Hyperlocal Tokyo

This is a new genre of restaurant called "Savory Collection Restaurant" by Satoru Asahina, who has earned two Michelin stars. The first thing that comes out is a drinkable organic vegetable cold-pressed juice, which is said to be good for beauty! It says vegetables, but it also contains fruit, so it's easy to drink. The savory collection of finger foods, which looks like a bouquet of flowers, is also beautiful, with a dry ice performance. Every menu is gorgeous, light, and elegant, so I think it's a place I want to visit again. ~Savory Collection 9350 yen (drinks are separate)~ [Organic Vegetable Cold-Pressed Juice] [6 Savory Collection] [Frivolité Sandwich] [Today's Petit Cocotte] [Main Course & Dessert] [Mignardises]

A French restaurant located in Roppongi Hills. It's more affordable than the main branch, offering a meal for around 10,000 yen. The six-course appetizer was complex and delicious. The sandwich was also incredibly tasty. The majority of the customers inside were glamorous women.

Asahi Nagastronom's second restaurant, "Last Inn", offers a very affordable concept. I believe it was around ¥9,900. The course consists of one dish and can be enjoyed for both lunch and dinner. I think it was a two-rotation system, starting at 5 pm and 7 pm. Even with a free-flow drink option for an additional ¥4,000, you can enjoy a full meal for ¥14,000. The restaurant's interior is very cute. While I shouldn't compare it to other locations, Nagastronom's restaurant is very classic, elegant, and quiet, with a strong sense of tradition. This one, on the other hand, has a pop design and feels more suitable for girls' gatherings. I think it would be good for younger people too. The tables in the back can accommodate large groups, so you can enjoy a relaxed meal. The space between tables is a bit narrow, but it's not a cramped, chaotic atmosphere with a lot of people. It's a quiet dining experience with a cute interior and a pop feel. The lighting and other elements are also cute, giving it a French restaurant vibe with a touch of a confectionery shop or cafe. It's really cute. The first dish was a soup served in a beautiful, decorated bowl with a green or red juice, followed by a cute appetizer, a flaky bread, and a main course featuring a small fish. I thought there was no main course at first, but then came coffee, tea, and a petit four dessert. It might be a bit underwhelming for men, but it's probably just right for light eaters or women. If you want a more substantial main course with fish or meat, there are upsell options that would further enhance your satisfaction. I felt a little bit unsatisfied with the overall experience. Other than that, the presentation was excellent, with beautiful dishes. One thing that bothered me was the repeated use of the same ingredient. It's understandable considering the price, but it was a bit noticeable. In this case, it was lily bulbs. They used lily bulbs in the main dish and also as a garnish underneath something else. It felt like they were trying to use the same ingredient multiple times. It's not something you usually see in other restaurants, so it stood out to me. The freshly brewed herbal tea made from herbs was very flavorful and aromatic, which was fantastic. The presentation was excellent, and it complemented the greenery in the restaurant. It was a memorable tea experience. It was delicious. Each dish was quite tasty, not overly flavorful. The presentation was beautiful, with vibrant colors and stunning dishes. I thought it was a good experience overall. The drinks were also good, not just ordinary wines. The white wine was very chilled and delicious.

## Savory Collection **Price:** ¥9,350 per person (including tax and service charge) **Drink Free Flow (1.5 hours):** ¥14,300 per person (including tax and service charge) **Start Times:** 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM daily. (Starting times may change from February 2024) We opted for the 12:00 PM seating without the free flow option. Every dish was beautifully delicate, like a work of art. Not only were they visually stunning, but each one was incredibly delicious. It was truly a wonderful experience. I wanted to capture the beautiful dishes on camera, but I struggled with the harsh backlighting (laughs). **Menu** **Organic Cold Press Juice** * Choose either A or B **A. Beautiful Skin Effect Dark Green** Spinach, Komatsuna, Pineapple, Lime, Perilla **B. Digestion Promotion Cherry Pink** Red Cabbage, Red Bell Pepper, Kiwi, Dragon Fruit, Banana **Savory Collection** * **Salmon** Marinated salmon, mi-cuit, served in a gateau style with Refoir * **Tricolore Paprika** Three-colored bell peppers, Basque country specialty, served in a tart style * **Marbling Cherry Meat** Kumamoto marbling cherry meat, tartare with a hint of garum, served on toast * **Live Scallop** Live scallop, tartare with octopus, served with a smoky piquillo coulis * **Caviar** Potato croissanty with caviar * **Foie Gras** Foie gras mousse coated with red vermouth, served with a snap pea coulis **Frivolite Sandwich** **Today's Petite Cocotte** * Choose either A or B **A. Navarin d'agneau** **B. Beef tongue simmered in white wine** **Pomme d'amour** **Mignardises** **Fresh Herbal Tea or Organic Coffee**

