Sunday August 17, 2014
Tokyo, Japan
Foggy and Cool for August Weather
Way back on a hot July weekend, I stumbled into a gorgeous restaurant hidden in the courtyard of the Coredo Building in Nihonbashi. The restaurant is called Sant Pau. I had no idea it was a restaurant as all I saw where men and women in chefs' uniforms busily working around a gorgeous kitchen. So I thought it was a cooking school and walked in. Well when one walks in one quickly realizes it is a fancy restaurant. And to my surprise is was Sant Pau which is where a friend of mine is treating me to dinner in September! Since I was there, decided to have my weekend brunch at the restaurant. The restaurant is gorgeous. Fortunately for me, there were a lot of cancellations because a typhoon past by Tokyo the day before. Lucky me!
The restaurant is an outpost of the Michelin 3 Star Catalan restaurant owned by a super nice female celebrity chef Carmen Ruscalleda. The Tokyo restaurant has 2 Michelin stars and is worth every star. Carmen selects the monthly menu and actually does the drawings of the dishes on the menu. The food is very modern with Catalan influence and local fresh ingredients. I was there for about 1.5 hours and enjoying every bite of the delicate food that was brought to me.
I am so fortunate to live in Tokyo – the world's best Foodie city – where I get to enjoy food from top chefs from around the world. I highly recommend Restaurant Sant Pau because the service is impeccable (they adjusted the menu for me as I don't eat certain things) and the food is exquisite!
The Menu
Lunch started with a really good rice cracker!
Followed by three beautiful teasers: Anchovy Brocheta, olive and tomato – Padron pepper and rice croquette – Radish "techno"
The radish "techno" was actually a hazelnut covered with a delicate chocolate raspberry frosting
Then the "real" appetizers came out: First melon, moscatel wine and scallops (this appetizer was a substitue and the one in the menu with an iberico ham appetizer)
Second appetizer: transparent sushi with yogurt sauce
Now to one of my favorite dishes: Tomato and Watermelon Velvet with prawn, basil and junsai
Pizza? no! It's Mackerel Coca (Catalan version of pizza) with muscat, mozzarella and oregano
Squid stuffed with tricolor paprika, squid ink. I'm not a squid fan but this was so tender and delicious!
Second favorite dish: Amadai with saffron and wasabina sauce. I could have licked the plate!
For a main dish, the choice was Iberian pork or Guneafowl with european lobster. Of course, I had the guneafowl with lobster. Not a big fan on "dark meet" fowl but this one was great!
Then the cheese course, where I was instructed to start at the left. The drawings on the cheese menu were done by Chef Carmen. So from left to right: Valency Goat Cheese w/Cherry Porto, Brillat Savarin w/Chicory and Endive, Mao w/Butternut squash/walnut/honey, Percorino Sardo w/Watermelon and Grape, Cashel Blue with Irish coffee cake
After the delicious cheese, it was time for a palate cleanser – foamy yogurt!
The Dessert: Mango and Shiso with passion fruit and sable. Never thought shiso and Mango will go together
And the highlight of the lunch: Chocolate from Madagascar, Ecuador and Venezuela. Look how beautifully it is presented: Madagascar – Manjari with raspberries, Ecuador- Alpaco with spices, Venezuela – Rare Araguani with pecan
And for the finale a platter of very pretty and delicious confectionery