About food in Japan

French - Au gout du jour Nouvelle Ere (Michelin *), Marunouchi Tokyo

Au gout du jour Nouvelle Ere, awarded one-star from Michelin guide, is situated on the 5th floor of Shin-Marunouchi building. Just in front of Tokyo station, the 5th floor of Shin-Marunouchi building must be itself an exciting place for food lovers, as we can find variety of interesting dining options from very casual Izakaya, oriental cuisine、wine bar to upscale one like Au gout du jour Novelle Ere where we visited. In spite of tens of restaurant choices on a floor, some of popular ones are fully occupied mainly with local business professionals working in the area on weekend-evening.   

Well Nouvelle Ere is one of five French restaurants by Au gout du jour group. The chef has worked at some Michelin star restaurants in France as well as popular French restaurants in Tokyo. He also has experience of working at a patisserie. With his such backgroud, the restaurant features not only sophisticated French cuisine but also its dessert plate which they consider as "the second main dish". 

Because they make the most use of seasonal ingredients changing time by time for their small capacity 24 seats, the restauran does not put detail of menu on the official homepage. Like Japanese luxury Kaiseki cuisine, only course price list is there...for example "dinner course Yen 8000 and Yen 13000".

Let us show you a part of what we had on a day of January 2012.

One of starter - tuna carpaccio

 

Another starter - flan of "Shogoin" turnip

We are always fanscinated by pieces of truffle.

 

Main dish - beef cheek confit

Surprisingly tender and large. It is cheek, isn't it?

 

Dessert - Fondant au chocolat

As the restaurant's purpose maybe,

it was really hard to choose only one from very attractive desssert list.

I believe Fondant au chocolat, which does not look like so,

is one of the best choices among them.

Crispy cake and warm melting chocolate cream...

It was good end plate of the fantastic dinner.

 

What we should note about the restaurant, 

Japanese taste such as yuzu (Japanese citrus), miso or soy sauce are often used as accent of sauce. Some of plates hint at Japanese cuisine. That is interesting point of the French cuisine restaurant in central Tokyo.

Not so wide choices on the wine list but the prices of bottle wine are quite reasonable. 

Overally as a Michelin star French restaurant, we can say that it is a value-for-money choice and a unique experience of Tokyo. 

 

Restaurant name: Au gout du jour Nouvelle Ere

Address: 5th floor, Shin-Marunouchi Building, 1-5-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.augoutdujour-group.com/no/

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Mame-maki (豆まき), at the end of Winter season

This Friday is "Setsubun"(節分) the END of winter season according to the traditional calender, even though current weather condition in Tokyo is too hard to make us convinced it as the end of winter coming. 

On the day of Setsubun in Japan, we have a traditional event called "mame-maki"(豆まき, bean-throwing). It is taken place to drive out evils which appear as "Oni" (鬼, Japanese traditional devil figure). At some events of "mame-maki", people can throw soy beans at "Oni", wishing evils out from their body and heart.

This year, one of the biggest modern "mame-maki" event is taken place at Tokyo Tower on the evening of 3rd February, offering 1ton of soy beans(inedible) to be throwned by 600 participants.

Japanese website about the event: http://mamemaki.jp

Unfortunately the ticket to participate in the event is already sold out. However the event organizer offers another interesting opportunity for those who are not able to attend the bean-throwing event. 

It is a discount opportunity called "Oni-wari" (devil-discount) for which restaurants and bars in Tokyo offer some discount exclusive to people who disguise themselve as "Oni" (Japanese traditional devil figure) 

How can you diguise like an Oni? .... they have body in red or blue colors, horn(s) on the top of woolly head. If you would, let's try to become one but be careful as you could be beaten by beans.

Restaurants and bars offering "Oni-wari"(devil-discount) are plotted on the below facebook page.

 http://www.facebook.com/oniwari?sk=app_333756633321055