Chez Tasaka

Rating: Very good
Meal:  Lunch
Price:  1720 yen
Payment: Cash only
Dishes: Lunch set including salad with fresh sashimi, white radish soup, wagyu with mushrooms, and coffee
English Menu: No
Smoking: Uncertain but I think no

Chez Tasaka is a little french restaurant located along a little alley way that's not the friendliest looking area at first blush.  However, it has always stood out as their menu was quite pricey and it was always full of people whenever I would look in around dinner time.  Today I had my bike and was hunting for places open for lunch and despite the still pricey lunch time menu I decided to give it a try.

Aji sashimi salad

I was a bit surprised to find the inside to be a bit disheveled and one older gentleman running the place.  But his English was quite good, despite a rather bad cold, and we had no trouble communicating.  I wasn't quite in the mood for the cheapest item (1200 yen), and omurice dish, so I went up to the full lunch set.  The choices are meat or fish, and coffee or tea.  I went with the meat/coffee option.

White radish soup

I was alone for the first bit, but people started trickling in later on.  Good thing though as things were moving a bit slowly and I'm glad I was at the front of the queue.  The first dish was a sashimi salad.  The chef was concerned to let me know the aji (Japanese Horse Mackerel) was very fresh.  I don't know about that, but it was delicious.  Next came a white radish soup (daikon perhaps?) that was tasty and warm.  Then the main dish which I was assured consisted of very special wagyu (which is Japanese for "Japanese beef" by the way).  I don't know about its pedigree, but it was indeed extremely soft and tender, seared nicely but still barely cooked in the middle.  And the enoki mushrooms in sauce that accompanied it were excellent.  Later on he came by with another pan seared eryngii mushroom as well.  All of it was topped off by a welcome tiny cup of strong coffee with real cream added.

Wagyu with mushrooms

So despite the ramshackle appearance of the place and the sniffles of the proprietor, the food was actually quite good, and I think I'd give the place a shot for a dinner date night at some point.

Coffee