et toi - French *****
Daikanyama
Address - Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Uguisudanimachi 11-1 B1 F
Open - From 11:30 to 14:00 and 5:30 to 10:00
Telephone - 03-5428-0141
Menu - In French and Japanese
Credit Cards - Yes
et toi (spelled in the lower case) is a restaurant I am happy to review, because it was a joy to the palate, to the eye and to the wallet.
A small basement with no more than 25 seats, et toi is very simply furnished, yet it gives a strong impression of elegance, but without any snobbery or obstentation, so that even a jeans and T-shirt person like me can feel at ease in it. There's only one room with white walls and a wooden roof, very sparely furnished. At the table, cutlery and dishes are beautiful and classic in design, really neat. And yet, for all that, the menu's two sets, one including hors-d'oeuvre, main dish, dessert and coffee for 3000 yen, and another that also includes a second main dish for 4000 yen, are very moderately priced. No à-la-carte orders. We chose the second set.
The hors d'oeuvres, sprinkled with delicious rouille sauce, were excellent and a feast to the eye. We then had roasted fish in cream sauce with red pepper corns and some wonderful beef in a truffle and wine sauce. The meal ended with a dessert choosen from a large cart full of goodies, all homely, traditional recipes very well executed. I had a bread pudding and loved it. All of this accompanied by very good home-made bread. The wine list is not too long, but adequate.
et toi is a lovely little restaurant that deserves better fortune. Since it's a little out of the way, it's not really a success, but I guarantee you will like it, and you will want to go back. More than that, from your perspective the fact it's quiet is a definite plus.
September 2000
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