RAYON

New year lunch at the Rayon French restaurant. sensuous pleasure and Each dish took full advantage of seasonal ingredients. This restaurant is known for it's gastronomy and a beautiful pleasant atmosphere. Let me express my heartfelt appreciation to all of the staff꒰◍''౪`◍꒱۶✧˖° 去年も、お正月に家族でお食事させてもらいま...したが、大変サービスも良くお店の雰囲気も洗練していて、食事一つ一つにも、五感で味わう事が出来て最高です。お野菜のソムリエさんのお勧めは、カラフルで、シャキシャキとみずみずしく野菜の味もしっかり堪能出来て楽しめますし、スタッフさん達の丁寧な説明や、気配りも素晴らしいです。また、次回が楽しみです。

Visited January 2016

This French fusion restaurant is 9 minutes walking distance from Hankyu Umeda station. Located on a 10th floor of Hotel Harmonie Osaka, a boutique hotel designed by Japanese Pritzker Laureate Tadao Ando made this restaurant highly recognizable--easy to find with its concrete finishing and long tall ...Triangle truss. We booked for 7-courses dinner plan on Sunday evening and felt really welcomed by the staffs. As soon as we got out from the EV the reception staff greet us and kindly escorted us to our table near the window, overlooking chayamachi district. The ambiance of the restaurant is excellent, nothing overly extravagant but pleasing to the eyes(you can see Tadao Ando's style reflected here), with soft music enhancing the mood. The always smiling waiters were also really attentive but nothing too excessive. We felt really cared during our time there. This restaurant specialty are vegetables dishes, honestly saying we had doubts at first whether it will satisfy carnivore like us. But no worries as the meat and fish dishes presentation were also really palatable. BUT the vegetable is the main star, have you ever tasted corn so sweet and juicy enough to be eaten raw? Or watery--almost like cucumber and sweet raw eggplants that melts in your mouth? This restaurant have "vegetable sommelier" system which will taylor vegetable dishes according to you liking in front of your eyes(you can have seconds for no extra charges). If you are a person who loves your vegetables, then this is a MUST! Now for the detailed review, Firstly, the amuse, thinly baked baguette with "nasubi" eggplant puree spread. Accompanying it is Pâté with thinly julienned negi on top. The puree is really smooth and light, rich with no oily taste present. Next is the vegetable dish, bavarian style Ameura tomato cream on top of fresh fruit tomato to contrast, even without sugar the cream is surprisingly sweet, rich in umami. Seasonal vegetable, Salmon roe with tobikko and kuskus, also Iwana fish carpaccio are also there as a side with basil froth. The texture of the chewy fish, juicy tomato, rich cream and air-light froth is music for the tongue. Although in opinion, softer bavarian cream will make things better. after that comes the soup, today’s soup is vichyssoise cold potato soup. But this is by no mean your usual vichyssoise soup. Chef whipped the potato until it has nice fluffy texture with finish of lemon oil. As you "dig in deeper" you'll find "surprise", such as changing flavor from potato to corn pottage, and "tenagaebi" Japanese lobster, Hokkado fresh urchin hidden on the bottom. The fish dish is of suzuki(Japanese sea bass). The dish comes in 3 layers, first layer is white wine infused fish mousse torched for added aroma. The second layer is oven baked suzuki to perfection-melt in your mouth kind of thing. Last layer, is crunchy sautéed purple cabbage. This dish comes in secret Seafood sauce, asari clams, scallop and shrimp if i guess correct. after the fish dish, the restaurant offers vegetable wagon service as flavor setter. Selections were nice. All sort of specialty vegetables from all across of Japan, no vegetables you ll find in the your regular super market, such as sea asparagus, gold rush corn, to edible cactus! For the meat dish, you can pick one from the selection of the day. Ours was Beef, pork, and pigeon. We picked grilled wagyu ribs with foie grass and seasonal vegetables cooked in various styles. This dish is nothing short of fantastic. For the dessert, again there is wagon service, pick your favorites(there was 10) and they will arrange the plate and present it for you with fresh fruit sauce. Bad for diet buy heaven for sweet tooth, ask for bigger cut and they'll be happy to assist. If you decide to stay for chat after dinner they'll provide free flow of fresh fruit tea(mine was cherry and peach which is in season). You can ask for different types every time you ask for seconds. This has becomes quite a long review but worth every words. I have been blessed with chance to visit many Michelin stars restaurants in Japan such as Ca sento, Hajime, Fujiya 1935, etc. And this restaurant paralleled to those restaurant in qualities. It really saddens me as this restaurant is heavily underrated. But the price is clearly a big win here, starting from 10000 yen++ for dinner course is a bargain in Osaka i tell you! If you are here on vacation don't hesitate to try Rayon. It is French, yes, but with heavy touch of Japanese cookings idea and philosophies.And hey! When else will you have the chance to sample all sort of Japanese specialty produce in one night?

Visited August 2015

My family and I were fortunate enough to enjoy a superb New Year’s Day lunch at Rayon restaurant at the hotel Harmonie Embrassee. A sumptuous 6-course lunch really hit the the spot with all in the family. Each dish was a success, including the vegetable sommelier which in fact was a highlight. The b...ubbles flowed and the service couldn’t have been better. I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone wishing to partake in a lovely setting with mouthwatering food.

Visited January 2015