I dined at Michelin restaurants every week for a month. Here’s what happened.
(Also known as "My Month of Michelin" as featured in Tokyo-based Metropolis Magazine.)
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You might not know it but Tokyo has the highest
concentration of Michelin stars than any other city in the world, outnumbering
even Paris, where the Michelin guide originally started (by the brothers who
were behind the tire company of the same name.) I found it ironic that after
having lived in Tokyo for over a year, not once have I dined at any of its starred-restaurants.
So I decided to challenge myself.
Since there were too many options (over 500 in total), I
narrowed down my choices 1) to those in Shibuya near where I work and live, and
further 2) based on price (for lunch) and 3) variety of cuisine. Residents of Japan
would know that most restaurants have a cheaper lunch menu compared to dinner,
where "lunch sets" that include a main dish and any or all of a
salad, soup and sometimes even dessert and a drink, average at an affordable
1000yen.
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Bib Gourmand
I decided to start off with a Bib Gourmand, which refers to
quality food for great value (meaning good, cheap restaurants) and work all the
way up to three Michelin stars, the highest tier of recognition. I picked Pappon Kitchen, a Thai restaurant
conveniently located near Shibuya on the second floor of a small, non-descript
building. The same building houses a number of other small restaurants,
including a popular katsudon place on
the first floor. The cozy little eatery with a bar-type setting seats about
only eight diners and is run by a Thai chef and his female server.
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| Carrot somtam salad and pork with potato dish |
I loved the very Thai vinegar flavor of the fresh, crisp
shredded carrot somtam salad the meal
started off with, followed by a sweet pork dish topped with scrambled egg, and
an appetizer of dried, ground beef with potato. For the main course, they
served fishball rice noodle soup which made me fondly remember the street food
stalls of Bangkok. Like many Japanese restaurants, here you can also add 100yen
to upsize your serving of noodles (or rice).
Price: 1000yen
(only, for so much food!)
Will I go there
again? I would love to try their Pad Thai which I'm certain is also
authentic.
One Star
The next on my list is the one-Michelin star Chinese
restaurant, Masa’s Kitchen in Ebisu
that specializes in xiaolongbao. In
stark contrast to the restaurant earlier, this establishment was run by over a
dozen staff, had a modern-interior and was well-lit. Unlike most
"Chinese" restaurants in Japan though (called chuka ryori) which serve food that still taste like Japanese
cuisine, this one served generally authentic Chinese food. But like most
restaurants in Japan, single customers are always directed to the bar seats and
I couldn't be happier this time since I got to see all the apprentice chefs
hard at work, supervised by the Chef de Cuisine.
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| Chefs hard at work |
The lunch set started off with two appetizers: pork with
ginger, and vegetable (crisp daikon with mayonnaise and thinly-sliced mushroom flavored
with chili oil). This was followed by a traditional thick egg drop soup, rice,
shrimp shumai (steamed) and chicken karaage
(fried), which was unique because the batter used was similar to fish and chips,
although it still felt out of place in a supposedly authentic Chinese
restaurant. Lastly, the main dish was an overwhelming serving of dandan noodles which I found extremely ordinary
and not exactly the best way to finish a meal.
Price: 1850yen
Will I go there
again? No, unless they have a reasonably-priced dimsum buffet.
**
Two Stars
Picking one of the many Michelin restaurants in Tokyo of the
most starred chef in the whole world Joël Robuchon could be intimidating, but I
was pleased to see that La Table de Joël
Robuchon in Ebisu offered several menu options on their website. (Trivia:
Chef Gordon Ramsey once trained under Robuchon who is also known for his temper
as a result of his standards for perfection.)
I was personally escorted into the dining area that had an
elegant purple motif. I chose Menu C, comprised of one starter, one main dish
and one dessert with coffee or tea. Some dishes such as the duck liver or
scallop had a surcharge, and it was possible to order 3 of the starters or
desserts also for an additional fee.
The meal started off with the famous bread that’s proudly
baked fresh every day in their kitchen. My starter was the chilled crabmeat
avocado salad and the plating all the way to the temperature it was served in
was flawless. Then I had the roasted guinea fowl served with natural gravy,
herb salad and creamy whipped potato. The poultry was roasted to absolute
perfection: the meat was most tender and the crispness of the skin was beyond
compare.
The experience ended in a climactic finish with the dessert.
It had apricot and pistachio mousse, apricot sherbet, meringue flakes with
crushed pistachio and it was the ultimate dessert. All the elements
complemented each other so well it’s as if harmony was the sole aim when the
idea of this dessert was conceived. The apricots had the perfect tart taste and
time stood still as I savored every second in consuming this dessert.
Price: Menu C
cost 4620yen (including the 10% service charge)
Will I go there again?
Definitely. I consider it the best meal I’ve ever had in my life. It was
worth every penny and I honestly felt it was an honor to have had the chance to
partake in this meal.
Three Star
Because the 3-star Japanese restaurant I set my sights on was
fully-booked until the next two months, and so was my second choice, once again
I had to rely on Joël Robuchon. This
time, it was at his eponymous and only 3-star restaurant in Tokyo also found the
same chateau of his in Ebisu.
I picked the cheapest item Menu D which was 10,000yen plus 12%
service charge and served only during lunchtime (and to think it could potentially
be four times as expensive for dinner!) This consisted of a caviar appetizer,
one main course, and a choice of either access to the cheese trolley or the
dessert trolley (I chose the latter.) Access to the bread trolley and coffee or
tea served with petit fours confectionery is included for all menus.
You can expect that a place that charges this much for a
meal can only be the swankiest. The interiors have opulent gold walls and are
decorated in crystal. Naturally, the maître d’ was in a fancy suit and had a
dramatic coiffure. The experience began with the introduction to the bread
trolley which although freshly baked earlier were reheated and served with
butter. All were bite-sized and my favorites were the butter croissant, corn
bread and the chewy striped milk bread.
The actual course began with the caviar served in
hard-boiled egg. The egg was immaculately cleared of its yolk from the inside
with the yolk pureed and placed on top and in drops around the plate. The
craftsmanship of this dish was simply incredible. For the main dish, I had the
beef served with an artichoke macaroni gratin. I asked for the filet mignon to
be grilled medium-well and it was served with the foamy artichoke dish that looked
like an elaborate spring roll. After dinner was the highlight of the meal. The
dessert trolley came and it was a sweet dream all kids fantasize about. It had
mostly fruit-based desserts such as strawberry éclairs and fruits in champagne.
I loved the rose-pink peaches the most.
Much to my delight, there was a second dessert trolley and
this time and it had the macarons, chocolates and candies. You can tell
everything was made on sight based on the personal touch they exuded. I adored the
chewy nougat in particular.
Price: Menu D
cost 11,120yen (including the 12% service charge)
Will I go there
again? Since there’s only so many times you can request for the bread and
dessert trolleys before you get embarrassed, I would much rather go to La Table
because frankly I enjoyed the dishes better and the meal I had offered better
value for money.
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Also here's my previous article about Tokyo's Michelin Scene
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