French Food in Tokyo

One of the best foods I ate while in Tokyo was at a French restaurant. You’ll be surprised how good some of non-Japanese foods are there in Tokyo. Ok, maybe except Mexican food, a cuisine that’s poorly represented in Japan.

Le petit restaurant epi, located in Daikanyama, is a tiny bistro owned by Chef Tomonori Suzuki. Yes, he is indeed 100% Japanese. But evidently he’s been trained at a star-rated restaurant in Paris and his place is known as a hidden gem by the locals.

What I really liked about this place was the cozy atmosphere accompanied by the cutest decorations and hand-written menu on a chalkboard hung from the ceiling. We chose a shared course meal for four, which consisted of 7 dishes, yet it was barely over $40 per person. Each portion is small, but by the time the 5th, 6th dish arrived, our overfilled stomachs started questioning their definition of “small.” It was extremely dark inside the restaurant and the small candle light on the table was the only thing to help me get these pictures taken. So I’m only going to show you the ones that you can sorta identify the food.

Another night, we went to a galette restaurant in Omotesando (near Harajuku). La Fee Delice, is yet again, tiny, but crazy adorable. They specialize in Breton galettes (crepe made with buckwheat flour). When we were there, it was a quiet night with the drizzling of rain. A French family was having dinner next to us. We sipped delicious cider and slowly savored our galettes.

Next stop, Le Petite Mec Tokyo, located on the first floor of the main Marui department store in Shinjuku. As it was recommended by my French friend, who’s currently living in Tokyo, it was the real stuff. I tried Kougin Amann (again from Bretagne) for the first time. It’s like a light, hollow croissant or puff pastry. They also had some miniature sandwiches that are literally bite-sized, sold for approx. $2 each.

On our way out, we discovered that Jean Philippe’s chocolate and macarons were sold in Marui department for a limited time only. Yeah, we got trapped into their perfect tactics!

We each bought a couple to sample. From top left to bottom right, citron, framboise, cassis, pistache. Fruit or citrus flavors are my favorites in macarons. So, I chose lemon and raspberry. They were perfect desserts to end the day, satisfying our little sweet cravings after eating savory galettes. Unfortunately Jean Philippe doesn’t have a permanent shop in Tokyo. But that’s not the only choice you’ve got. There are Pierre Hermé, Dalloyau, Ladurée, Les MIGNARDISES and many others that make great macarons.

Le petit restaurant epi
2-10-6 Ebisu Nishi
Shibuya-ku Tokyo [map]
(Turn left from east exit of Daikanyama Station. Le petit restaurant epi will be on your left side after about 5-minute walk.)
Open 11:30-15:00 (last order 14:30), 18:00-24:00 (last order 23:00).
Closed on Tuesdays