Dining Diaries XXIII

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Although no one is calling Shibuya a desert, there is a place in the midst of it that feels like a safe and welcoming oasis. Chinois is a beautiful restaurant with Art Nouveau interior design, with Asian influence in 1920’s European idea of “Chinese” décor. Once inside the restaurant it is impossible to imagine that we are in the center of bustling Shibuya! The menu however is anything else than Chinese, but modern European cooking. There are three set-menus available; a Three-course Prix Fixe Dinner (¥4,200, with matched wines +3,150), Chef’s Recommendation Dinner (¥5,250, +4,200), or the Chinois Tasting Dinner (¥8,400, +6,300), but we headed for the à-la-carte menu, which offers a great variety of choices. A vichyssoise is always a great way to start a dinner in these hot summer days, but when we heard about the day’s special chilled green peas soup (¥945) we had a quick change of mind, and it turned out to have a deep and very natural sweet taste. Other starters at our table were broad bean mousse with lobster and tomato jelly (¥1,260), chilled asparagus with raspberry sauce (¥1,680), and a tasty pork paté (¥1,575) – all went well with a Paliser Estate Sauvignon Blanc (¥4,800). We had that followed by a La Sirène de Giscours Margaux (¥6,300) with the main dishes, which consisted of grilled Spanish pork with Guerande salt (¥3,150), roasted Australian lamb and rosemary-flavored potatoes (¥2,625), and grilled Japanese sirloin steak with wasabi sauce (¥3,150). An excellent meal, and we felt that chef Nanohiro Takuhashi has matched the beautiful surroundings with perfect flavors.

All details at http://www.chinois.jp/shibuya.html; smoking permitted in section.

I am off on vacation for the next 2½ weeks, so no dining adventures will be forthcoming during that time B)

[catgate]

It all sounds very good. But a bit on the arty farty side, maybe, for Barnsley,

[-pops-]

You can still look at Vichyssoise then, Pat?

Do the Japanese eat lamb/mutton as a norm? I asked a Chinese friend about this and he said that eating sheep was very rare in China.

[Tankus]

These would be far more involving if you used your phone cam ,the latest Japanese models are probably multi megapixle anyways , wouldn't look so obvoius ....

Say a shot on the outside then one in ....or even the meal ...?

even bloody micheal winner does that

[Tankus]

Take a look at these food diaries ...here

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

I don't like taking photos in a busy restaurant - it is too much of a disturbance for other customers (flash, etc.)

I have sometimes asked the restaurant to send me some pictures by email, but it seems that more often than not they forget it.

Also, the problem with this forum is the limited posting size; e.g. in this post I could only insert two images.

But I agree that a restaurant review with photos makes a whole different impression.

[Tankus]

Ive never been outside euro land , so I find your diaries rather interesting as it gives a bit of flavour to the far east and you do put some effort into them to make them a good read , why not use a camera phone ? multimegapixel ones must be fairly easy to come by over there , and taking pictures with them is not so brazenly obvious ... Even if its just one outside ...... I like your piccies in the gallery ........if you thumbnail to image shack you can get multiple photos in a strip in one post .... (see some of mine in the gallery ...saves bandwidth )

[Irene]

I am off on vacation for the next 2½ weeks, so no dining adventures will be forthcoming during that time B)

Have a good holiday Pat. :D

[rong]

I am off on vacation for the next 2½ weeks, so no dining adventures will be forthcoming during that time B)

Have a good holiday Pat. :D

I can see a blonde moment coming Pat Willener' post='242366' date='Sep 7 2007

[Irene]

I am off on vacation for the next 2½ weeks, so no dining adventures will be forthcoming during that time B)

Have a good holiday Pat. :D

I can see a blonde moment coming Pat Willener' post='242366' date='Sep 7 2007

Your link doesn't work, rong. :)

[rong]

It's not a link, read the date.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Yes, I am already back since 3 weeks. But thank you anyway, Irene, for your wishes

Regarding pictures - I have tried to take some with my cell phone. But the resulting images show things that I'd rather not eat...

But then some are not so bad - it probably all depends on the light.

Well, I will get a new one in December...

[Irene]

It's not a link, read the date.

... One of the pleasures of retirement is that I hardly know what the day is, never mind the date!! :lol:

[andsome]

It's not a link, read the date.

... One of the pleasures of retirement is that I hardly know what the day is, never mind the date!! :lol:

Are you blonde? :lol:

[Irene]

It's not a link, read the date.

... One of the pleasures of retirement is that I hardly know what the day is, never mind the date!! :lol:

Are you blonde? :lol:

Blonde bits.....

With a little help from my trusty hairdresser! :D

[Tankus]

err ....nice one Pat ...... gotta ask ...how much was you charged for a SINGLE strawb ?

would a UK restaurant have the bottle to serve that I wonder ,

Hava nice holiday

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Ah - the single strawberry! It was actually a full bowl of berries, of which I kept the most good looking one to test my cell phone. And it was free, of course - I always receive a bowl or plate of seasonal fruits at my favorite bistro-bar Minocitta. Currently kaki (persimmon) are the season's favorite.

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

This was yesterday's fruit plate - grapes, figs, and kaki.

(Just trying to improve my cell phone photography skills...)

P.S. slightly improved with Paint Shop Pro

[Irene]

Do you dine out every day/evening, Pat?

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Actually - yes - I do. Not much patience for cooking...

But I just rediscovered how much fun it is to play with Paint Shop Pro!

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