Alchimiste

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🇫🇷 / French 📍 Shirokanedai

📓 Visits: 4 (2023 x1, 2013 x3)

Previously known as "Les Alchimistes" and "l'Alchimiste" prior to August 2018, the restaurant relocated from Shirokane Takanawa in April 2021 to occupy the premises of what was Ciel et Sol, which closed in March 2020.  The restaurant has held a Michelin Star for 11 years.

From June 1st 2023 lunch increased in price from JPY 12,000 to JPY 15,000 and the JPY 18,000 dinner course was discontinued.  The JPY 25,000 dinner course remains (also available at lunch) minus one starter.  Sample menus are on their website in English and Japanese.  The restaurant manager can speak "restaurant English".  10% service is added.

I went for the lunch course before the price increase.  The meal generally got better as it went along.  The tomato candy was the highlight of the amuses (a "toffee" mini tomato).  Jerusalem artichoke three ways is their new signature dish.  Jerusalem artichoke veloute/espuma is always good and improved here with a generous portion of uni.  Unfortunately there was a massive hit of alum in the final spoonful, which ruined it.  The consomme made from the skin was tasteless and the paste/tartlette was meh.  The fish course was probably tastier than the main course of beef but the portion was tiny - just four mouthfuls of fish.  8.5/10.  The beef was much bigger (did I get a larger portion?) but it didn't have much beefy flavour and I didn't get the point of serving a pool of "Bearnaise" on the side.  8/10.  The sweet items were the best.  The single dessert did not have much originality in flavours but I couldn't fault the execution.  Had the portion been bigger I'd have scored it 9/10.  The final item, a canele, was the best I've ever eaten.  Large, warm and made from Bordeaux wine - 10/10.  Sourdough is made in the kitchen and excellent - 9/10.  Coffee (not pictured) was also excellent.

There's no doubt the chef is skilled but all the originality seemed to have gone with no dish or technique you couldn't find in so many other French restaurants in Tokyo.  Originally Michelin categorised this restaurant as "French contemporary" and indeed it was, "alchemy" being the approach chef Kenichi Yamamoto took, but, since the 2015 Guides, Michelin have dropped that designation and only have "French".  Perhaps it became too difficult to bucket restaurants that way but had they still been doing that today I doubt Alchimiste would get still get the "contemporary" label.  Cheese served from a trolley is available as an extra course (I skipped).  Nothing wrong with that and not something you see everywhere in Japan but again, hardly contemporary and difficult to imagine it as part of a course here a few years ago.

The dining room, and in fact the whole building, is fabulous and is the most European-like dining room I've eaten in outside of a hotel since my visit to Azur et Masa Ueki (review here).  Hospitality is excellent with five chefs in the kitchen, four staff front of house and just eight tables.

If you want to transport someone outside of Japan for a couple of hours with safe, French food that's not too heavy then Alchimiste fits the bill but there are better and better value French restaurants in Tokyo.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131602/13256112/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 (value: 3.4)

📱 Booking: 🟩 Easy.  A day in advance by TableCheck.

📍 Location: 

5-17-10 Shirokanedai.  3-4 mins from Shirokanedai station.  Dedicated street-facing entrance.
Map data ©2023 Google

📅 Visit May 2023

[Amuse-bouche]
Alchimiste Farm Jerusalem artichoke
Hokkaido Crab x Green tomato
Raisin yeast Campagne x Lait Ribot
Nagasaki Sea bream x Mushrooms
Kumamoto Beef x Egg
Miyazaki Mango x Rice milk
"Alchemy"
[Coffee]

💴 Damage: 15,136 (12000 + 1 drink @ 1760 + 10%)
⏱️ Time taken: 1h20m