Loup de Mer proves that good yoshoku cuisine needn't be stuck in a time warp. Our lunchtime Hokkaido beef curry (Y1100) was accompanied by a very appetizing salad of head cheese and red-cabbage slivers. The hunks of beef were tender, lean and very flavorful, beautifully complemented by the curry sauce, rich but with a bracing tanginess. The soft but still slightly crunchy deep-red pickles were excellent, with an almost cherry-like flavor.

Unlike most yoshokuya, the decor here won't make you sigh with nostalgia - the dining room is done up in a tasteful pastel color scheme from the current century. Chef Suzuki is a veteran of the famous Dom Pierre yoshoku establishment, and the menu also covers standards like hayashi rice and rice omelettes, and even offers tasting menus at Y5,000 and Y10,000.