## Galarie ASAHINA: A Savory French Experience in Roppongi Hills On September 5th, 2023, "Galarie ASAHINA" (Gallery ASAHINA), a casual French restaurant specializing in savory dishes, opened on the 3rd floor of Roppongi Hills Keyakizaka Street. This restaurant is a brainchild of Satoru Asahina, the chef behind "ASAHINA Gastronome" in Nihonbashi, which earned two Michelin stars in the 2022 and 2023 Tokyo Michelin Guide. The restaurant is open daily except Mondays and the second and fourth Tuesdays, with a fixed start time for lunch and dinner at 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM. The menu features a set course centered around six savory dishes. I made a reservation through TableCheck for the 12:00 PM slot on the opening day. **Savory Collection (¥9,350)** * **Organic Vegetable Cold-Pressed Juice:** Normally, guests can choose between "Green Detox" (made with chrysanthemum, spinach, perilla, kale, cucumber, celery, and kiwi) and "Orange Liquid" (made with yellow bell pepper, carrot, cherry tomato, orange, and greenhouse mandarin). However, due to my dietary restrictions, I was served "White Cleanse" made with apple, fennel, and radish. The juice was served in a bowl with a flower-shaped tuile, which I crumbled into the soup-like juice. The apple flavor was prominent, making it easy to drink, but the fennel, a common ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, had a strong presence, giving the juice a distinct herbal taste. The large portion made it difficult to finish. While fennel is known to aid digestion, making it a suitable starter for a course, the strong flavor was a bit overwhelming. * **Savory Presentation:** The six savory dishes served on the day were a testament to the chef's artistry. Each dish, inspired by the amuse-bouche served at "ASAHINA Gastronome," was visually stunning and far surpassed the typical savory offerings found in afternoon tea. The dishes included: * **Foie Gras:** Foie gras mousse coated in red port wine, served with snap pea coulis. * **Caviar:** Potato croquettes topped with caviar. * **Salted Sea Urchin:** Salted sea urchin served in a radish dome. * **Snow Crab:** Snow crab ravioli with red heart radish marinated in maple syrup. * **Small Shrimp:** Small shrimp cannelloni with squid ink pasta. * **Marbling Cherry Meat:** Marbling cherry meat from Kumamoto Prefecture, served as a tartare with a garum aroma on toast. * **Frivolité Sandwich:** The standard sandwich features salmon, mustard-infused tomato confiture, and Gruyère cheese layered on a mille-feuille cake. However, due to my dietary restrictions, I was served a chicken rillette sandwich. The multi-layered structure created a delightful interplay of textures, making it a truly delicious sandwich. * **Petit Cocotte:** A rich and flavorful cocotte dish featuring tender braised beef cheeks in red wine with a mushroom espuma sauce. * **Pomme d'Amour:** This signature dish from "ASAHINA Gastronome" is a work of art. A white apple coated in white chocolate contains a mascarpone mousse, nuts, and caramelized apples with spices. It is served with a sphere of ice cream containing apple brandy (Calvados) and vanilla ice cream. The stunning visual presentation and exquisite flavors made this dessert truly memorable. * **Mignardises:** The mignardises included: * Pistachio mousse with chocolate and griotte cherries. * Choux pastry with crumble topping, raspberry confiture, and custard cream. * Coffee macarons. * **Cafe:** I opted for the fresh herb tea over the organic coffee. The tea was a blend of four types of mint (apple mint, pineapple mint, etc.), marjoram, rosemary, and lemongrass. The tea was brewed using a siphon placed at each table, resulting in a fragrant and flavorful cup. Honey was provided separately for adjusting sweetness. The elegant dining space, with its green and silver accents, provided the perfect backdrop for the artistic culinary creations. The innovative savory French course was a truly delightful experience. **Payment:** Cash is not accepted. Payment is strictly by credit card, transportation IC cards, Rakuten Edy, QUICPay, iD, PayPay, LINE Pay, Rakuten Pay, d払い, Merpay, au PAY, Yucho Pay, and Smart Code.