We Say Oui to Kagurazaka

In the midst of Tokyo’s garish fluorescent glow, Kagurazaka feels like ananachronism. With its stone paved alleys and sloping, lantern-lit lanes,it retains much of the quiet charm of the city in its pre-war heyday. The quaint old townhouses and discreet black fences that line the residential streets lend the area an atmosphere reminiscent of Kyoto.

The similarity is rooted in more than architecture. In the late Meiji era, Kagurazaka became famous for its pleasure quarters, where geishas delighted guests with their grace and beauty. Shops specializing in kimono and green tea remain, and Kabuki actors and musicians still frequent the area.

In recent days, Kagurazaka is becoming known as a fashionable dining
destination. Trendy eateries line Kagurazaka Slope, and the winding back streets are dotted with tiny wine bars, cool cafes and exclusive ryotei Japanese restaurants. The neighborhood offers something for every predilection -- from traditional wagashi sweets to modern Spanish tapas and, perhaps most notably, excellent French cuisine.


Kagurazaka is home to a sizeable French population. L’Institute Franco-Japonais de Tokyo is located a short walk away from IIdabashi station, and specialty food shops carrying top-quality cheese or pastries abound. The area boasts a number of refined French restaurants, as well as an array of casual bistros serving authentic fare.

Brasserie Gus, a small, unpretentious restaurant hidden along a narrow street off of Okubo Dori, is particularly popular with my foodie friends Tamami and Sugita. The menu sticks to hearty classics such as buttery pork rillets with corchicons pickles, escargots sizzling in garlic butter and roast lamb in red wine sauce.


By 7:30, most of the seats are full of young, casually stylish guests and getting a reservation can be difficult.

Possibly more difficult, however, is choosing from the several delicious-sounding options. The choice between the silky foie gras terrine and the rich goose liver and lentil pate can only be described as painful. Both are dense and creamy, and I have soft spots for both.

Selecting a main dish is no easier. Although the braised beef cheek was
awfully tempting, I can never pass up a good confit de canard. Though confit is as much of a brasserie staple in Tokyo as it is in Paris, I have been burned more than once. In the wrong hands, the dish can end up soggy, tough, or heart-stoppingly greasy (I was so happy to hear that a certain place, whose confit was guilty of all three of the aforementioned sins, closed, that I clapped). Happily, the duck at Brasserie Gus was none of those things. The skin was crispy, the meat tender. This dish, like all of the mains at Gus, was served with a side of mashed potatoes and a medley of sautéed vegetables -- broccoli in cream, mushrooms in garlic sauce and cabbage finished with a touch of vinegar. Creative it isn't, but that's not really what you look for at a down-home place like this.


Our merry band of boozers passed on dessert and opted instead for a small cheese plate to go with our third bottle of wine, a lively red from Saint-Emilion whose name escapes me just now. Another pleasant surprise came with our bill: The tasty food and Gallic hospitality were a bargain at only Y5000 per person.

Yaraicho 82
3268-7157