Foodle

Aperitivos: Concha fina con manteca colorá, algo agresiva para el molusco. Croqueta de jamón de bellota, muy buena. Empanadilla de manitas y gamba blanca. Buñuelo de caldillo de pintarroja, magnífico.

Hacía ya un par de años que no pasaba por La Alvaroteca y me he encontrado a un Álvaro Ávila más asentado. Tanto su restaurante en general, con una sala más sobria y amable, como su cocina, más centrada en el producto y en los recetarios familiares y locales, sin dejar de lado ese lado transgresor y esas influencias globales que le han acompañado todos estos años. De su batería de snacks y aperitivos me quedo con el buñuelo de caldo de pintarroja, y de sus platos con más enjundia, donde he apreciado un mayor interés y una mayor evolución, con las estupendas espinacas esparragás con yema de huevo, dashi de ostras y salicornia o con el estupendo arroz de alitas de codorniz. Grandes platos ya que sólo requieren de cierta afinación en las ejecuciones. Además, una bodega original y amplia que quizás requiera un poco de orden y un servicio atento y detallista que esmera por acompañar la experiencia. @la_alvaroteca @alvaro_alvaroteca Less

Lovely Kaiseki lunch yesterday at Tagetsu . Highly rated on Tabelog (4.12) I was nonetheless surprised to be the only foreigner in attendance . Cooking was very clean and precise , there were few standout dishes but every dish was perfectly enjoyable and it added up to a very satisfying meal .

My favourite dish of the meal was certainly the tempura of fig with whipped tofu . The tempura batter was thin and shatteringly crisp , it essentially created a mock pastry layer coating the fig which was ripe but still holding its shape beautifully, the tofu gave a nice respite of texture and from sweetness .

Edamame mochi with corn puree and yuzu peel was the first course , each flavour quite distinct, the yuzu gave a great fragrance.

Mushroom and snapper dashi was also served with a hint of citrus which really elevated the broth.

Wood fired bonito tataki , with perilla sprouts and egg yolk shoyu . Bonito is one of my favourite fish and appears to be in season right now based on my last few meals …no complaints !

Tai ( sea bream) sashimi with uni and okra - lovely sashimi course .

Grilled butterfish with cucumber , myoga and green onion . Fish a little overcooked to my liking , another straight forward dish.

Hassun - tilefish sashimi, shishito pepper stuffed with shrimp paste and sesame
sauce , jellied eggplant , Anago nigiri . The hassun course had one main highlight , the peppers stuffed with shrimp paste and sesame sauce were highly addictive .

Pumpkin and duck mousse , wild mushroom sauce - this dish screamed of autumn despite the sweltering heat outside . Terrific

Grilled conger eel, eel skin with cucumber and sesame. The cold eel skin salad was very refreshing .

Sendai beef round with Japanese pepper sauce and matsutake . Loved the Japanese pepper so floral .

Deep fried Spanish mackerel rice with lotus root , carrot . Rice dish finale was excellent , the fish flaked in larger pieces than usual to match the also larger size of the lotus root . Have since enjoyed 2 of the 5 onigiri that I took home post meal .

Maple and hazelnut monaka
Peach compote with wine jelly and kudzu starch noodles. Always happy with peach desserts . Less

Congratulations to the entire team at @cyclerestaurant by Mauro Colagreco! It’s been a big year for the restaurant: a 🌟 in the 2025 Tokyo @michelinguide, and General Manager Rie Yasui received this year’s Service Award. Well deserved!

We were lucky enough to pay a visit recently, when @maurocolagreco and the @restaurantmirazur family joined @miya176336 in the kitchen last month. This time, I loved the dish of wild mushrooms (香茸), fresh peanuts, and suckling pig, as well as the perfectly succulent megumi duck with fig and wild rice. All served with lovely natural wines - the Lijsternest Magda 2020 was such a delightful surprise.

Once again, in the best company 😊 @santiago.maztokyo @keisui. Less