I booked L’effervescence with zero expectations because my goal was to get Mick his French x Japanese cuisine, but unbeknownst to us, this ended up being a 3 Michelin star restaurant with an earned green star (sustainable award). And my golly gosh, this was our best dining experience of our entire Japan trip.
Chef Shinobu Namae opened L’effervescence in 2010 with so much intention and details to not only Japanese ingredients and French cooking techniques, but even down to the architecture and fit of the restaurant that we fell into more admiration the longer we sat through our lunch. This was true gastronomy, done to perfection.
Also learning the chef was previously at Fat Duck made Mick swoon. This is Mick’s favourite inspiration for cooking haha.
The dining experience was about AUD $450 per person.
Chef Shinobu Namae opened L’effervescence in 2010 with so much intention and details to not only Japanese ingredients and French cooking techniques, but even down to the architecture and fit of the restaurant that we fell into more admiration the longer we sat through our lunch. This was true gastronomy, done to perfection.
Also learning the chef was previously at Fat Duck made Mick swoon. This is Mick’s favourite inspiration for cooking haha.
The dining experience was about AUD $450 per person.
Prologue
This was an aperitif of citrus and spring herbs, made fresh by our table side. And served with a bouquet of seasonal vegetable crisps with bonito flake salt, and tofu sour cream.
Chapter 1 - First breath
We started with a local hard clam Sasanishiki risotto with house-made bottarga, rapeseed blossoms, Japanese pepper, and a second clam with sea urchin, iwanori and wasabi. Delicate, fresh and full of umami.
Interlude - Japanese Bread
We had unlimited Japanese wheat sourdough and potato focaccia.
Chapter 2 - Harvest Journey
This was a 63 ingredient and 8 seasoning salad. All farmed and harvested in Japan. It was incredible. Believe it or not, eating each part of this salad as intended, we could taste how the subtle flavours paired well together. Also this was Mick’s favourite dish LOL Who would have thought a salad would be no 1 for him.
A lot of reviewers dismissed this dish but we find their negativity stupid and, to be honest, a poor man’s mentality. Most of these reviews were biased based on pricing, and because they only had the $$ in mind, they were demanding more meat/seafood instead of seeing the true gastronomy of the dish. Basically, they were not a true foodie.
A lot of reviewers dismissed this dish but we find their negativity stupid and, to be honest, a poor man’s mentality. Most of these reviews were biased based on pricing, and because they only had the $$ in mind, they were demanding more meat/seafood instead of seeing the true gastronomy of the dish. Basically, they were not a true foodie.
Chapter 3 - The Origin
This was a turnip that had been slow-cooked for 4 hours and finished with brown butter. It was served with flat leaf parsley sauce and brioche croutons and Japanese prosciutto. This turnip has been served in the restaurant for 16 years, hence the name. They actually farm the turnips in their own garden, so each season the chef pairs the turnip perfectly with other ingredients to highlight the vegetable. We loved it.
Chapter 4 - Across the Ocean
We had a binchotan-grilled and superchilled-aged Spanish mackerel, with broth of wild Rishiri kelp and bonito flake, served with bamboo shoot, wakame, spring cabba, salted lemon emulsion, may chang oil and shiso flower. WOW! Aged mackarel!! It had a refined oily flavour but none of that oily texture.
Chapter 5 - Catching fire
This was a wood-fired duck breast from Kyoto, cooked over Mizunara oak from Tokyo’s Hinohara village, with vin rouge sauce, sautéed spring oil and vin blanc sauce. It tasted like it was dry-aged, and that surprised us. The duck was refined, tender and soooo good with its sauces.
Chapter 6 - Crossing threads
This was a finale of housemade Japanese whole wheat pasta with potato soup, cedar oil and meatballs made of bamboo shoots and herbs. The creativity and details in such a simple dish was incredible.
Interlude - Artisanal Japanese cheeses
There was an array of Japanese cheeses to pick from, and each one we picked had its own accompany sauces and biscuits.
Chapter 7 - Promise
This was a Hassaku orange served fresh and with oil, with a blood orange mousse, turmeric ice cream crumble and foraged forest flowers. The flavours were crazy. Who knew turmeric ice cream would be a thing!
Epilogue
We were served an array of petit fours, which were rice flour macaron, peanut financier, chocolate sable, kintsuba of Nagano, hazelnut and Amami coffee, rice flour tartlet with ponkan and white miso, fermented sakura leaf and Roselle crystal. And a matcha made by our table.
Gifts
We were given some souvenirs to take home when we were enjoying our tea. And as a bonus, we were given books too because we were so interested in the Chef’s journey and his restaurant lol.
Drinks
Mick got a wine pairing ($250 per person). The sake pairing was one of the more unique ones.
This cake to-go was delicious but dammit, we ate too much the next day so we couldn’t finish it 😭.
Service
The coordination, pacing and conversations of the staff were fantastic. We could see how this level of discipline was awarded 3 stars. Holy crap our minds were blown away by this elite standard.
Review
We would return if we visit Tokyo again.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
