Where to Dine - Tokyo - page 148

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sauce, and hot-and-sour Peking-style soup) and more unusual combinations that change
with the seasons. Everything I've had here has been delicious, though note that set din-
ners (described in Japanese only) require a two-person minimum; dishes are also for two
people. Lone diners, therefore, should come for lunch, but note that the menu for set
lunches is also in Japanese only.
6-3-14 Minami Aoyama. & 03/3407-0363. Reservations recommended. Main dishes ¥2,500-¥3,900;
set dinners ¥5,500-¥16,000; set lunches ¥1,100-¥3,000. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm; daily
5:30-10pm (last order). Station: Omotesando (6 min.).
Miyashita YOSHOKU/FUSION It could be argued that fusion cuisine has been a
staple in Japan ever since its first Western restaurant opened more than 100 years ago,
serving Japanese interpretations of popular Western dishes (called yoshoku in Japanese).
This restaurant in the swank Omotesando Hills shopping complex revels in yoshoku
cuisine by offering its own take on French and Japanese fusion dishes, prepared in a
bustling open kitchen. The English-language menu changes with the seasons, but you
might wish to start with a fresh ginger or onion gratin soup, followed by such classics as
seafood gratin (macaroni au gratin with shrimp, scallops, and seasonal seafood), Japanese
beef cheeks in a demi-glacé sauce, omelet rice (fried rice wrapped in omelet), and hashed
beef and rice served with Japanese steak and foie gras. You won't find dishes like these in
Western restaurants back home, making for an only-in-Japan dining experience.
Omotesando Hills, 3rd floor, 4-12-10 Jingumae. & 03/5785-0707. Main dishes ¥2,500-¥6,500; set din-
ners ¥3,800-¥6,300; set lunches ¥2,500-¥3,800. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-10:30pm; Sun 11am-9pm
(last order). Station: Meiji-Jingumae or Omotesando (4 min). On Omotesando Dori.

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Selan ITALIAN/FUSION This restaurant has one of the most envied spots in
Tokyo—on a gingko-lined street that serves as the entrance to Meiji-Jingu-gaien Park.
The food, Italian with Japanese and French influences, is hit-or-miss, with past offerings
on the English-language menu including chicken stewed with Italian red wine, plus a
limited assortment of pizzas (available for dinner only) and pastas—but on a warm sum-
mer's day, there's nothing more sublime than sitting on the outdoor terrace and reveling
in all that greenery. The hours below are for the upstairs restaurant with large picture
windows; the ground-floor cafe, which offers the same menu, boasts an outdoor terrace
open throughout the day—make that throughout the year, thanks to outdoor heaters.
2-1-19 Kita-Aoyama. & 03/3478-2200. Pasta and pizza ¥1,470-¥1,680; main dishes ¥2,415-¥3,360; set
dinners ¥5,250-¥7,350; set lunches ¥1,890-¥4,725. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm and
6-9:30pm; Sun 11:30am-2:30pm and 6-8:30pm (last order). Station: Gaienmae or Aoyama-Itchome (5
min.). Off Aoyama Dori, at the entrance to Meiji-Jingu-gaien Park.
k Yasaiya Mei VARIED JAPANESE/VEGETARIAN If you like veggies, this
restaurant specializing in fresh, seasonal vegetables is a must. For starters you might
choose the green papaya kimchi or the Mei Special bagna cauda, which comes with a
variety of veggies—such as eggplant, radish and asparagus—plus a dipping sauce. Not to
be missed is the wild plant tempura, which changes with the seasons; spring might fea-
ture young bamboo shoots, while autumn may include eggplant and water chestnuts.
Although the emphasis here is clearly on things that grow in the ground, a few meat
dishes are also available, such as grilled pork with mash potatoes. Set lunches feature a
vegetable curry or fish, along with an obento served in a charming box with drawers.
Seating is either at the U-shaped open kitchen or a table (try to snag one beside the large
windows overlooking the trees of Omotesando Dori). There's a branch in Roppongi
Hills, on the fifth floor of Mori Tower, in an area called West Walk ( & 03/5775-2960;
station: Roppongi).