TFP/Cardenas Charcoal Grill

Tokyo Food Page

★★Cardenas
Charcoal Grill/
Ebisu: Grill
▼5428-0779
▽Data

Smart, cutting-edge
California-influ-
enced cuisine is the
driving force behind
Cardenas (Hiroo),
Cardenas Chinois
(Nishi-Azabu), and
now Cardenas Char-
coal Grill, the
beautiful Ebisu
restaurant that
opened in early
September 2000. The
extensive grill menu
here includes Hida
Takayama beef
steaks, lamb, chick-
en, fish and seafood
- all deftly grilled
and imbued with a
charcoal flavoring
that's bold but not
overpowering. The
grilled smoked sal-
mon with parmesan
risotto was simply
magnificent, with
perfectly balanced
flavors, and the
barbecue lamb shish-
kebab was prepared
with a hefty dose of
garlic and spices to
keep things inter-
esting. Cardenas'
starters and side
dishes hold their
own too - the tagli-
atelle in wild mush-
room cream sauce
(Y1200) was espe-
cially noteworthy.

The mostly Califor-
nia wine list was
carefully assembled,
starting with a
pleasant Y3000 house
wine, although
prices start to
climb quickly from
there. Tables are
well separated, and
the large two-story
space is unusually
luxurious for Tokyo
- there's an up-
stairs bar area,
plus cozy balcony
tables that look out
over the entrance
moat and down onto
the main dining
room. There are also
two private rooms
downstairs for small
groups.

Dinner with drinks
will probably start
at around Y6000 per
person, although you
can also splash out
on some high-end
wines and wagyuu
steaks and spend
several times that,
if you're so in-
clined.

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▼Map for AU phones
▼Map for DoCoMo

◎Ebisu-Nishi 1-12-
14. ◎Open 11:30am-
2, 5:30pm-2am (LO)
daily.

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