Crony

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🇫🇷 Modern French / 📍 Higashi-Azabu

📓 Visits: 3 (2024 x1, 2019 x2)

Crony opened in December 2016 and was awarded a Michelin Star in the 2018 Tokyo Guide until, following a relocation from Nishi-Azabu to Higashi-Azabu it was promoted to two Stars in the 2022 Guide.  I'd visited Crony twice before but this review is based on my only meal in their new location.  Prices have gone up steadily over the 7+ years.  I went just before another price rise on 1st March 2024 so the course was JPY 22,000 + service but is now JPY 25,300 + service.

My two favourite dishes were probably the beef and the first dessert.  The beef (rib rosu) was exceptionally juicy, had deep beef flavour and was not at all greasy or too fatty.  The strawberry dessert had an amazing perfume of strawberry and vanilla, the oil on top adding a hint of salt for balance.  Other highlights were: (1) the carrot and tuna tartar.  Beautifully presented, you could taste the carrot and the broth balanced the vegetable and tuna.  (2) The monkfish, truffle and onion.  They did not hold back on the truffle in this dish.  The aroma was outstanding and the quality excellent.  (3) The fish course of isaki.  The fish was beautifully cooked: rare in the middle and the skin like glass.  The bread is outstanding and even if they take your plate away once you've finished it don't be afraid to ask for another piece.  The only course I didn't like was the raclette cheese course.  When someone says the word "raclette" you picture an oozing fountain of warm indulgence being scrapped onto your plate.  This was a cold raclette liquid encased in a cocoa butter.  Instead of salt, fat and mold you were left with the flavour of cocoa butter on your palate.  Also falling short was the broth that was served after the beef, made from the bones of the animal and the vegetable scraps.  It's not on the menu so doesn't count as a course and I get that it's part of their sustainable food approach, but with some extra work they could make it into a first class beef consomme.

Other than the bread, the only dish I'd score a ten was the strawberry dessert.  It was better than eating a perfect raw strawberry, a feat that most chefs in Japan (with such high quality of fruit) fail to achieve.  The green tea dessert was not to my taste so maybe 8.5/10.  All the other dishes I'd rate 9 or 9.5/10.  I've had better beef and fish dishes elsewhere, for example, and you can easily imagine a slightly larger version of each dish with even higher quality ingredients and deeper flavour.  But for that you'd be paying 50-100% more.  Within the limitations of the quality of ingredients they sourced, the execution of every dish was perfect.

Service was excellent.  The pacing was right: the first snack arrived after within 5 minutes and the rest in quick succession.  Although the entire meal took three hours, with 15 courses (if you count the bread as a course and group the mignardises) it didn't feel long and you never felt you were waiting for the next thing to come.  All the staff who served us spoke clear English.  Food was served on hot plates.

If you're visiting Japan and don't think it's worth visiting French restaurants when you can get that food at home/elsewhere I'd say two things: (1) outside of maybe Spain I'd be impressed if you're getting fish as fresh as what you get in Japan and (2) if you're eating wagyu as good as what you get in Japan then you're paying a hefty premium for it.  

Crony has been one of the best modern French restaurants in Tokyo ever since it opened and one of the best value.  There was a definite step up in the expense of the ingredients, refinement of the dishes and length of the menu since my visits to their Nishi-Azabu location.  Of the 2-Star French restaurants in Tokyo it's by far the best value and, other than Sezanne, it would be my overall pick.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1314/A131401/13256097/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.69 (food: 4.5, value: 5.0)

📱 Booking: 🟩 Easy.  Via Tablecheck.  Credit card required.  100% penalty if canceled within 72 hours.  Reservations for lone diners are no longer accepted.

📍 Location:

1-20-3 Higashi-Azabu.  1 min North from the Nakanohashi Exit of Akabanebashi Station.
Map data ©2024 Google

📅 Visit February 2024

HARUMOEGI (Kagoshima Yasu Taniba Farm)
Karasumi Radish
Potato soufflé (Mr. Kawada) Truffle
White asparagus Sea urchin
Pancake (Ranmeisya.co egg) Beef cheek Cauliflower

Tuna Kintoki carrot
Monkfish Truffe Onion
Bamboo shoots Caviar
Sake-sourdough-bread Sake-lees butter (Masumi.co)
Isaki (Oseto fish farm) Asuparana
Shimanto beer Wagyu Turnips

Tokachi Raclette cheese
Snow rabbit (white strawberry) Vanilla
HARUMOEGI (Kagoshima Yasu Taniba Farm) Hon-Mirin
Honey Macaron (Mr. Kusano)
Salt caramel (Sio-maru salt)
Smoked Madeleine
Airy Gâteau au chocolat

💴 Damage: 24,200 (host paid for drinks)
⏱️ Time taken: 3h