La Maison Confortable

⭐⭐⭐

🇫🇷 French / 📍 Azabu-Juban

📓 Visits: 1

Pierre Gagnaire at the ANA InterContinental Tokyo held two Michelin Stars for 14 years under chef Yosuke Akasaka.  So the announcement in January 2025 that the restaurant would be closing in two weeks time was a shock and even more baffling when the decision had been made six months before.  The space is now occupied by a pop-up that seems to be more aimed at children rather than adults and the rather decent, and reasonably priced, Pierre Gagnaire hotel bakery has closed as well.  Incidentally, just three months later, the Michelin starred Maison Tateru Yoshino in the ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka also closed.  Just what is going on with IHG management?  Well you can't put a good chef down and in April 2025, Akasaka-san and his Gagnaire sommelier of seven years, Yasutaka Sugimoto, opened their own place.  Four courses for JPY 11,000 or five for JPY 16,500 at lunch.  Eight courses for JPY 22,000 or nine for JPY 27,500 at dinner.  Dinner menus available at lunch as well.  As always on a first visit, I chose the cheapest lunch menu.

The best of the 6 component amuse was the octopus and white asparagus foam.  But all were cold and all prepared in advance.  8/10.  I wasn't convinced the tomato sauce was the best match for the sea bass but both were delicious and I've never had fish and pigs ears before.  With the chorizo also there as seasoning, this was an excellent combination.  8-8.5/10.  Couldn't fault the cooking of the guinea fowl with the delicious crispy skin.  The sauce was again excellent and a better match this time.  8.5-9/10.  Dessert best eaten all together.  The chocolate cookie was the best element.  Despite the dessert being based around green peas, it was sweet enough with the peas macerated in mint.  8/10: fine but not memorable or breathtaking.  Coffee (not pictured) was decent but served with cold milk.  Possibly the best course was the petit fours.  The hojicha and blueberry daifuku was original, fun and moreish; the lavender cheesecake and chocolate cup textbook.  Two kinds of bread were served.  I enjoyed both the bought-in campagne and the kitchen made lemon-flavoured bread.  If you want a refill be sure to ask and be sure to specify what you'd like.

Sugimoto-san and one assistant run front of house while Akasaka-san and two other chefs run the kitchen.  Akasaka-san and both front of house staff can speak English.  The restaurant is windowless but it's a bright and white space, much smaller than the Intercontinental, and you can choose to dine at the counter or at a table.  The kitchen is mostly secluded and while cold dishes are plated at the counter, it's sunken so you can't really see anything.  In short, no real advantage in being at the counter if you're a foodie.

The food, at least this course, doesn't retain the signature Gagnaire style with the satellite system of plates but the cooking is competent.  Overall, a good but not particularly memorable and not particularly large lunch.  I wouldn't rule out another visit but it would be way down my list.  About as certain as it gets for a 2026 Michelin Star.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130702/13309065/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3.9

📱 Booking: 🟩 An easy reservation a day in advance by TableCheck.  Same-day reservations by phone may be possible.  English spoken.

📍 Location:

4F Coms Azabujuban, 3-7-4 Azabu-Juban.  2 mins west from Azabu-Juban station Exit 1.  4F multi-tenant building.  Same building as Burgaz Ada.
Map data ©2025 Google

📅 Visit June 2025

🕛 Lunch 11,000

Garfish | White asparagus | Horsemeat

Rabbit meat | Fromage blanc | Tasmanian salmon

sea bass | zucchini | pig's ears

guinea fowl | squid | asparagus

green peas | melon

💴 Damage: 13,552 (10k + 1 drink @ 1200 + 10% + 10%)
⏱️ Time taken: 1h5m