The Perfect Repeat

I wasn’t planning to come to Tokyo in such quick succession but then when Chef Daniel suggested that I should come visit again during the Shanghainese hairy crab season after my meal in September and “you wouldn’t regret it,” I was like, sure, why not. And just as important was this time I came with the missus. Coming in for lunch this time and I found the dining room during day even more charming, with the mild sunlight beaming in from the window, and this time I got to sit at a table properly for the whole meal with our friends CXB and KC which happened to be in Tokyo and booked to eat there on the exact same day. 

No surprise most of the dishes for the long bespoke menu were entirely different than those I had last time, but still an impressive feat as all tables seem to have something different. The Comte gougere and the Kristal caviar with Avocado and Sudachi were about the only two that were the same. No complaints at all as both were excellent. The whole Shanghainese hairy crab and Alba white truffles were shown to us in much fanfare – rightfully so since that white truffles must have been one of the biggest I have ever seen and just the presence of it filled the entire dining room with the enticing aroma. And straight on we started with Shanghainese hairy crab soup with such rich flavor, quickly followed by the seasonal sanma “mille-feuille” sandwiched with caramelized onions, puff pastry and green olives. Love the interesting combination of ingredients usually not used in western cuisine prepared in classic French techniques and Chef Daniel nailed it in flying colors. And I could say the same with the jelly fish “Nicoise” with olives and anchovies with nice contrast of flavor and loaded with umami. 

Everyone who tried the menu before raved about the little tartlet of Hairy Crab meat and roes marinated in Jura wine and served with Koshihikari rice, and that sure was the most memorable bite all year long. The crispy buttery tartlet combined with the rich crab flavor and mellow Jura with grains of rice with softened texture and flavor just provided the perfect balance. The Hairy Crab porridge came as the close second, with the hearty portion served in a fancy porcelain deep dish snowed in shaved white truffles at the table. 

Our main course of duck was another precisely done dish, worked to absolutely perfection with personal attention by Chef Daniel for Every. Single. Bird. I honestly don’t know how he did it and how he achieved such consistency day in day out. The duck was raised locally in Aichi Prefecture, roasted on open fire so the skin was crisp and meat done to perfect pink color. I know I used perfect repeatedly but I didn’t know what’s the better word to describe. The “Sauce Meurette” that went with it was gorgeous, that goes without saying, and I also liked the sweet potatoes side providing just the right sweet balance. And the rice served on the side was great with more sauces spooned on top. 

More surprises came towards the end of the meal, with a carrot cake like dessert brought to our table by Vivian, whom we knew from her days in Hong Kong before moving to work at Sezanne. “Here’s the crab cake,” she said, and much to our bemusement, she meant just like that with the moist pound cake baked with crab roes served as one of our dessert. And it worked so well with that nice sweetness and a hint of savory at the back. And we were served more dessert (and white truffles) in the form of a chestnut tart, a Sauternes icecream with saffron, and a small bloc of cheesecake as Mignardises.

Hard to make one perfect meal better the next time round but the team did it! Glad I made it back for the repeat.

More photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/g4gary/albums/72177720313635157/

When? November 25 2023
Where? Sezanne, Four Seasons Marunochi, Pacific Century Place Marunouchi, 1-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo Japan
Menu Highlights? Shanghai Hairy Crab Marinated in Yellow Wine from Jura with Koshihikari Rice
Drinks? 
Champagne Krug Grande Cuvee 171eme Edition
2020 Domaine Patrick Piuze Chablis Premier Cru Les Forets 
Web: www.sezanne.tokyo