clients a peek at the cooks at work. Everything is cooked or prepared to order, including the fresh green papaya salad (somtum). The fried fish is particularly delicious. The kwee-tiauw (flat wide rice noodles) could be ordered dry if you do not like the soupy version. Thai and Chinese restaurants usually would honor patron’s request in how the food is prepared, so it does not hurt to ask. Portions are relatively small, and oh yes, when they say “spicy” they really mean spicy. Make sure that you specify the degree of spiciness if you do not want to end up gobbling lots of rice and gulping hot water to douse off that fiery feeling in your mouth.
When in season, the rambutan juice (Rambutan ice slush) is a thirst-quencher.
To find Kaffir Lime, first find the toy store “Kiddy Land” on Omotesando-dori; then go to the alley behind it, parallel to the Omotesando-dori. It is located on the second floor above a noodle and pan-Asian restaurant; there is a Starbucks in that same alley. No separate area for non-smokers, and the place is very small.
Kaffir Lime
6-1-5, 2F Jinguumae
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Tel/Fax: +81(03) 3400-2918
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Sora Library Café and Dining (Hiroo | Tokyo)
Not too far from the Hiro-o station, the place that calls itself the Sora Library Café and Dining offers many coffee table books and magazines to read, but none of them can leave the premises. Be that as it may, this dog-friendly place serves eclectic food: Japanese curry, Italian pasta, and Mediterranean salad to name a few. It has a yummy shiso pizza; all the pizzas here have very thin crust, but the simple combination of that ultra thin crust, great tomato sauce and shiso leaves provides a new taste to the palate. In the mood for salad? There is the chicken salad with roasted pine nuts and soy-sesame dressing. Weekend set menu includes soup, salad, main entrée, drink and dessert (or wine), all for the price of ¥1000. Like in many places, the non-alcoholic drinks here are less expensive during the daytime.
The staff will immediately serve water for your pooch upon entering. A menu for Fido and Fifi are also available for the price of ¥500. There is no separate area for non-smokers. Weekday lunchtime is usually crowd, with patrons coming from the nearby Sacred Heart Catholic School. Between 3-6, there is a cake set menu.
[UPDATED REVIEW: April 17, 2005]
Since the departure of the former manager Satoru and the delightful wait staff Asako, the service and accomodation have been rather lacking. Before the soup and salad were even consumed, the main entrée was already taken out, resulting in the main dish being not too hot by the time one tended to it; the dessert was given while we were still in the middle of finishing the entree. In traditional Japanese meal, these elements can indeed be sent out at the same time, but that was a totally different context. This also never happened in our experience with Sora before. As there is no manager hired at this point (only a sub-manager available), maybe the recently hired staff were not told about the proper way to serve.
Food quality was good, although food presentation was definitely lacking: the ingredients of a salad was thrown in together without any care. It was then that we realized what an artist Satoru-san had been, for he was also responsible for the cooking in addition to managing the place.]
[UPDATED NEWS: December 29, 2005]
Sora has closed and been replaced by "B Café." I have not yet tried the place, so no review yet on that one.
Sora
5-1-18 Hiro-o
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0012
Tel: +81 (03) 5423-7511
Fax: +81 (03) 5423-7512
Mon-Fri: 7:30-10:00, 11:00-24:00
Sat-Sun: 11:00-24:00
The staff will immediately serve water for your pooch upon entering. A menu for Fido and Fifi are also available for the price of ¥500. There is no separate area for non-smokers. Weekday lunchtime is usually crowd, with patrons coming from the nearby Sacred Heart Catholic School. Between 3-6, there is a cake set menu.
[UPDATED REVIEW: April 17, 2005]
Since the departure of the former manager Satoru and the delightful wait staff Asako, the service and accomodation have been rather lacking. Before the soup and salad were even consumed, the main entrée was already taken out, resulting in the main dish being not too hot by the time one tended to it; the dessert was given while we were still in the middle of finishing the entree. In traditional Japanese meal, these elements can indeed be sent out at the same time, but that was a totally different context. This also never happened in our experience with Sora before. As there is no manager hired at this point (only a sub-manager available), maybe the recently hired staff were not told about the proper way to serve.
Food quality was good, although food presentation was definitely lacking: the ingredients of a salad was thrown in together without any care. It was then that we realized what an artist Satoru-san had been, for he was also responsible for the cooking in addition to managing the place.]
[UPDATED NEWS: December 29, 2005]
Sora has closed and been replaced by "B Café." I have not yet tried the place, so no review yet on that one.
