ノリ@チーズと猫
One of the one-star restaurants that I use the most in my life is located on the second floor of a building along the Meguro River, and during the cherry blossom season, a special course is available allowing you to enjoy cherry blossom French cuisine. I haven't tried the cherry blossom course yet, so I'd like to challenge it next year. This time, I made a reservation for the Anniversary Course at 16,000 yen for a birthday celebration. The regular course consists of about 10 dishes including dessert, while the Anniversary Course has 5 dishes of food followed by a generous amount of dessert served in a lineup similar to afternoon tea. I chose the wine pairing with half-size glasses for 7,700 yen.
- The first dish is a rabbit ballotine. The rabbit meat, shaped into a small circle, is topped with tomato ice cream called "amasu." It has a refreshing and cute acidity and sweetness, awakening the palate. It is delicious, especially when paired with the clear texture of the rabbit meat.
- The second dish is an artistic broccoli salad. Fresh squid caught by the nerves is coated with a paste made of broccoli, creating a natural scene rooted in the earth with couscous, broccoli buds, and sprouts. The combination of the avocado ice cream with daidai and wasabi creates a punchy flavor that blends harmoniously with the gentle flavor of broccoli.
- The third dish is a paella using squid, black rice, firefly squid, chorizo, among other ingredients. It is seasoned with a mirepoix sauce made with firefly squid, which adds an exquisite acidity. The squid is juicy and has a good texture.
- The fourth dish is a dish made with mackerel, herbs, and daikon seeds wrapped in mugwort tortillas. It is ridiculously delicious and enjoyable in terms of rolling and eating. I found out for the first time that there are daikon seeds. It paired perfectly with wabisabi, an Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Sauvignon Blanc white wine.
- The fifth dish is the main course. You can choose between pork and lamb. I chose the lamb, which was prepared with two different cuts alongside eggplant and blueberry moussaka. The sauce included grapefruit sauce, eggplant sauce, tzatziki sauce. The dish had an amazing taste and was incredibly tender without any unpleasant odor. My companion chose the pork, which featured crispy-skinned pork from Hanayuko pork. It resembled a pork bone ramen, with a white soup sauce, homemade noodles, and pickled egg yolk. It was a creative dish with hints of Greek cuisine.
After the satisfying dishes, a platter of desserts was served with a message plate, which this time featured a premonition of June with a rainy season theme. The desserts included frog shoe pastries, tadpole macarons, lamb-shaped sweets, yuzu macarons shaped like four-leaf clovers, lemon mousse, and ice cream filled with kumquats. The mascarpone and kiwi dessert had a basil oil base with a strong aroma, and the pistachio cake was deliciously rich. The canelé was slightly overcooked and resembled bread. I also brought home the popular Craftal Opera and another small pastry as souvenirs. The opera featured biscuit dough and layered chocolate mousse in a book-shaped design. It was rich and delicious. The quality of these treats, 6 pieces for 3,300 yen, is definitely worth it compared to the over 800 yen cakes from other places in Tokyo. The total bill came out to around 26,500 yen per person.