Who’s it for? Lucky hotel guests and donburi devotees.
What should I order? The spicy donburi curry with crispy vegetables.
How much? €16-19 for lunchtime menus or €10 per dish in the evening.
There’s a lot to love about this restaurant hidden at the back of Hôtel Bienvenue; from its cosy atmosphere, to the veggie-friendly Japanese fare, its natural wine list and the beautiful illustrations on the menu, written by Maori Murota, the Japanese chef and author of the stunning ‘Tokyo, les recettes culte’ (Marabout editions). Murota also did the beautiful coloured pencil drawings which adorn the menu and walls of this tranquil restaurant.
We started with light and refreshing vegetarian spring rolls (€6) and chawanmushi (€6), an egg flan with smoked eel. Donburi is also a win: a bowl of rice topped with vegetables, pork ribs or smoked mackerel (€12). The veggie option was delicately spiced and comforting – like a giant hug in a bowl. Those in need of more Gallic flavours can opt for a croquet-monsieur with ham and comté (€11).
Things get even more French with the evening menu, with dishes like oeuf mayonnaise with shiso or haddock carpaccio with yuzu. Don’t miss the natural wine selection – from domains de la Bergerie, a Luc Sébille from the Loire or even château Simian in the Vaucluse region. If you hit the grape a little too hard, there are always those hotel rooms to sleep it off in….