Esterre Tokyo Lunch – Best Beef of Japan (World?)

The menu at Esterre Tokyo restaurant has a steak option that requires a supplement of Yen 13,200, which is more than the price of an entire set lunch. Mr Kyukou Tanaka beef from Kobe is said to be the best beef in Japan, and possibly the world. This was something we could not resist trying.

Esterre Tokyo – Michelin Star Restaurant in Palace Hotel

Restaurant Esterre Tokyo in Palace Hotel is described as “a fine dining restaurant showcasing contemporary French haute cuisine in partnership with DUCASSE Paris.” It opened in November 2019 and received a one-star restaurant recognition in the “Michelin Guide Tokyo 2023.”

It is a beautiful modern restaurant with views of parts of the Imperial Palace. We particularly like its spaciousness. Tables were laid out far from each other. Service quality was top notch with a high staff to customer ratio. This is a nice place to have a long lunch in Tokyo.

Bread and Wine

Bread was carefully dispensed methodically out of wooden boxes. The result – consistent and cleanly cut pieces of bread.

Wine selection at Esterre Tokyo is more than adequate with French wines taking centre stage. Here is a picture of a page from the Esterre Tokyo wine list.

Our choice of wine for lunch was a bottle of 2021 Joseph Drouhin Chablis Reserve de Vaudon (¥ 14,000). On its website, it is described as “(a)n elegant wine. Brilliant colour, with hints of green. Typical Chablis nose, where aromas of citrus (lemon) fern and even salty sensations predominate. ” Clean and fresh is all we can add to that.

Esterre Tokyo Lunch Menu

We think that the Esterre Tokyo lunch menu is probably the best value-for-money fine dining deal in Tokyo. The basic three course and coffee costs ¥ 12,000. We decided on the pricier version (¥ 17,000) which has an additional main course. That is before the ¥ 13,200 Tanaka Kobe beef option which we shall deal with later.

Amuse Bouche

The trio of amuse bouche items were delicate and enjoyable. A combination of small amounts of fish and vegetables, they put us in the mood for more eating.

Starters

Our choices for starter were marinated kinmedai (pic above) and poached amagi shamo. The kinmedai (I believe it is a type of snapper) was fresh and a fine example of combining Japanese raw fish techniques with French cuisine. Amagi shamo is said to be the best chicken in Japan. The texture was smooth and moist. Very good chicken but we found the dish to be quite bland overall.

Lunch at Esterre Tokyo – First Main Courses

Our first main courses were fish dishes – kamasu (barracuda) and wild salmon. Both were fine dishes which we would be happy to order again. We notice that the type of fish changes in the menu. There is a different type of fish on the menu today. So it depends on what is the season and the types that the chef prefers.

Beef Course – Kumamoto Beef

Our second round of main courses were beef dishes. The ‘default’ beef main course on the menu was described as “local beef”. The type of beef served on the day of our visit was Kumamoto beef. We have fond memories of our visit to Kumamoto in Kyushu some years ago. On that visit, we did not eat any beef there but we did try raw horse meat when we were there at Aoyagi Restaurant.

We were impressed by the quality of the Kumamoto beef. It was tender, juicy and very flavourful. If we just had the ¥ 12,000 course with this steak and the fish starter, we would be contented.

Beef Course : Mr Kyukou Tanaka Kobe – Best Beef in Japan

There were two beef options on the menu, a “local beef” option and a Mr Kyukou Tanaka beef option which required an additional ¥ 13,200 payment. Who is Kyukou Tanaka? We know the reputation of Kobe beef but have never heard of him. A quick Google search revealed some impressive results.

According to a Conde Nast Article, Mr Tanaka feeds his animals only organic food and washes them with Shiseido-brand shampoo. Keeping his cattle happy and stress-free is apparently the way to producing award winning cows. In 2016 his was the most expensive Kobe cow sold in the world: $50,000 for the 1,510-pound animal. The 40-month-old cow also received the highest fat marbling score in the entire history of Kobe beef. Given that Japanese beef is often described as best in the world, this could arguably be the best beef in the world. Here is a video about Kyukou Tanaka and his cows.

On the plate, the special beef did not look any different from regular steak. Slicing it open revealed the difference. The beef was almost translucent. There was clearly lots of fat in the meat but they were so evenly spread out such that there were no distinct fatty bits. The taste was wonderful. A good comparison that comes to mind is the premium fatty tuna at sushi restaurants.

We thought it was good decision to have a chance to taste the best beef in Japan. But given the price difference, we are unlikely to do it again on a repeat visit as the “basic” beef was already very good.

Desserts

After the excitement about the beef, lunch ended with some light desserts.

Ratings:
Food: 5
Service: 5
Value: 4 (5 if Kobe beef option not selected)
Atmosphere: 5
Overall Rating: 5 TOPs 

Esterre Tokyo
Palace Hotel 6th Floor
1 Chome-1-1 Marunouchi
Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005
Japan

Open: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm L.O.
6 pm – 8:00 pm L.O. (10:00 pm Close)
Closed on Sun and Mon (exceptions apply)

Website