We ate at Rucola, just 3 minutes walk off JR Yoyogi station, Tokyo.
The name actually rang a bell to me. There was at one time a Rucola restaurant near my office. For company lunch parties we always go there, the food was known to be very tasty and their specialty escargot is to die for. Sometime last year the restaurant in Nishi-Azabu closed down and is rumored to open somewhere else.
When we walked by last night, I was pleasantly surprised. I told Tuesday-People-A from Italy that we should find out if this restaurant was a spin-off from the previous one.
The restaurant is in a basement floor right below Cambodian restaurant Angkor Watt. We walked in to be surprised with the very spacious setting.
We were seated by the Maître d'on a small stage thing right in the heart of the restaurant. Nice.
We opened the evening with a bottle of Borola. Tasty.
We also ordered a course menu for 3,000 yen per head. After telling them our limitation (Tuesday-People-A from Italy requires no pork or red meat, and me no pork or red meat or mayonnaise), we let them do the food thinking and hoped to be pleasantly surprised.
This is what we got:
hors d'ouvre:
smoked duck
fish carpacio
a small bed of salad
pickled pepper
bread and garlic butter (free seconds and thirds)
pasta 1 (eggplant and tomato)
pasta 2 that we ordered à la carte (gorgonzola and herbs)
main
you can choose from the followings:
1. beef tongue and sauce
2. shrimps, scallops, steamed beans and sauce
3. beef roast steak
4. grilled chicken with vegetable, beans and potatoes (and because Tuesday-People-A from Italy didn't like any of the three above, they made a special dish)
dessert
chocolate cake and some whipped cream
coffee or herb tea
I can't believe they charged only 3000 yen for the lot. I couldn't even finish my dessert since we got so much food!!!
To be fair, I wouldn't be bragging about the taste of the food in Rucola, it's good and well prepared - but not outstanding.
However, there are two things that have sealed the deal for us going back there.
1. They are flexible.
For those who have dined out in Japan more than 5 times and often find themselves in the situation where they found bacon in their Caesar Salad when they have explicitly told the restaurants that they don't eat pork, only to come back at you "Well, that's bacon, it's not pork." when questioned. What, do they actually think that bacon grows on trees?
You will appreciate Rucola's readiness to create a brand new menu on the spot.
2. They are friendly. They have a very polite, very friendly and above all... very patient team of staff over there.
OK, we're not proud about it, but some time the Tuesday people can be difficult when we dine out together at a restaurant. One thing to understand is that all of us are foodies. We cook well and thus when we go out we demand the food to be good, too. Or if the food is no good, then the service has to make up for it. That's simply our motto. Since we actually pay money for that, you know...
There were things that caught our attention and we are not shy to bring it up. Of course we are never rude or mean about these things, but some people may find it a little... well, unbecoming.
Yesterday one of us thought he found some pork in his food and raised his concern. Only to discover that it was actually roast duck. And then another incident with the spelling of Borola.
Rucola team is ever so gracious and unassuming and patient to our table. They never once changed their kindness and helpfulness throughout the entire evening. The chef even came out and shook our hands to say goodbye. Hmm, maybe they were happy to see us left? I hope not! I want to go back!
More information on Rucola can be found here. (Official information only available in Japanese)
Restaurant Information:
Casual Italian "Rucola"
1-38-13 B1 Yoyogi
Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 1-38-13
Tel: 03-3379-5678
à la carte menu starts from 630 yen
course menu: 3,000 yen and 4,000 yen per head
Rating
food quality *****
food taste ***
service *****
value to money *****
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