L'ami du vin Eno, Jingumae ラミデュヴァン”エノ” 神宮前
L'ami du vin Eno, is in the breed of small, owner operated restaurants where the chef has apprenticed in France and come home to create his own little corner of France in Tokyo. I really love these kinds of places, even though occasionally it freaks me out just how lovingly authentic they are. To see the attention to detail and, some might argue, to illusion is often worth a visit in itself.
I've walked past this restaurant on many an occasion and never really gave it much thought until I recently, on a whim, made a booking for Sunday lunch. I'm so glad I did because everything is excellent. The somber looking chef, who has a feather in his cap (literally) is clearly a self-styled master of game, and this is further attested to by the bird wings nailed to the door post. Yes, I know it's a bit gross, but clearly that's what they do in France. Just hold the cheese with maggots!
Nevertheless, this time, I didn't partake of anything gamey, just opting for the basic lunch set which comes with a nice rillette to start, an amuse of kidney shaped olives and scrape of fishy, garlicky potato (I think it's called a brandade), delicious bread with beurre echire and an entree, main and dessert as well as coffee and nibbles. Great value for 3,150 yen although my aperitif of a glass of champers added 1,680 to the bill.
In a word, the food was great. My lobster bisque seemed small at first, but was actually just the right size and well balanced between fishiness and creaminess. The tidbits of lobster in the soup actually tasted reasonably fresh as well. I'm not a huge fan of pate de campagne but my dining partner was very complimentary of his. For the main, I ordered the wagyu which was accompanied by plenty of braised daikon. My dining partner had the fish of the day - a suzuki which came on a bed of cabbage. The suzuki looked fleshy and tasty. My wagyu was absolutely superb, nicely balanced by the blander, but not bland daikon. Our mains were followed by a warm apple tart and ice cream, which was nice, but I suspect the desserts are not the speciality of the house.
I'll definitely be back. Perhaps next time, hopefully at dinner, I'll opt for something more gamey. I'm sure that chef knows just how to play it!
03-3796-0228
Comments