Le Gaulois turns out impressively accomplished French cuisine, but despite the serious kitchen it maintains the warm, down-to-earth feel of a neighborhood restaurant. The dining area is comfortable and spacious - bigger than it looks from the outside - with an expansive view out over Gaien-Nishi-dori. (The architecturally adventurous Raysum Building, home of the local Jaguar dealership, is just across the street.)

At the back is a wide, rough-hewn wooden counter where you can sit and watch Chef Otsuka and his staff hard at work in the open kitchen. The custom-made tables - roughly shaped slabs of wood that match the counter - also add a homey touch, and the service is friendly and personal.

The food here is creative but unpretentious, relying on impeccable ingredients and painstaking attention to detail. The four-course, Y6800 prix-fixe menu represents good value for money, although you can order a la carte if you want something lighter, or go all out and spring for the chef's omakase menu for Y8400. The wine list is also well put together and reasonably priced, with plenty to choose from in the Y6,000-10,000 range and some nice choices at higher budget levels.

Most of the starters seem to be accompanied by big mounds of assorted greens and seasonal vegetables - during a recent visit we especially enjoyed our gigantic green asparagus spears, just lightly cooked to a nice crunchy texture. The pork terrine was meaty and flavorful, and the prawn and scallop salad was well-balanced and very appetizing. The bread on the table was an excellent, slightly sweet home-made buckwheat roll.

After the voluminous appetizers came a light, almost-dessert-like palate-cleanser course - choices included a tasty carrot mousse, served in a cocktail glass and topped with a sherbet-like tomato coulis, and a rich, creamy, refreshingly chilled asparagus vichyssoise.

Arriving next was some of the best duck confit we've ever experienced. Intensely meaty in flavor, it was moister and juicier than the usual confit, although the outer shell of the skin was still as crisp and crunchy as anyone could desire. It came with a complex orangey sauce, with lightly pickled vegetables and a wonderful tempura-fried fiddlehead fern, a pleasant springtime surprise.

Although the duck seems to be a specialty of the house, other main dishes were equally good. The grilled pork was close to perfect, with an array of herbs and an excellent mustard-based sauce. The venison (Ezo deer from Hokkaido) was skillfully prepared, not the least bit tough or dry, and the braised beef cheeks were rich and fully flavored.

Among the desserts the parfait is worth a special mention - an haute cuisine version of a children's favorite, with fantastic home-made ice cream. The tea selection includes a fresh herbal blend with mint and lemongrass and lots more; hojicha (roasted green tea); and dattancha, an especially healthy type of buckwheat tea.

The wine list includes seven bottles from Alsace as well as the usual Burgundies and Bordeaux. If you're driving or just a light drinker there's a good selection of half bottles, and the by-the-glass choices start at Y1050, peaking at Y1680 for a lovely white Burgundy. Budget around Y3000-4000 at lunchtime.