5/5 Nathaniel C. 5 months ago on Google • 35 reviews
Florilege
is
a
two-michelin
starred
French-Japanese
restaurant
in
Tokyo.
Upon
entry,
the
atmosphere
really
fit
the
theme.
As
florilege
translates
to
flower
arrangement
in
English.
even
the
bathroom
and
the
hand
towels
had
a
floral
aroma.
The
atmosphere
and
surrounding
environment
were
nice
and
featured
the
open
kitchen.
Below
is
a
summary
of
the
dishes
we
had
on
the
lunch
tasting
menu:
Rice
Mousse
on
Steamed
Egg:
A
salted
egg
custard
accompanied
by
a
rice
mousse.
The
rice
mousse
had
distinct
naturally
sweet
nodes
that
paired
well
with
the
salted
egg
custard.
I
liked
the
way
the
restaurant
used
all
components
of
the
egg,
including
the
shell
for
plating.
The
presentation
of
this
appetizer
as
well
as
the
layers
of
various
flavors
remarkable
artistic
execution.
Beet
Root:
Featured
beet
root
prepared
in
three
ways:
beet
root
chips,
tartare,
and
jelly,
all
of
which
act
together
creating
a
harmony
and
balance
of
textures
in
the
dish.
Tomato
jus
on
the
side
adds
acidity,
while
the
saltiness
of
the
ekura
and
the
beet
root's
inherent
sweetness
create
a
delightful
blend.
Overall,
a
very
creative
and
well
thought
out
vegetarian
dish.
Eggplant
Ravioli:
Showcasing
eggplant
in
puree,
foam,
and
ravioli
forms,
enriched
with
cheese
and
kombu
powder.
The
smooth,
airy
foam
has
the
flavor
of
eggplant
and
holds
hints
of
the
cheese
powder.
The
ravioli
skin
has
a
great
al
dente
texture
with
sufficient
filling.
Having
the
seaweed
oil
adds
umami
flavors
to
the
dish.
This
was
a
personal
favorite
of
mine.
Cookie
with
Chinese
Cabbage:
The
crisp
paired
with
the
acidity
of
this
cookie
served
as
a
palate
cleanser.
Bread
Selection:
We
were
served
both
sake
yeast
bread
and
wheat
bread,
each
of
which
had
unique
yet
different
flavor
profiles.
I
personally
enjoyed
the
bread.
It
had
a
delightfully
chewy
and
soft
texture.
The
soybean
butter
was
unlike
anything
I
have
ever
had
and
was
delicious.
Turnip
Wellington:
Featuring
tunip
confit,
turnip
puree,
and
turnip
in
its
natural
form.
The
sauce
had
a
naturally
sweet
flavor
profile
and
foamy
consistency.
The
pastry
met
the
standard
of
any
wellington.
This
dish
was
extremely
creative,
but
I
felt
that
the
flavor
profile
was
too
basic
and
simple.
It
featured
the
naturally
sweet
turnip.
Apart
from
the
pastry
from
the
wellington,
the
textures
of
the
dish
were
also
pretty
uniform
throughout,
which
did
bore
me
out
after
the
first
couple
bites.
Duck
with
Mushroom
Wrap:
Fatty
duck
paired
with
a
wrapped
array
of
umami-rich
mushrooms
(of
various
types).
As
seen,
the
duck
was
basted
in
piping
hot
oil
to
achieve
that
crispy
exterior.
The
tender,
flavorful,
and
juicy
duck
was
paired
with
a
red
wine
jus,
which
had
the
perfect
amount
of
acidity
and
sweet
balance.
The
mushroom
wrap
was
surprising,
in
the
sense
that
it
was
extremely
tasty.
It
really
showcased
the
kitchen’s
expertise
and
ability
to
create
tasty
vegetarian
dishes
as
well.
Desserts:
• Mousse
with
Hojicha
Ice
Cream
&
Roasted
Matcha
Crackers:
Crackers
had
a
strong
charred
matcha
flavor.
The
crackers
along
with
the
Hojicha
ice
cream
and
sweet
potato
mousse
was
a
good
showcase
of
Japanese
classic
dessert
ingredients.
• Apple
Pie:
Apple
mousse,
apple
slice,
apple
sauce,
all
on
pastry.
An
interesting
take
on
apple
pie.
The
caramelization
was
a
tad
bitter
for
my
liking.
• Hojicha
Waffle:
Strawberry
jam
&
jelly
with
hojicha
flavored
waffles.
Strawberries
were
so
sweet.
Waffles
were
airy
and
incredibly
crispy.
Hojicha
flavor
was
evident.
This
was
served
with
black
tea.
In
summary,
I
thoroughly
enjoyed
the
three-hour
meal,
especially
given
its
affordability
considering
the
restaurant's
status
as
a
two
Michelin-starred
and
former
inclusion
in
Asia’s
50
best
restaurants.
The
restaurant's
innovative
fusion
of
local
Japanese
ingredients
with
French
cooking
techniques
was
innovative.
I
like
the
way
they
use
fresh
ingredients
by
presenting
them
in
two
to
three
different
ways,
elevating
the
dish
while
respecting
the
ingredient's
essence.
Overall,
it
was
a
good
dining
experience,
despite
the
extended
intervals
between
courses,
which
might
have
stemmed
from
kitchen
issues.
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