M on the Bund (Shanghai)

Giving the restaurant due consideration, I will say that I have been a patron here only once during lunchtime. I had planned to come back for dinner to see how the entree would fare, but another restaurant snatched my attention and left me with no time to return here.

The reasonably priced set-menu offering either two picks (at Y118) or three picks (at Y138) per set is an invaluable introduction to the cuisine at this restaurant on the Bund. I picked the latter as I would like to sample an appetizer, one main entrée and a dessert item. Unfortunately, none of the three lived up to my expectation.

The chestnut soup with a hint of olive oil was very bland. My being healthy at the time (which should guarantee a strong sense of taste and of smell) could not detect the subtlest hint of chestnut. I have to note that I am not one who usually would sprinkle salt on my dish, but this was one of those times that some dash of salt (and then some more) was needed to bring a semblance of taste to my palate.

The main entrée, veal tongue on a bed of vegetables and potato, did not fare better either. Two slices of tongue were placed on a mound of potatoes that were hidden underneath blanched greens. The tongues were chewy and not much for taste; and this comes from someone whose mother had prepared softer and tastier dishes of cow tongues. I know that there is a way to treat the tongue to make it less rubbery.

To complete my disappointment, the dessert was not much of an imagination; so unremarkable it was that, embarrassed to say, I forgot what it was. All I remember now was that it did not offer any break from the previous two dishes. To be fair, I would like to return at least one more time to prove myself wrong. Until that time, my review of this restaurant is just lukewarm.

No doubt that the location provides a great view of the Bund. Even from where I was sitting, an indoor seating about three tables away from the beginning of the terrace, the vista looked promising (look at the accompanying photograph.) Service was excellent, where all needs were anticipated and met. The hostess and staff standing at the entrance could be a little bit more welcoming and friendly, but maybe the icy attitude was part of the charm of the place. The gentlemen’s restroom was an exercise in minimalism with glowing Kelly green walls and a red-flowering plantain positioned on a ledge near the entrance door.

M on the Bund, located on the 7th floor of 20 Guandong Lu, has a non-descript entrance off the Xhongshan Dong Yilu. The restaurant, which is an offshoot of the M at the Fringe in Hong Kong (which I have never been), has a smoking/non-smoking section, with a terrace dining available during warmer weather.


M on the Bund
7/F, No. 5 the Bund (on the corner of Guangdong Lu; enter through the Guangdong Lu side)
Shanghai 200002
China
Tel: +86 (21) 6350-9988
Fax: +86 (21) 6322-0099

Bangkok Kitchen (Hiroo | Tokyo)

If, while walking on the streets of Tokyo, you happen to blink more than a fraction of a second, you will definitely miss something. On our frequent walks along the Hiro-o shopping road, there are so many activities happening that in time we channel out certain things. One of these things turned out to be the construction of a new restaurant, the Bangkok Kitchen, whose regular-sized portal leads to a spacious underground location. (There is no elevator in the building.) The bright red sign with the white lettering above the portal would alert anyone that the business existed but the sign was competing with other things on that sidewalk. For landmark, use the bright yellow "Outlet Store" next door (not the Outlet Store at the end of the block).

I have never heard of Bangkok Kitchen before, which turned out to be a chain, with the original one being in Krung Thep (Bangkok) itself. There was no expectation whatsoever tonight when my partner and I descended the steps of their restaurant to have Thai food. We were surprised to see how the place was decorated: it was simply modern and bistro-like, very much unlike any Thai restaurants I had ever encountered in California and Tokyo, except for the Osha Thai in the Mission district in San Francisco. The walls and upholstery of the furniture were off-white with stained wood tables and chairs. There was a separate section for smoking seats, and the two dining areas were separated by a small foyer at the bottom of the stairs.

The menu offers a good selection of standard Thai dishes, and the taste, too, is standard Thai (in my 20 years of eating the dish I have seldom encountered bad Thai food, except for once or twice). For two people dining, the portion varies from "not enough" to "just right." The Thai tea still leaves much to be desired.

There are three other locations in Tokyo and the surrounding area: Shinbashi, Shimokitazawa, and Jogaoka. For more information, consult the website (URL included down below).

Bangkok Kitchen
(Hiroo Branch)
Hongoku Building, B1 Fl.
5-2-25 Hiroo
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0012, Japan
Tel: (03) 5448-9790
Fax: (03) 5448-9791
http://Bangkok-kitchen.com

M-F: 11:00-15:30 and 17:30-23:00
Sa & Su: 11:00-23:00

La Fée Délice (Harajuku | Tokyo)

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

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.

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.

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

Sora Library Café and Dining (Hiroo | Tokyo)

Sora Library Cafe and Dining
Originally uploaded by bloompy.

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