tokyo food file

the good things in life

Good wine, good food, good people.

 

Coming up tomorrow in my Japan Times column...

And now it's out... and up here.

A hirsute joint close by the Meguro-gawa

A few more photos of Beard, the excellent – and memorably named – little modern bistro/wine bar I introduced in my Japan Times column today. It's a great little place, and if I lived in the neighbourhood it would definitely be one of my default evening hangouts/Sunday brunch venues.

One nugget that never made it into print: originally, Harakawa-san was going to call his place Commons (from "common sense"), but changed his mind – I think it clashed with some other restaurant, not to mention the idea of Creative Commons: plus there was the the new 246 Common. Anyway, he told me he's had his beard for 15 years now, and it's *his look*. And as I wrote, it all makes sense once you've actually been there.

Beard. What sort of name is that for a restaurant, least of all one serving French-inflected food? And what chef would have the word daubed in orange paint across his front door, on the diagonal no less? 

  

One with a quirky sense of humor, of course. And, obviously, one who sports facial hair.

 

Formerly a nondescript clothing store, it has been given a total makeover inside and out, with wood pillars rising to a high ceiling, a handsome back wall of red brick and some seriously eclectic decor. The trophy deer's head over the entrance to the restroom – or Pipi Room as the sign, also in orange paint, proclaims – is nothing compared with what you find on the other side of that same door.

 

Every Sunday morning, Harakawa comes in to cook one of the tastiest little brunch menus in town.

 

He roasts and blends his own granola.

He also whips up tasty mascarpone-based sourdough pancakes, which he serves with butter, a small pot of maple syrup and fresh fruit on the side.

For those with proper appetites, look no further than his superb open-faced piperade sandwich: He slices open a hearty bread roll and spreads it with a generous layer of the seared, marinated Mediterranean vegetables; on top of this he balances a thick slice of his excellent home-cured bacon and an egg fried sunny-side up, serving it with a small side salad and a garnish of basil leaves. It's outstanding.

 

Harakawa says Beard is "the kind of French bistro you'd find in North America, but transplanted to Naka-Meguro." It makes sense once you have met him and eaten his food.

 

Beard sits on its own in a quiet residential area close by the Meguro River but a considerable walk from the nearest main street and even further from the buzzy bright lights of Naka-Meguro.

It's as if he is aiming to create his own neighborhood where one does not yet exist. Who knows, that might happen. Harakawa has certainly put together the kind of easy-going, welcoming local bistro hangout that most people would love to have close by their homes.

 

Just in case, here's the Beard web site…

Brasserie le Zinc: Basque accents in backstreet Kanda

The warren of streets around Kanda Station has always been one of Tokyo's quintessential old-school carousing districts. But change is arriving even here among the traditional watering holes… 

and there's no better example than Brasserie le Zinc. Equal parts wine bar, bistro and salaryman "standing bar," Zinc — it's pronounced the French way, "Zank" — sits halfway along one of the narrowest alleys in the area. You'd barely notice it among the modest izakaya taverns on either side, were it not for the glowing rotisserie machine by the entrance.

  

Inside, though, you find this 50-year-old two-storey wooden building has been refurbished to match its current incarnation: serving surprisingly good French brasserie cuisine with a strong Basque accent and a highly affordable range of wine.

 

Downstairs you stand and nurse your drinks at upturned barrels or prop up the counter — yes, it is made of zinc and white tiles, salvaged second-hand from a now-defunct Parisian bistro — which runs along the narrow open prep kitchen.

The mismatched tables and chairs on the second floor have likewise seen better days, but seem to fit the old timber-frame building perfectly. The menu, chalked over one entire wall, is not just extensive, it's a lot more sophisticated than you'd expect from the neighborhood.

 

Chef Takai — that's him on the right in the photo — spent three years in Europe, most of that time in the Pays Basque close to the Spanish border. He bakes his own focaccia and quiche, stuffs his own homemade garlic sausages…

 

…and produces excellent, hearty farmhouse dishes such as lamb terrine, cassoulet or axoa, a Basque specialty made from ground beef and lots of spicy Espelette pepper.

He also has plenty of lighter recipes for the summer months. The marinated ayu sweetfish hits the spot just right, especially with a glass of chilled Chardonnay (¥500 for a well-filled glass)…

and his lamb terrine or smoked duck pair nicely with the Pays d'Oc Pinot Noir (also ¥500).

The house wine (from ¥380) is even more affordable; and there is also a wide selection of local and Belgian beer (from ¥500). Ditto with the food menu, which boasts little over ¥1,000. These are honest prices that reflect the neighborhood and the spending power of the local clientele — and in no way diminish the quality of the food and drink.

 

Before heading over to Kanda, a couple of caveats are in order. The temperature inside Zinc is hot enough at the best of times if you find yourself standing close to the rotisserie; in summer it can be nigh-on unbearable. But if you're eyeing those tables upstairs, be aware that they are invariably booked solid, especially on weekdays. Just as you'd expect in this salaryman territory and with food this good.

 

Brasserie le Zinc, 1-7-1 Kajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; (03) 3251-2233. Open 5-11:30 p.m.; closed Sun.

Closest station Kanda (Ginza, Keihin-Tohoku, Yamanote and Chuo lines).

Japanese menu; some French spoken. Wine from ¥380, beer from ¥500.

 

Here's a map…

Taken from my current column in The Japan Times...

tu piffres, tu boissonne — moi aussi!

Enough work for one week. I'm off to piffre and boissonne.

Not sure quite what it means, but it sounds pretty good to me...

La Gargote — Azabu-Juban's buzzy new grill

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.