Ristorante ASO, Daikanyama リストランテ・アソ 代官山

While I've been having the odd coffee now and then at Cafe Michelangelo for longer than I care to remember, I had never set foot in the restaurant that sits behind it in the same compound in Daikanyama. For some reason I always thought it seemed a little bit too posh for the likes of me (perhaps a mental overhang from my penniless first days in Tokyo), but when a good friend of mine invited me to lunch there I admit I was filled with anticipation.

The anticipation was well worth it - the experience was intriguing. For lunch the base set is a 4,500 yen menu that features a starter, pasta, meat and dessert followed by coffee and petit fours. This sounds costly for a Tokyo lunch, but I can report that it was worth every yen. In fact it's worth it just for the performance around the starter.

Not long after having submitted our order a waiter arrived with what appeared to be a chemistry set. It's too long since high school to remember what all the glassware is actually called, but suffice to say, it looked impressive. A burner was lit under the soup which bubbles up into the flask with the chopped porcini mushrooms and then comes back before it is poured into a small cup and served with tempura mushroom and prawns in pastry. Wow - what a start! Fresh bread with delicious whipped butter was served throughout the meal.

I will let the pictures tell the story from here. The excellent starter was followed by a delicious seafood pasta which was beautifully presented, and by a main of minced chicken with liver. The dessert was also very well presented. Then as a final pleasant surprise the coffee was served with petits fours on stalks!

The service was very attentive and the champagne and Californian chardonnay that we ordered by the glass hit the spot very nicely. This is a place I would certainly recommend for business or pleasure and I hope to be able to return soon.

http://www.hiramatsu.co.jp/restaurants/aso/
03-3770-3690