L'algorithme

⭐⭐⭐

🇫🇷 French / 📍 Shirokane

📓 Visits: 3 (2018-2021)

L'algorithme held a Michelin Star from the 2019 edition of the Tokyo Guide until it was deleted in the 2023 edition.  The chef worked at Quintessence for four years before opening his first own restaurant in 2017.  Lunch of 7-8 courses is JPY 8,000 and dinner of 10-11 courses is JPY 14,500.  This price includes tax, service and water.  It's a very small restaurant with only an 8-seat counter and no private room.  No English is spoken.

I've visited L'algorithme 3 times now, each time for lunch.  On my first two visits I really enjoyed the food but whereas on my first visit I happened to be the only one in the restaurant and the meal didn't take so long, on my second visit the restaurant was full so the course was served to everyone at the same time.  This meant long gaps between courses and put me off going again.  However, I decided I would try again when I thought the restaurant wouldn't be busy and prepared myself to be kept waiting just in case.

The chef's approach is uncomplicated dishes with clean presentation and quality ingredients.  I think the chef's achieved what he set out to but overall I was quite disappointed with my most recent meal for which the remainder of this review is about.  The first two courses are really just canapes so lunch is really two starters, fish, meat and one dessert.  There are no more than 3-4 elements on each dish and some portions are not particularly large.  The two best dishes were the scallop with cauliflower mousse - a huge scallop, a classic (but hardly original) combination and utterly delicious - and the dessert of sponge cake, apple cream, ice cream and dehydrated apple.  The first canape of foie gras mousse was served too cold and was sickly sweet.  The second starter of pan-fried foie gras served with pomme puree and yuzu didn't work as a combination of flavours and textures and the foie gras was over-caramelized.  The main course of Yonezawa loin of pork served with caramelized endive was tasty and the meat a decent size, but other than the sauce there was nothing else on the plate.  Bread was served without butter and was fine but pretty basic.  There are pictures of everything I ate in a Tabelog review taken in the same month I dined in.

I was indeed the only person in the restaurant for weekday lunch when I arrived so service was not too slow.  One other couple turned up after an hour and then there was what felt like a long delay between main course and dessert.  There's a restricted view of the kitchen from the counter.  No idea whether or not the chef remembered me because he didn't leave kitchen the whole time I was there, didn't look up once nor say a single word.  In contrast, the waiter, who was different from my first two visits, could hardly stop talking to me, though at least that was only between courses.  The restaurant was a little cold but the waiter asked if we needed the temperature raising.

Counters and open kitchens are touted to give you some interactivity with the chef but the unspoken benefit of dining counters is for the restaurant in being able to seat more diners in the same amount of space (especially valuable when rents are so high in Tokyo) and to reduce the requirement for wait staff.  It certainly feels like the only benefit of the counter is to the restaurant here.

I'd forgotten that they push you to have one of the drink pairings (JPY 4,500-10,500 for 3-7 alcoholic glasses or JPY 5,500 for 5 non-alcoholic glasses).  I asked for one soft drink and was told that I could not have just that and if didn't want one of the pairings I would have to order an alcoholic drink.  I was not advised about this when I made the booking.  If a restaurant wants to force you into having a pairing, like Celeravird (review here), they should either add this to the cost of the course or at least inform you of the policy when you make the booking.

The chef clearly has some talent and given the price of the course includes tax, service, water and coffee I wouldn't say it was particularly poor value.  If you don't mind a slow meal, you like drink pairings, you don't want to walk away stuffed and you want relatively safe French food in a modern setting then (for the most part) you should enjoy your meal at L'algorithme.  But if you're looking for more value or more complicated dishes then there are better choices.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131602/13213150/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3.7

📱 Booking: 🟩 Easy.  Same day or advance bookings taken by phone or Tabelog.

📍 Location:

Sakura Shirokane 102, 6-5-3 Shirokane.  The restaurant is set back from the street.  12 mins walk West from Shirokane-Tanakawa station Exit 3 or take the 87 bus (three stops).

Map data ©2022 Google

📅 Visit Feburary 2021

Foie gras mousse
Wakasaka frit
Hotate, cauliflower mousse
Foie gras, yuzu, pomme puree
Anago two ways: steamed, deep fried
Yonezawa loin of pork, caramelized endive
Tea
Sponge cake, apple cream, ice cream, apple chips
Chou cream
Coffee

💴 Damage: 10,000 (8,000 plus one drink at 2,000)
⏱️ Time taken: 1h45m