French dégustation meets Japanese omakase at Esquisse, Tokyo’s two Michelin-starred fine diner from ex-Michel Troisgros chef Lionel Beccat.
While Japanese cuisine is one of the most diverse, intricate and delicious anywhere in the world, the gourmands of Tokyo at times seem just as enamoured with the techniques and nuances of fine French cooking, with many top chefs borrowing from the repertoire, if not dedicating themselves to it entirely – Beccat, Qintessence’s Shuzo Kishida and the maestro, Narisawa, to name but a few. But hey, we certainly aren’t complaining!
If Beccat is the artist and the menu his canvas, the restaurant name (translating to ‘sketch’ in French) is an apt description: never one to set his strokes in stone, Beccat serves up a signature and daily-changing ‘menu spontané’, where classical French training anchors the technique, and local, seasonal Japanese ingredients influence the flavours. Choose from 8 or 10 exquisitely prepared courses (or the 6-course lunch option), and put your wine glass into the capable hands of chef sommelier Eiji Wakabayashi. Luckily for Beccat, each sketch is quite the chef-d’oeuvre!
Esquisse, 9/F Royal Crystal Ginza Bldg, 5-4-6 Ginza, Tokyo, +81 3 5537 5580, esquissetokyo.com
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