Hyperlocal Tokyo

A new bistro opened just a 4-5 minute walk from Exit A3 of Kiyosumi Shirakawa Station. The owner sommelier is someone who used to be a sommelier at a Japanese restaurant I frequented, and the other chefs are also a talented team of young people in their 20s, so I had been curious about this place since before it opened. I made a reservation for a weekday evening. It's likely to become popular soon, but reservations are still available, and they have an à la carte system so you can drop by casually, so there were also people who came without reservations later in the evening. There are counter seats and over 10 table seats, so it has a pretty large capacity. It must be quite difficult to manage all of that. The counter is quite close to the staff, and it seems like there are a lot of regular customers. Since there were four of us that day, we sat at a table. The menu can be ordered as a course, but you can also order à la carte, so we went with à la carte. We ordered three dishes from the daily o-banzai menu, pompompom, crab cream croquettes, tripe and giara spring rolls, duck meatballs, bouillabaisse, venison roast, tojinai oyako-don (chicken and egg rice bowl), French toast, black sugar and cacao raw mochi, and buckwheat flour gelato. The famous crab cream croquettes are made with a generous amount of crab paste, and the inside is almost all crab. The aroma was wonderful. The main meat dish was 'Nemuri-shika' (sleeping deer), which is deer meat from deer that were put to sleep and then slaughtered, so they don't experience stress. The rare parts were tender and had a delicate but strong meat flavor, which was delicious. All the dishes had a unique and unexpected flavor, so I'm curious about the other menu items. The fact that you can go there casually for à la carte is also a big draw, so I want to go back again. It's likely to get even better once it settles down.

A Clear Night of Wine and Beer: A New Bistro in Kiyomi

A bistro in Kiyosumi Shirakawa, opened on May 9, 2024, in a renovated traditional Japanese house. The name of the restaurant, "Lick one's Lips," is a play on words, with "Lol." standing for "Laugh Out Loud." The owner, 25-year-old Tomita, is a former chef at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant L'Effervescence. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, and the bill comes out to around ¥10,000 per person, making it a convenient and affordable option. Even after 9 pm, the restaurant is bustling with customers, creating a lively atmosphere. It's a great place to visit.

【«New Open!! May 9, 2024» A retro-modern bistro born from a renovated traditional Japanese house! Enjoy unique dishes that defy genre (๑˙꒳​˙๑) I'm happy that there are plenty of game dishes too♡♡】 I visited the retro-modern bistro restaurant 'Lol.' for the first time, which was renovated from a traditional Japanese house. The chef is a skilled professional who has honed his skills at Michelin-starred restaurants in France, as well as Italian and Spanish restaurants. You can enjoy unique seasonal dishes that defy genre, paired with wines from around the world carefully selected by the owner sommelier. ——Time of Use—— Weekday dinner ——Reservation—— Reservation required ——Usage Scene—— With friends (4 people) ——Cost—— ¥10,000 - ¥15,000 ——Meal Content—— ▶Sweet and Spicy Bamboo Shoots The crunchy texture of the bamboo shoots was distinct, and the broth was flavorful and delicious ♥ ▶Aomori Wasabi and Young Ginger Gari The wasabi and gari were thinly sliced, and the sharp spiciness and moderate acidity were perfect for an appetizer! ▶Sichuan Pepper and Brown Sugar Nuts The brown sugar sweetness was strong, but the Sichuan pepper accent was good. ▶Bonito Carpaccio The refreshing umami spread, and the herb accent was also effective. It was delicious (○･∀･○) ▶Domestic Ostrich and Herb Tartare There was absolutely no gamey smell, it was a beautiful red meat with a good amount of elasticity, and the umami spread with each bite––(⑅•ᴗ•⑅) ▶Lol's Crab Cream Croquette Crab paste is included, and the moment you put it in your mouth, the umami spreads out––it's the best ( * ॑꒳ ॑*) It's crispy and juicy, with crab on top, and it's too delicious!! ▶Duck and Yuzu Egg Tsukune With yuzu oil and egg yolk. The umami was packed in, and the richness of the egg yolk and the yuzu flavor were delicious! ▶Truffle and Omelet Plenty of truffle on top, so happy♡♡ The omelet was fluffy and soft, and it was so delicious ( *´꒳`*) The truffle aroma was also strong and a perfect match!! ▶Today's Makana (Chef's Special) - Spear Squid Oil Pasta The spear squid was soft and flavorful (๑˙꒳​˙๑) The pasta was thick and very chewy, and the flavorful broth was soaked in, making it super delicious (∩´∀`∩) ▶Soup de Poisson Full of clams, golden eye snapper, and spear squid!! The golden eye snapper was firm, but it disintegrated in your mouth, and the clams and spear squid were full of umami with each bite♡♡ The soup, which was full of seafood essence, was amazing when dipped in bread! ▶Wild Boar Charcoal-Grilled Hamburger Served with Japanese-style sauce and green onion sauce, along with braised daikon radish. Apparently, the wild boar is sleep-slaughtered to minimize stress, so there was no gamey smell, and the coarsely ground wild boar meat was full of umami that oozed out (* ˘ ³˘)♡* It uses oregano, coriander, cloves, etc., so the unique spice flavor is addictively delicious!! ▶Baked Black Sugar Raw Shinjuku Mochi The chewy Shinjuku mochi was covered in a rich black sugar flavor ( ˶¯ 灬¯˵) ▶Buckwheat Salt Caramel Gelato The rich caramel flavor had a salt accent, making it not too sweet and refreshing with a smooth melt in your mouth ♥ It was the best to be able to enjoy various dishes with different compositions à la carte, without being confined to a genre!! ——Menu Content—— ◇Sweet and Spicy Bamboo Shoots ¥500 ◇Aomori Wasabi and Young Ginger Gari ¥500 ◇Sichuan Pepper and Brown Sugar Nuts ¥500 ◇Bonito Carpaccio ¥1,600 ◇Domestic Ostrich and Herb Tartare ¥1,500 ◇Lol's Crab Cream Croquette ¥1,500 ◇Duck and Yuzu Egg Tsukune ¥1,500 ◇Truffle and Omelet ¥1,800 ◇Today's Makana ◇Soup de Poisson ¥2,400 ◇Wild Boar Charcoal-Grilled Hamburger ¥2,600 ◇Baked Black Sugar Raw Shinjuku Mochi ¥700 ◇Buckwheat Salt Caramel Gelato ¥700 ——Customer Service—— It was the opening day, so it took a while to get the attention of the staff, but the service itself was very polite and friendly, and we had a fun conversation!! ——Cost Performance—— The drinks were a bit expensive, but the price satisfaction was high! ——Store Atmosphere—— It was renovated from a traditional Japanese house, and the interior was dark and warm. There are counter seats and three 4-person tables. The wood-paneled interior creates a comfortable atmosphere. There is a wine cellar on the second floor, which makes choosing wine fun! The stairs, sliding doors, and other elements of the old days are well utilized, creating a space that makes you feel warm and fuzzy. ——Revisit—— ★★★★★ I will definitely visit again!

It's delicious! ( ˙꒳​˙ ) The croissant is the best. I heard they bake the brioche after the croissants, so I want to try the brioche next. But I wanted to eat at least two more croissants🤤