Tokyo 2024 Travel Log: Day 1 — Dinner Tasting Menu at Caffè (カフェ)

Took the shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo this afternoon. Of course, after lugging around our 20-pound carry-on bags all day, we were exhausted and cranky, so we thought we deserved a fancier-than-usual dinner. Thus, we decided to indulge in the dinner tasting menu at Caffè, an Italian-inspired restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Tokyo:

Amuse-bouche: Quiche Lorraine and corn puff pastry

Appetizer: Rice puff-encrusted seared scallop

Pasta: Garlic spaghetti with chicken, onion, and asparagus

Fish: Panko-crusted sea bass with herb sauce

Meat: Filet mignon with mashed potato and asparagus tempura

Dessert: Tiramisu with vanilla bean ice cream

You know, tiny portions are deceiving because after six courses, I was surprisingly quite full. (They do also give you two buns — an olive bread and a French baguette-type bread — but still, I'm someone that usually eats 5 slices of pizza or 6 tacos in one sitting.) The most disappointing course was the pasta — it was tasty, don't get me wrong, but not particularly interesting — but all the other courses were fantastic, especially the fish and meat. Apparently, the dishes change everyday so you never get the exact same menu, but the tasting menu always includes six courses (plus coffee or tea). We usually don't dine in hotel restaurants because they're so overpriced, but we thought this was entirely worth it at ¥8,000 (about $72 CAD) per person. In fact, we loved it here so much, we also made a reservation for their strawberry-themed afternoon tea on Saturday!

Caffè (カフェ)

Hyatt Regency Tokyo, Lobby/2F

2 Chome−7−2

Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City

Tokyo, Japan 〒160-0023

+81-03-3348-1234

Birthday Omakase at Sushi Umi

My mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year, and I very firmly and specifically said, "The omakase dinner at Sushi Umi." And thus, I made reservations for the 8:00PM seating tonight, and my mom and I, along with 12 other people, indulged in a very exclusive, very private, eight-course omakase.

Mushu with crab and ikura

Grilled black cod with fried onions

Amberjack sashimi

Scallop sashimi

Maguro sashimi

Ikura

Top: Red snapper
Bottom: Striped jack

Top: Akami toro
Bottom: Chutoro

Top: Otoro
Bottom: Shrimp with caviar

Top: Torched Japanese sea bream
Bottom: Horse mackerel

Top: Torched barracuda
Bottom: Caramelized tamago

Uni sushi

Fish miso soup

Milk tofu custard with brown sugar syrup

Our omakase menu, from start to finish:

1. Mushu with crab sauce
2. Grilled black cod with fried onions
3. Sashimi: Amberjack, scallop, toro, ikura
4. Nigiri sushi: Red snapper, striped jack, akami toro, chutoro, otoro, shrimp with caviar, torched Japanese sea bream, horse mackerel, torched barracuda, and uni
5. Blow-torched, caramelized tamago
6. Chopped toro hand roll
7. Fish miso soup
8. Milk tofu custard with brown sugar syrup

Omakase literally means, "I leave it up to you," so no matter how many you try, it's always a one-of-a-kind experience. The one at Sushi Umi is beautifully executed with incredible quality and variety of fish — even my mother, who is notoriously critical, commented on how excellent the fish was (especially the uni, which she never previously enjoyed and has now changed her mind). Each piece of nigiri is handmade right in front of you — every slice of fish is meticulously cut, each mound of perfectly vinegared rice is carefully molded, wasabi is freshly made and precisely portioned onto each piece of sushi, and soy sauce is delicately brushed on to the fish — with expert, trained hands of a certified sushi chef so you get the most perfect bite of sushi every time. It's really a beautiful process to behold.

Yes, it's definitely a little awkward to be in such a quiet room with 12 strangers with only the softest notes of a piano melody playing in the background — everyone's looking at each other and listening into each other's conversations — but for some of the best sushi I've eaten outside of Japan, I'd say it was still worth every penny.

Sushi Umi

Liberty Square

3621 Highway 7, Unit 104-105

Markham, ON L3R 0G6

(905) 475-1222

Birthday Tasting Menu at Richmond Station

As per tradition, Ronsee and I go for a tasting menu for my birthday every year. I invited Ying and her husband to join us as well this year, so after doing some research on best tasting menus in Toronto, I decided on Richmond Station.

