L'Osier's chef Bruno Menard moves through the restaurant with the self-assured ease of a man who has been cooking since the age of fifteen. Known for his creativity and attention to detail, the Michelin-starred French chef produces dishes that are complex, vivid and gorgeously presented.

Unsurprisingly, every course arrives looking like a piece of art inspired by the restaurant's High Modernist/Art Deco interior. Slices of potato, dotted with an iris of black squid ink and coral-hued sea urchin, surround a mound of smoked herring mousse, punctuated with sprigs of dill and precise morsels of onion and lemon zest. The entire composition floats on a magenta-colored red onion gelee. An architecturally plated dish of mushroom-stuffed chicken roulade is joined by a short stack of potato pancakes, beside a neat package of finely diced shiitake wrapped in wilted bok choy. Visually, it recalls the off-kilter Doric columns of Greek ruins.

While there is much to delight the eye, there is also a great deal to please the palate. Mr. Menard cleverly incorporates Japanese ingredients into his creations. A fluffy custard of sea urchin is topped with savory seaweed mayonnaise and served with a slice of toasted nori baguette. Poached rainbow trout, accented with nori-infused oil, is accompanied by a compact square of fresh aonori seaweed, mixed with cucumber and capers. The texture of the fish is moist and velvety, and the vibrant flavor of the seaweed condiment brightens the dish beautifully.

The mostly French wine list features some interesting selections by the glass -- including the 2002 Cour-Cheverny Domaine des Huards (Y2000), a lively white made from the rare Romorantin grape.

Even at lunchtime, dessert is an elaborate affair with multiple courses. As you teeter on the verge of a food-induced stupor, your main dessert arrives: a layered dish of rhubarb compote and creamy vanilla custard, under a cherry-red langue du chat cookie with a dollop of strawberry sorbet. Thankfully, the staff will offer you a doggie bag for your petit fours.

[Prix-fixe lunch from Y6800, dinner from Y16,000; a la carte mains Y6200-9800. Reserve well in advance.]

by Melinda Joe