Dining Diaries XXI

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What makes a new restaurant successful? Sensational interior design? Exquisite food and wine? Dedicated and competent staff? A dazzling name? We were about to find out when we paid our first visit to the just weeks-old restaurant in Ginza. Located somewhat behind Printemps department store, the new Mikimoto building is recognizable from afar, with its façade covered with what looks like holes. The elevator unloaded us on the 8th floor in the middle of a bustling kitchen. After a few bemused moments we were rescued by the receptionist, who led us into the bar area, where we instantly recognized a familiar face – Masa, who used to tend the bar at Tableaux. The bar is a cozy and comfortable space with golden-lit curtains, where we enjoyed champagne cocktails (¥1,200) with either golden kiwi juice, or ruby grapefruit and passion fruit. Then we ascended to the main dining room. What an astonishing sight! High ceiling, reminiscent of a ‘30s European dance hall, sparsely decorated, and in the center is the most amazing wine storage ever devised. As we were led to our table we noticed more familiar faces: John, Tomo, Shoko – all have served very log times at Tableaux. After an initial order of a dozen Hokkaido oysters with apple cider vinaigrette and spicy Korean miso sauce, and a New Zealand Palliser Estate Pencarrow Sauvignon Blanc (¥5,500) ready on our table, John explained the day’s specials. Chilled daikon and fennel cream soup with grilled anago slices (¥1,200), tomato-based lobster risotto (¥3,200), chilled fedellini pasta with junks of crabmeat and bottarga (¥2,200) – all found immediate takers from our group. But the printed menu (Japanese and English) offers lots more of interesting items. When we finally made our choices, our appetizers were the chilled soup and pasta of the day, and a colorful endive and baked goat cheese salad (¥1,500). For the main dishes we relied mostly on the fish and meat dishes from the menu; the charcoal-grilled sea bass filet with braised savoy cabbage (¥1,900) won high praises, the grilled platinum pork cutlet with zucchini and eringi mushrooms (¥2,900) was cooked to perfection, the roasted New Zealand lamb chops with braised kidney beans and an interestingly flavored jus d’agneau (¥3,200) had not a trace of fat, and all went quite well with the Massolino Barolo 1993 (¥6,500). Chef Jun Takishima, who not surprisingly also comes from the Global Dining group, has done an excellent job! For sweets, digestives, coffee and cigarettes we moved back downstairs, where we were shown into a small private room, courtesy of the staff. The five items on the dessert menu proved perfect for us: fondant chocolat with vanilla ice cream, soufflé “quatro formaggio” with fromage-blanc sorbet, passion fruit custard puff pastry with citrus-flavored coconut ice cream, lemongrass crème brûlée with honey ice cream (all ¥900 - ¥1,200), and “Dazzle” – a combination of all above (¥1,500). Our conclusion: DAZZLE is already hugely successful; every table was booked on this Saturday night. We do not know the reason, but everything was perfect that night, the prices are not exorbitant, and we will certainly be back!

MIKIMOTO Ginza 2, 8F / 9F, 2-4-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku.

Tel. 03-5159-0991, fax 03-5159-0992.

www.huge.co.jp/DAZZLE

Open daily 17:30-24:00 (L.O. 22:30), bar 17:30-01:00.

Smoking restricted to the bar area.

I don't know why I cannot upload more pictures...?

P.S. the article that was actually printed in Metropolis: http://www.metropolis.co.jp/tokyo/639/restaurants.asp

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I really wanted to show that amazing wine storage structure...