Chickpea panisse with smoked eggplant purée

Oysters on the half shell with apple kosho mignonette

Duck liver pâté with buckwheat crunch

Smoked cheese puffs with apple purée

Fluke sashimi with preserved lemon purée and pickled habanada peppers

Endive salad with aged beemster, brown butter croutons, and honey crisp apple vinaigrette

Butter poached halibut with king oyster mushrooms and dashi beurre blanc

Organic chicken ballotine with Cookstown parnsips, black garlic jus, and thyme cream

Orange glazed Bundt cake with caramelized apples and mascarpone espuma

Our tasting menu, in order from start to finish:

1. Chef's Selection of Canapes: Chickpea panisse with smoked eggplant purée, oysters on the half shell with apple kosho mignonette, duck liver pâté with buckwheat crunch, and smoked cheese puffs with apple purée
2. Fluke Sashimi with preserved lemon purée and pickled habanada peppers
3. Endive Salad with aged beemster, brown butter croutons, and honey crisp apple vinaigrette
4. Butter Poached Halibut with king oyster mushrooms and dashi beurre blanc
5. Organic Chicken Ballotine with Cookstown parnsips, black garlic jus, and thyme cream
6. Pain au Lait with organic salted butter
7. Orange Glazed Bundt Cake with caramelized apples and mascarpone espuma

Phenomenal. Sublime. Delightful. Beautiful whirlwinds of flavours and textures in every course. It was insanely busy, too; a packed house. At first I thought it might have been the hype, but after actually eating there, I understand now why it consistently tops "Best of" restaurant lists in Toronto. And even given this and the high ratings on review sites, it's surprisingly not pretentious — it has a cozy, relaxed atmosphere with an open kitchen, and the servers are super nice and attentive without being annoying. Honestly, if birthdays mean getting to eat good food (and for me, it does), my 35th birthday is proving to be my best one so far.

Richmond Station

1 Richmond St. W.

Toronto, ON M5H 3W4

(647) 748-1444

Photolog 2019: Day 319 of 365

Jamón Joselito Gran Reserva 2015 Hand Sliced Ham
Canapé of White Truffle with Porcini Tartufata
House-baked sourdough with artisanal fermented butter and stuffed olives
Chilled lobster with Ontario artichokes and tomaquet with in-house paprika
New Zealand short-fin eel with broccolini pistachio tartare
John Dory fish with neck clams in Spanish-style wine sauce
Portuguese squid cooked over charcoal in squid ink onion stew with almonds
Guinea hen stuffed with foie gras on top of porcini mushroom risotto with spinach
Guinea hen stuffed with foie gras on top of porcini mushroom risotto with spinach (plated by me)
Quince and apple sorbet with roasted apple, pumpkin seed oil, and pumpkin seeds
Baba au rhum with Chantilly cream
As per tradition, a tasting menu for my birthday with Ronsee (this is his birthday gift to me every year). This year's choice? Edulis, where we had a gorgeous, four-hour, 10+ course, seafood-based meal. They offer a five-course or seven-course tasting menu with a select few seasonal options as add-ons, so we went for the seven-course and added two Canapés of White Truffle with Porcini Tartufata ($35 each) as it's apparently white truffle season (we couldn't not take part in this), and the Jamón Joselito Gran Reserva 2015 Hand Sliced Ham ($50 per plate) to share. Every single dish was incredible and beautifully presented, but standouts for me were the Canapé of White Truffle with Porcini Tartufata, the New Zealand short-fin eel with broccolini pistachio tartare, the Portuguese squid cooked over charcoal in squid ink onion stew with almonds, and the Quince and apple sorbet with roasted apple and pumpkin seeds. Just amazing combinations of flavours, textures, and aromas.

The space itself is quite small — a single main floor dining room only holds about 30 people — but it is intimate and cozy without feeling too stuffy. For a restaurant that only serves tasting menus and is considered one of the best in the world, Edulis is incredibly modest, down-to-earth, and almost casual. Our server was super-nice, accommodating, knowledgeable, and never once interrupted our conversation. She refilled both our water glasses and carafe regularly so they were never empty, and always asked how our dishes were every time she came to pick up the plates when our courses were done. My only real complaint is that it's just a bit too dark in there (the servers literally have to use flashlights to read labels behind the bar, plus any and all pictures taken here are going to be grainy as hell as you can plainly see), but it's a wonderful experience that both Ronsee and I thought was well worth the price. They're not the #7 best restaurant in Canada for nothing.

