Akemi: When I was a kid, I had big eyes. Like everyone in my family.
Me: Why?
Akemi: I’m not sure. Maybe because we eat a lot of meat.
Well, just a little meat for me yesterday – but a lot of whisky.
We joined Akemi’s family for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, a place that offers terrific high-end value for your money. If you’re looking to sample Michelin-starred cuisine without breaking the bank, this is where you should come.
This was my third visit to L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and I can honestly say that not only have I never had a bad meal here; I’ve never had a bad dish here. That’s damn impressive. So much so that we made dinner reservations for next week.
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon: 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato
We exited the restaurant and just happened to stumble upon (okay, I had this scoped out days in advance) the Roppongi Hills Whisky Festival showcasing a bunch of Japanese blended and single malts.
I sampled the 18 year old Yamazaki (at one third the price of what it cost me for a shot in L.A.) and the 21 year Hibiki. I’ll be coming back for the Hakushu and Kaku.
After the whisky-tasting, I was feeling nostalgic and melancholy – so I figured a trip to the Mori Art Museum to check out the Charles Schulz retrospective was just the thing. We filed through the packed rooms and checked out Peanuts arts ranging from early sketch work through the various decades (Akemi: Snoopy went to war? Me: Yeah. He killed thirty nazis!).
Akemi: “Charlie has a humungous face. How does he support his body?”
Ah, good times. My sister was a huge Snoopy fan – and still has a soft spot for the lovable beagle. Maybe I’ll bring her back something nice from the gift shop for minding my dogs while we’re away in Tokyo.
Mori Art Museum: 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato
While in town, I’m thinking of checking out a Japanese movie:
We returned to the hotel to gather our strength for the night ahead. A little downtime, a little snack:
And we were ready to head out once again:
We had dinner reservations at Fook Lam Moon, a Chinese restaurant with branches in Hong Kong, Ginza, and Marunouchi. Akemi and I arrived early so we killed some time…
We dined with Akemi’s family – mom, dad, brother, sister, and new brother-in-law – and had another great meal.
A couple of the highlights:
Pictured above: the siu long bao.
Fook Lam Moon: 36/F Marunouchi Building, 2-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku,
Despite all we had accomplished on the day, it was still early so we had one more stop to make before turning in for the night. We headed to Ginza and my home away from home: Star Bar. It was great to see the old gang!
Yamazaki-san does his thing:
Star Bar: Sankosha Building B1F, 1-5-13 Ginza, Tokyo
Whew. What a day!
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