I finally managed to visit Florilege after struggling to find a suitable date and making a reservation.This time, I booked the lunch course.*Lotus Root*Lotus root cakes wrapped in bamboo leaves like chimaki. Inside, there’s also pumpkin. You can enjoy the crispness of the pumpkin and the sticky texture of the lotus root, truly savoring the flavors of the ingredients.*Tomato*This dish features tomatoes from Wakayama Prefecture, Tomare. Layered from the bottom are paprika mousse, raw squid tartare, shiso sablé, Tomare, and crème d'anjou. The paprika mousse is rich, and as soon as you cut into it, a wonderful aroma of paprika wafts through the air. The mousse has a sweetness that makes it taste almost like a dessert. The sweetness of the paprika and tomato is perfectly contrasted by the saltiness of the raw squid tartare and the acidity of the crème d'anjou.*Bread*Bread made with sake lees and germinated wheat. No animal products are used, and the butter is made from soybeans. The butter has a smooth texture, somewhat reminiscent of mayonnaise. The bread has a fluffy texture similar to steamed buns, pairing excellently with the light-flavored butter. You can even request a second helping of the bread.*Zucchini*In a bowl, there’s a consomme soup made with just zucchini, salt, and water, along with quenelles. The quenelles contain shrimp, providing a rich flavor. The fresh aroma of the zucchini enhances the umami of the shrimp. It’s a comforting dish.*Eggplant*Caviar d'Aubergine made with Kamo eggplant. The center of the eggplant is hollowed out and filled with a mixture of anchovies, garlic, and the scooped-out eggplant. On top, there are fluffy whitebait from Wakayama Prefecture. The tomato sauce pairs beautifully with this dish.*Balance*A dish featuring piglet from Chiba Prefecture. The sauce is made with browned butter. Accompaniments include tomato juice, apple jelly, sauerkraut wrapped in Brussels sprouts, and garlic seaweed.The piglet is tender, juicy, and rich in flavor. The skin is crispy, allowing for a delightful variety of textures.Another dish features minced head and feet that are fried. It’s served with red pepper paste. The flavors of the pig’s feet and meat fill your mouth.*Fig*On a fig leaf, there’s fromage and fig jam coated in a thin layer of caramel. The delicate construction allows the caramel to break easily on your lips. The fluffy texture of the gently sweet fromage is incredibly delicious.Another dish is a fig cookie. On the cookie dough, there’s fig cream, jam, and fig gelatin, making it a truly fig-filled cookie. When you bite into it, the fig cream and rhubarb jam blend beautifully with the cracker’s toasty flavor and slight saltiness, creating a rich and delightful taste.*Red Shiso*Inside the gelatin of red shiso, there’s white chocolate mousse and Amazon cacao crackers. The rich flavor of the white chocolate mousse is beautifully complemented by the refreshing aroma of the red shiso.*Tea Sweets*Ice TofuTofu and vanilla coated in Japanese black tea.CherryCherries coated in homemade strawberry jam.Raw ChocolateRaw chocolate made with Amazon cacao.Each of these tea sweets was surprisingly elaborate and delicious, far beyond what you’d expect from typical tea snacks.Seated at the counter in front of the kitchen, I was able to closely observe the chef and staff as they prepared the dishes, making even the waiting time feel special.This course allowed me to fully enjoy seasonal vegetables and appreciate the charm of the ingredients once again. Each dish was beautifully presented, and with the sounds of cooking and the rising aromas, I experienced a luxurious time that engaged all five senses.I hope to visit again in a different season if I can secure another reservation.It was a great meal! ⭐︎
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