|
» Other Useful Information
Cuisine: Franco-Japanese
Table to Get: Banquette
Special Features: Sushi Bar, Hip Clientele, Lounge
Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, American Express
The Place:
TO Restaurant
The Scene:
With walls of glass and pillars of rough concrete, this east-meets-west
BA eatery has been breaking every rule you ever thought you knew about
Japanese cuisine. Inside, a medley of minimalist Balinese décor is
infused with French design elements with white glass countertop and
hand-painted walls surrounding a U-shape sushi bar with built-in
conveyor belt of passing plates that's a throwback to the original
sushi eateries of Tokyo. In the middle of the sushi bar is a collection
of Japanese transplants that greet incoming guests while rolling and
slicing under the scrutiny of highbrow dining guests. If barstool
seating is not your thing, the space takes on more of a regal tone in
the main dining room with its asymmetrical chairs that look better than
they feel and more comfy leather wall banquette strewn with quirky
ball-shaped lighting from overhead.
The Food:
Japanese eatery with a wink to France, this latest eating phenomenon called Frapanese is currently the hottest cuisine in BA. Dinner begins with a succulent Kobe carpaccio, shrimp-stuffed spring rolls drizzled in tamarind dressing or salmon tartare with finger flair. A full sushi menu includes minuscule cuts of pricey sashimi and more generous portions of American-style cut rolls with rebellious ingredients like duck confit, tofu and foie gras. More traditional main courses include full menu of noodle bowls and wok dishes good for vegetarians. Dessert is a mix of avant-garde dishes like a mango creme brulee, chocolate torte and mouse parfaits.
Last Word:
Frapanese eatery offers sushi bar and formal dining room with innovative menu of French-infused Japanese cuisine that defies everything you ever thought of a restaurant that had a floating sushi bar.
| 