Photolog 2018: Day 33 of 365

Took my mom out for her birthday dinner at Terre Rouge, which I've been wanting to try for a few months now. We decided to indulge in the tasting menu tonight, $85 a head:

1. Amuse-bouche: Tuna tataki, scallop ceviche with lime, and sea urchin with yuzu jelly
2. Scallops with jasmine sea salt emulsion, quinoa, and sweet peas
3. Seared foie gras with apple mustarda, passionfruit, and breadcrumbs
4. Mushroom risotto with black truffle and mustard greens
5. Halibut with ginger beurre blanc, chickpeas, butter beans, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes
6. Duck leg with whipped potatoes and barley, charred corn, and beer foam
7. Molten lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate crumble

Delicious flavour palates, beautiful presentation, and excellent service. My mom and I both thoroughly enjoyed every dish and thought the tasting menu was entirely worth it. It's French cuisine, so everything was quite rich (read: fattening) despite the smallish portions, but it's a really nice treat for a special occasion. Will definitely return!

Birthday Dinner: George Restaurant

All I want for my birthday every year is to have a phenomenal meal, and this year was no exception as my friends celebrated with me last night with a seven-course tasting menu at George Restaurant.

Amuse-bouche: Cured beef with chipotle mayo and purple potato
Fogo cod with beef foam, heirloom beets, and radish
Ahi tuna tataki with pickled carrot salad
Coco crab with green olive salsa verde, currant quinoa, and artichoke
What I love about George as opposed to other restaurants offering tasting menus is that they can do different menus for everyone in your party, so there's a huge variety in dishes. It's a truly great way to see the inventive flavour and texture combinations at George. They're also extremely accommodating with any allergies or food preferences; for example, Chelsea doesn't like certain meats, so they worked around that with chicken and seafood options. Their tasting menus change daily based on seasonal produce and market availability, so every dish is a surprise — you don't know what you're going to get until it's in front of you. Some people might not appreciate this, but as someone who loves trying different foods and who isn't a selective eater, I love the concept of evolving tasting menus.

Wagyu beef over radicchio and Belgian endive with navy bean mixed citrus salad and goat cheese mousse
Foie gras with pork tenderloin over potato pavé with warm apple salad wrapped in crispy sweet potato
Rack of lamb with potato cannoli and beet tartare
George offers five-, seven-, and ten-course tasting menus, but I feel like the seven-course is the most ideal for all parties. You get more variety than the five-course so you get a good sense of the chef's creativity, but you're satisfyingly full by the dessert course (whereas I think the ten-course would be too over-the-top and uncomfortably filling). Highlights for me were the cod, wagyu beef, and foie gras (and I don't even normally like foie gras!), but every dish was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented with harmonious flavours and balanced textures. The only flavour combo that wasn't to any of our tasting was the pumpkin spice cheesecake, and it wasn't even the cake itself (which was delicious), but with the chopped fruit on top (I think it was plums and cherries?), which all of us agreed took away from the flavour of the cheesecake. But, hey, with only one flop out of 21 different dishes between the three of us, I'd say George knows what they're doing.

White chocolate gelato
Sesame brittle, brioche with currant jam, and cinnamon cannoli
Blondie bar with chocolate chip mascarpone
Pumpkin spice cheesecake with pumpkin seed crisp and tangerine broth
Our server, Lucas, was fantastic as well: polite and professional, attentive but not bothersome or interruptive, and accommodating to our needs with good alternative suggestions. The ambiance is modern-meets-rustic with French artwork, distressed hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, and velvet chairs; it's spacious but still warm and intimate. I like that the tables are set far enough apart that you feel like you're getting some privacy; despite the place being fairly busy, we didn't overhear anyone else's conversations, which makes it ideal for romantic dates, special occasions, even business meetings. Also, it has good lighting. I hate when restaurants are so dark that you can barely read the menu or see what you're eating ('cause that also means they aren't good for photos, and I am one of those people). Each table here is well-lit but not overly bright so that you can see your expensive, gorgeously-plated food, but still feel cozy. Overall, I had a really fantastic time at George. I'd recommend it to anyone for a delicious, unique, memorable, high-end meal. 

George Restaurant
111 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON M5C 1S2
(416) 863-6006