SUGALABO (SUGALABO) Tokyo

Tabelog 4.51 🥈
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Sugalabo was established by Celebrity Chef Yosuke Suga who worked for Joël Robuchon for 16 years. Thanks to his talents, he became the Executive Chef L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo at the young age of 26. He subsequently went to various parts of the world to lead restaurant openings by the Robuchon group. Suga San eventually returned to his homeland and opened this introduction-only French restaurant in 2015.

The cuisine curated by Suga San is a perfect symphony between French cooking techniques and top-notch ingredients from Japan. The most memorable dish was the tender awabi steak with intense liver sauce. Underneath the awabi was mashed aged potatoes, flawlessly complementing the bittersweet liver sauce. The prosciutto curated by Mr. Tada’s workshop, which is the only certified Parma Ham producer in Japan, was so soft and intense. Its aroma and fattiness were enhanced by the smoking hot Gnocco Fritto underneath. I was also a big fan of the lobster and ezo venison dishes which were both elevated by well executed side dishes and sauces.

Reservation is limited to regular customers only and you will need to arrange the table 1 year in advance.
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💴Budget: 75,000 yen⁣⁣⁣⁣
🥘Food: 9⁣
🍹Drinks: 8.5⁣
🏢Vibes: 9.5
⚖️C/P: 8 Less

Tabelog 4.51🥈⁣
⁣
Sugalabo was established by Celebrity Chef Yosuke Suga who worked for Joël Robuchon for 16 years. Given his fast-learning ability and talent, he became the Executive Chef of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo at the young age of 26. He subsequently went to various parts of the world to lead restaurant openings by the Robuchon group. Suga San eventually returned to his homeland and opened this introduction-only French restaurant in 2015.⁣
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The cuisine curated by Suga San is a perfect symphony between French cooking techniques and top-notch ingredients from Japan. I was absolutely astounded by the balance between beefiness and fattiness of the Satsuma Beef Filet from Kagoshima. The umami beef jus and creamy morel gratin were great additions to this rich meat main course. It’s really been a while since I was last impressed by a beef main course. The foie gras terrine looks simple but in fact it was seasoned and executed magically. The black truffle was of good quality and the refreshing salad and aged potatoes underneath really cut through the saltiness and heaviness. Let’s not forget the ham curated by Mr. Tada – in my opinion, the gnocco fritto version works better because rice might be too filling for such a big meal. ⁣
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What also impressed us was Suga San’s charisma - his energy when he was introducing the dishes truly contributed to the good vibes. The way he ran the kitchen was an art to witness as well. Reservation is very difficult – almost 1-year advance reservation is needed even for regulars. ⁣
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💴Budget: 75,000 yen⁣⁣
🥘Food: 9⁣.5⁣
🍹Drinks: 8.5⁣
🏢Vibes: 10⁣
⚖️C/P: 8 Less

After many years of opening restaurants for Joel Robuchon in Japan and beyond , Chef Yosuke Suga opened up Sugalabo to universal acclaim . Now an invitation only restaurant , it is perhaps the most revered address for western dining in Japan .

Having eaten at many Robuchon around the world , it is clear that Suga has his own distinct style . Some nods to classics permeate the menu but foremost the cooking is confident and personal .

Despite having around 7-8 staff , Chef is extremely hands on , doing the majority of the cooking , plating and diner dish descriptions himself .
Instructions are given on how to eat each dish and our dining group was admonished several times for being unable to follow simple instructions! However it’s all in good spirit and Chef Suga had plenty of swagger and charisma .

A series of snacks culminated with a plate of 24 month Ham from Mr.Tada , a very limited producer of quality ham . The ham was thin, transparent and glided down your throat and basically melted .

Saga oysters - a generous trio were served with prized seaweed on which they feed on , a fun take .

High quality Foie Gras was paired with a potato salad , the potatoes had been aged for over a year in a snow cave . This was an old school but refined diah.

Two large discs of raw Hokkaido scallop were the drown atop a quenelle of scallop mousse which in turn was stuffed with abundant caviar . Rounding out the dish was a moat of Scallop roe beurre Blanc

Kinki from Hokkaido was unctuous, served with black truffle, daikon and a Kinki Shirako and dashi .

The Satsuma Wagyu was the dish of the night , tenderloin which amazingly had the texture of brisket , a luscious morel mushroom jus , and a light but banging Morel and Asparagus gratin.

The off - menu Japanese curry is a Sugalabo trademark , you can choose the size of your portion, and not being a Japanese curry fan , I chose the smallest option. This was a mistake as the curry sauce was redolent in individual spices and terrific .

Pre dessert was a mint sorbet , pomelo sorbet , and rice wine jelly with pomelo pieces . Great palate adjustment.

Strawberry/Rhubarb compote with Sake sorbet completed a memorable meal Less