Tokyo Food Page

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★Roast Chicken
House/
Marunouchi:
International
▼5220-5588
▽Data

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We were surprised to
see the sign for a
"slow food" restau-
rant in a Marunouchi
office building
basement, but then
again we've seen a
lot of interesting
things in office
buildings recently.
For example, just
down the corridor
from the slow-food
place is a tiny
bistro serving gal-
ette crepes from
Bretagne. Perhaps
Marunouchi base-
ments, rather than
Nishi-Azabu back
streets, are the
real development
laboratory for next
year's food trends.

At any rate, this
"Slow Dining" res-
taurant announces
that they specialize
in natural vegeta-
bles and Date Chick-
en. Indeed many
vegetables are
served here, most of
them organic. Don't
get the wrong idea
though - this is
"Chez Panisse organ-
ic" rather than
health-food coop
organic, sought more
for its superior
flavor than for its
lack of pesticides.
The drinks menu
includes organic
fruit and vegetable
juices, organic
wines, and some
unusual organic
varieties of sake
and shochu. There's
also a fair selec-
tion of champagnes -
even a champagne
lunch special.
(Wines start in the
Y4000 range, cham-
pagnes around Y8000.
)

The chicken at the
heart of the menu is
quite good - free-
range Date chicken
from Fukushima, very
flavorful and a bit
firmer of flesh than
ordinary chicken.
Here it's grilled
with a nice crispy
skin, served with
dabs of spicy yuzu
pepper and ume
paste, plus assorted
organic vegetables.
The many other
chicken dishes in-
clude a hot hors
d'oeuvre platter,
chicken sausage,
chicken cabbage
rolls, and a nice
simple chicken
broth.

There's more than
just chicken on the
menu though -
grilled lamb, veal
and pork round out
the meat section,
which includes a
nice mixed grill
with several differ-
ent meats (Y4200).
And the kitchen puts
together one of
Tokyo's better Cae-
sar salads, with
hakusai as well as
romaine lettuce and
a good solid jolt of
anchovy flavor,
parmesan cheese,
bacon and several
slices of grilled
chicken.

The interior space
is very sleek (as so
many Marunouchi
basements are these
days) - one walks
past a stylish lit-
tle bar area next to
the entrance, then
down a corridor
lined with private
booths - each
equipped with a set
of curtains for more
privacy - finally
emerging into a main
dining room anchored
by a large central
counter space. This
central space is a
popular spot for
after-work parties,
so it's a good idea
to call ahead to
reserve. Service is
friendly and effi-
cient, and not as
slow as we momentar-
ily feared (given
the restaurant's
theme). Budget
around Y2000 for a
big lunch and Y3500-
4000 for dinner
(without drinks).

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▼Map for DoCoMo

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◎Marunouchi 3-3-1,
Shin-Tokyo Bldg.
B1F. ◎Open 11:30am-
2, 5-10pm (LO)
daily.

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