La Gargote, the hot new hybrid bistro/grill/wine bar/Gallic gathering spot in Azabu-Juban — as featured in the Tokyo Food File (Japan Times today).
Nelson Surjon has put together a good-looking restaurant. It looks great, especially the downstairs, with its spiral staircase and full-wall pop-art manga mural.
There's a fine wine list, from Pol Roger and some high-end Burgundies and Clarets to some great Aussie and US bottles (totally apt for the food), and all the way down to cheap-cheerful mouth-gargle plonk — which anyway are more appropriate to La Gargote's tongue-in-cheek name (it means the equivalent of "greasy spoon diner").
The kitchen is now delivering on its promise, especially from the grill. And even more especially now that Chef Patrick is serving gibier of all sorts — with deliveries daily, fresh from France.
Here are a few more photos from the meals I've eaten there over the past couple of weeks, starting with the grilled hobo. This tasty (if bizarre-looking) white-meat fish was served over green beans as a lunch special. Very good and satisfying...
I described the carpaccio plate (in my column) and mentioned the ginger sauce. But didn't say how attractive it looked on its glass platter.
I wish I had a better photo of the St. Jacques kushiyaki. Never mind, this will remind me how good it was!
Luckily the shirako wrapped in bacon did come out OK. Here it is again...
Did I mention it's gibier season? (I did, and will again!) And what better way to have it prepared than over a charcoal grill? The pheasant was excellent, and so were the trimmings.
Merçi Chef Patrick! And cheers, Nelson!
More details here on eatpia.com...
And the map link is here...
* Update: sadly, La Gargote did not survive the effects of the 2011 earthquake/tsunami/ nuclear disaster. It closed on March 11 and never reopened.
