Man, the hits keep on coming. Today saw us down in Shin Maru, ticking off a place that’s crossed the radar any number of times but always come up short for either fullness (it gets that way at lunch) or theoretic cost performance (I dunno, the dinners just look a touch…hmmm.). For lunch, the quality was really excellent, the environment and service were nice, the quantity was small, and the cost performance was…probably a little above average. If you’re a big eater like my colleague Ding, you may leave the luncheon board unsatisfied, but I’m now strangely excited about visiting this place for dinner. Actually there’s nothing strange about that, is there?
The food sure isn’t bad. Unless you’re a lady who lunches, of which there were a lot, your only real option is the Y1785+10% One-Plate Lunch. This starts off with your choice of bread (and refills) from the ~6 types on the bread tray – raisin/walnut, cranberry, sesame, milk rolls, French rolls, sunflower seed…Very good. And it finishes with quality coffee. In between is one plate of fish or meat; Ding and I both had the meat, which was two small pieces of extremely tasty stewed pork, the kind that would have Terry chortling with glee in the corner. It was accompanied by a lovely potato gratin, sliced extremely thin, layered with white sauce, covered with cheese and broiled to a crisp. Oooh. Further, there was a miscellaneous spinach puree with an intense vegetal flavor (sensible, considering its origins).
Service is suited and attentive, views are of Tokyo Station (which will be nicer soon, I think), the walls are red, and there’s a pleasant bustle. In all aspects except cost and quantity, you will certainly not be disappointed, so if you go prepared you should be fine. The Y4k and Y6k lunch sets look excellent as well, if for some reason you have the time and means to spring for that particular brand of foolishness.
Can’t help being a little bummed at the size of the group that it’s in, but that’s just snobbery. The cooking here is high quality. Oh, and a real French person recommended it to me one time.
03-3211-1909