Sora
5-1-18 Hiro-o
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0012
Tel: +81 (03) 5423-7511
Fax: +81 (03) 5423-7512
Mon-Fri: 7:30-10:00, 11:00-24:00
Sat-Sun: 11:00-24:00
Friday, January 17, 2003
Kua'Aina (Minami-Aoyama | Tokyo)
During my visits to the LA and Hawaii, I have never heard of a burger place called Kua'Aina, a Hawaiian Burger place; but it was here in Tokyo, at the mouth of Kotto-dori in Omotesando that I was first introduced to their burger. The burger, made to order, comes with different options of weight (1/3 or ½ lb) and of toppings (different cheese, pineapple, and avocado). Set menus during lunch include a bowl of salad, a burger and fries, and drinks (dinner set menu excludes the salad.) The burger and fries are very burgelicious! If I were you, I would avoid the boba tea (for those who had boba tea elsewhere in the world, like in California, this boba tea here has little taste.)
Eating in? You have the option of a second-floor non-smoking area, or a third-floor smoking place. The place is like a Hard Rock Café for surfers: surfing paraphernalia, including an autographed board, decorates the interior. Eating out? The place hands your burger in a very well constructed and fully functional box, complete with condiments and plastic-ware (try ordering out and you'll see what I mean!)
Other Kua'Aina places include the one inside the Marunouchi building and another one in Shibuya. More information can be found in their island-themed website.
Kua'Aina
5-10-21 Minami Aoyama
Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
Tel: +81(03) 3407-8001
http://www.kua-aina.com/main.html
Mon-Sat: 11:00-23:30 (LO 23:00)
Sun & Holidays: 11:00-22:30 (LO 22:00)
Eating in? You have the option of a second-floor non-smoking area, or a third-floor smoking place. The place is like a Hard Rock Café for surfers: surfing paraphernalia, including an autographed board, decorates the interior. Eating out? The place hands your burger in a very well constructed and fully functional box, complete with condiments and plastic-ware (try ordering out and you'll see what I mean!)
Other Kua'Aina places include the one inside the Marunouchi building and another one in Shibuya. More information can be found in their island-themed website.
Kua'Aina
5-10-21 Minami Aoyama
Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
Tel: +81(03) 3407-8001
http://www.kua-aina.com/main.html
Mon-Sat: 11:00-23:30 (LO 23:00)
Sun & Holidays: 11:00-22:30 (LO 22:00)
Monday, July 31, 2000
E'Angelo (San Francisco | California)
Go away from the touristy side of the North Beach (San Francisco's Little Italy) and head to the Marina/Cow Hollow area for an old world ambience of an Italian restaurant. E'Angelo is a small and narrow but soaked in the Old World flavor: small tables, checkered tablecloths, small vases of flowers, mostly Italian-born wait staff and cook, and tasty Italian food.
The menu offered the usual fare, but for a long time I never bothered opening it up. Instead, I listen to what Renzo, Eddy, or Guy (the only Lyonais in the bunch) has to say about the specials. The radicchio salad with asparagus whets your appetite, as will the prosciutto with fresh melon. When the special is linguine with seafood, I opt for that immediately. The former cook Miguelito who died a couple of years ago prepared this dish the best, but the replacement did not do a terrible job either. If Ezio, the owner, happens to prepare it, then it is all the better. Sometimes two of the entrées in the specials sound so good that my partner and I have to order all, but split them: have the first entrée shared in two plates as our primi, and then order two of the other one as our secondi.
The tiramisu is unlike the ones in other places; the portion is so generous that I have to share it with someone else. Carlos, the supporting wait staff, is just as friendly as the other ones. In fact, aside from the great food, it is the people who have made this place a joy to visit.
And like Old World places, this restaurant knows how to enjoy their fruit of labor. Every year they would close for the Christmas holiday for 10 days or more. I usually would attend the very last night before they go on their short hiatus, enjoyed a fine meal there, and brought home 2 portions to be stored for later consumption.
E'Angelo
2234 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 567-6164
Dinner 5 to 11pm, closed Mondays
Sundays 5 to 10:30pm
The menu offered the usual fare, but for a long time I never bothered opening it up. Instead, I listen to what Renzo, Eddy, or Guy (the only Lyonais in the bunch) has to say about the specials. The radicchio salad with asparagus whets your appetite, as will the prosciutto with fresh melon. When the special is linguine with seafood, I opt for that immediately. The former cook Miguelito who died a couple of years ago prepared this dish the best, but the replacement did not do a terrible job either. If Ezio, the owner, happens to prepare it, then it is all the better. Sometimes two of the entrées in the specials sound so good that my partner and I have to order all, but split them: have the first entrée shared in two plates as our primi, and then order two of the other one as our secondi.
The tiramisu is unlike the ones in other places; the portion is so generous that I have to share it with someone else. Carlos, the supporting wait staff, is just as friendly as the other ones. In fact, aside from the great food, it is the people who have made this place a joy to visit.
And like Old World places, this restaurant knows how to enjoy their fruit of labor. Every year they would close for the Christmas holiday for 10 days or more. I usually would attend the very last night before they go on their short hiatus, enjoyed a fine meal there, and brought home 2 portions to be stored for later consumption.
E'Angelo
2234 Chestnut Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 567-6164
Dinner 5 to 11pm, closed Mondays
Sundays 5 to 10:30pm
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