▪️Fileja (Kanda-Tokyo)
▪️Italian - Pasta course: ~¥12K

A six-seat chef's restaurant in a beautifully designed space hidden in Kanda. Fileja offers a unique and highly entertaining dinner experience through a memorable 3-hour course that consists of 20+ dishes.
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This almost feels like a sushi omakase - with fresh pasta dishes instead of nigiri pieces. Several non-pasta dishes are sprinkled in between in lieu of 'otsumami' , and they add a nice variation to the course. The cabbage roll and the wagyu cheek stew are among the noteworthy non-pasta dishes.
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But the star here is the pasta. Good fresh pasta is already difficult to find but Fileja serves around 10 different pasta dishes all fresh made in front of you from scratch, including bucatini, tortelli, flat pappardelle, ravioli... The pasta are then elevated through expertly made sauces. The chef generally keeps it simple and sticks to doing the classics well - already making a strong statement of intent with the opening tortelli that is cooked in a very straightforward butter sauce.
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As you have 20+ dishes, portions are minuscule. It feels like the chef is constantly teasing you, making you crave for more after you savor every drop of delicious sauce in your plate, as he keeps hitting you with one fascinating dish after the other. There is also a selection of carefully selected natural wines accompanying the course in the way you desire.
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This was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences for me this year - lots of entertainment value watching the chef make different kinds of pasta in front of you, also helped by his personable style that keeps the mood light and airy.
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The course is of great value and still easy to book, another proof that you don't need to chase ridiculously hard reservations and pay ridiculously high bills to have a delicious fine dining experience in Tokyo. Wholeheartedly recommended.
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