So this is my third visit to the domain of Lionel Beccat amidst the Ginza buildings and reservations are surprisingly easy by phone or online for a 2 star. I had previously dined here a year ago (almost to the day) and it was curious to note some of the ingredients were the same, but the dishes remixed. The menu itself is done on the day and seems to follow the Japanese microseasons, with my other visit being very different in ingredients. Lunch is significantly cheaper than dinner and the 7 plates course was 25k yen + service. I also went with the premium pairing and will list the wines.
The course begins with an included glass of Chartogne Taillet Champagne en magnum and the amuse bouche is a cup of sea urchin, white mushrooms, tarragon and seaweed cream and savoury jelly. Nice enough.
Next, a pair of bites of marinated squid, with daikon, sake lees, kiwifruit and bottarga. This one felt like a second amuse bouche and while the flavours worked, seemed a bit out of order. I would've preferred it first, especially as the bottarga gets stuck in my teeth. Paired with 2022 Van Volxem Scharzhofberger GG Riesling. I think the Champagne would've worked better, and the riesling with the sea urchin too.
The first real dish was hokkigai sea snail in its juices with white wine, yuzu, olive oil, a mixture of herbs and greens. There is definitely a line of vadouvan buried in there that opens it up too. Paired with 2015 Henri Bourgeois Sancerre d'Antan. Bread was also freely provided throughout service to soak the sauces.
Next, the vegetable. It's interesting to compare how different places do turnips, especially in winter when they're sweeter but more watery. The turnip is grilled with mimolette and topped with fir, mustard and truffles, and with a pig trotter sauce. My favourite against the turnips at L'Effervescence and Nebuka. Last time the pig component was a broth. Paired with 1997 Vignamaggio Chianti. My notes on the wine were piss/hay, dry herbs, liquorice. It was a substantial wine but again work well, being just light enough.
We return to seafood again with ise ebi (like a lobster?), a sauce of itself, a sauce of vinegar, a sheet of beetroot in juniper, vermouth and shiso flowers. A very pretty dish. I'll freely admit I prefer last year's rendition with a red sansho sauce americaine though which had more kick. Paired with 2015 Bollinger Grande Annee in a proper wine glass. Going from red wine to sparkling was a strange thought but seemed to work since it was quite pinoty.
The main fish course of pan fried kue skin on, nanohana, wine and kue sauce, and bergamot umeboshi paste. The dish was already good if substantial, but the umeboshi gave it balance. Paired with 2015 Eric Forest Pouilly Fuisse chardonnay.
To conclude the savoury, there is beef. This is also the first time I've seen a plate that wasn't white here. Beef, red wine sauce, parsnip, carrot, fukinoto. It's a well executed dish and the fukinoto brings new dimension but it's just beef. They've done more exciting main dishes before. Paired with 2020 Ch. Clinet typical Bordeaux.
The first dessert is a flag of Poland, or is it Indonesia? Hibiscus jelly, strawberries, mochi, ginger and celeriac ice cream. Actually I had this last year and enjoyed as much. The main dessert is very thin sheets of chocolate tuille, chocolate mousse, lemon gel, creme fraiche sauce and parsley ice cream (wtf). But you know, the flavours associated well, with the parsley and lemon kind of bringing them all together.
Petit four (petit one?) is a tiny pear and caramelised walnut thing.
I think the wine pairings here have always been great and this one indulgent, but the standard pairing last time was more creative (and cheaper) and I do wish they had dessert wine pairing or by the glass. The staff can do English/French/Japanese and it's so lovely seeing a waiter do 3 languages at a table. They were also quite attentive, even placing a cloche over my dish when I went to the toilet. The lack of a pastry chef is noticeable even if the desserts were nice. I believe they used to have a Mr Narita who has since moved to his own thing at Azabudai Hills. For the price, variety and ease of booking though, I'd keep coming back.
by dentetsuryu