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SEPTEMBER 4, 2000 VOL. 156 NO. 9
With little fanfare, Tokyo has quietly transformed itself into one of the cuisine capitals of the world, maybe the capital. Where else can you find the world's best Japanese food as well as European nosh on a par withsome say better thanwhat you can find in France and Italy? Heresy? Believe it or not, it's the French and Italians who are, somewhat sheepishly, fessing up. "I'm Italian, so it is painful for me to say," concedes Elio Orsara, owner of Tokyo's Elio restaurant. "In Tokyo, you can find better Italian food and better service than in most towns in Italy." French food in Tokyo once meant overpriced restaurants with starchy waiters where the newly rich went to show off. Italian fare was of the American pizza-and-meatballs variety. But in barely a decade, the number and range of French and Italian restaurants have exploded. Today you can choose between Venetian and southern Italian cooking, watch your pizza sizzle in brick ovens and order bread baked on the premises. Japan is a nation that takes food seriously, particularly fish, and it has applied this same zeal to Continental cooking. Hundreds of Japanese have gone to Europe to learn the secrets of frog legs and foie gras firsthand. They come back trained, experienced and passionatesometimes more passionate than their peers in Europe, where "people are working for the money," says Philippe Batton, who runs Le Petit Bedon near Tokyo's hip Daikanyama district and heads a local French chefs association. Tokyo still has its share of eateries offering mediocre fare at breathtaking prices. But the good news is there are now plenty of restaurants offering good valueand even a few bargains. To get a taste of the new Tokyo, try Labyrinthe (81-3) 5420-3584, a short taxi ride from the trendy Hiroo area. Chef Moriaki Sakamoto spent several years in France, then set up shop here three years ago. From the chilled pumpkin soup as rich as ice cream and roast duck seasoned with thin slices of truffle to the dark chocolate mousse cake, every dish is a gem. At $35 a head for lunch it isn't cheap, but Sakamoto somehow manages to offer the same menu from noon until midnight at the same price.
For
cheaper but still great lunchtime fare, try Aux Bacchanales (3582-2225)
in the Ark Hills complex, down the hill from the Roppongi entertainment
district. The restaurant has a quiet patio out back that's perfect for
sipping cool things in Tokyo's sweltering summer. Lunch of fish or meat
is $8, not including dessert or coffee. The Casse-Croute (5487-3608) near
Meguro station and the L'Espace (5420-0719) near Ebisu, both run by French-trained
chef Akito Sasaki, also offer great food at decent prices. ASIANOW Travel Home
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