lien（リアン）

A small restaurant (10 seats) tucked in a quiet area although it is just few minutes walk from subway station. Reservation is a must. The place is operated by only 2 persons (it appears that they are husband who is the chef and wife who is the server) who do not speak English. . We chose the JPY8...500 chef's menu and a bottle of Alsace. Both the ingredients and the cooking is excellent.. For JPY8500, it is just super value

May 2018に訪問

LIEN (Odori West 20, 1st floor, one block west of the Sapporo Josei Center, facing south) This maman et papa fine French near West 18 station bustles at lunchtime. Tonight was my first dinner there. Here’s a blow-by-blow of the multi-course “Menu Chef” (7,500 yen). STARTING TEA: Mint tea with a h...int of fig Refreshing! Off to a good start. AMUSE BOUCHE: Foie gras with candied kumquat and toasted brioche crumbs The citrus didn’t pair well with the foie gras, and liver was a heavy way to start off. This course is probably geared to those who like to open with champagne. APPETIZER I: Terrine of ray with deep-fried cod milt, broccoli, white turnip and assorted greens Despite being deep-fried, the cod milt was creamy and light as air. Wonderful! The broccoli and turnip were overcooked. The ray would have been fine by itself, but I found the combination of cold terrine, hot milt and cold-and-hot veg jarring. This dish lacked focus. APPETIZER II: Squid ink risotto with grilled squid and Arctic surf clam (hokki-gai) The seafood was fresh and flavorful. The risotto was beautifully textured; too bad it was a bit oversalted. FISH COURSE I: Grilled abalone and homard lobster over pureed spinach The abalone, from the famous fishing town of Esashi in Southwest Hokkaido, was tender and fresh. The lobster was succulent. Both went well perfectly with the smooth, buttery spinach. Full marks. BREAD: Whole-wheat roll Lovely wheaty scent, but dry and unpleasant in texture. “FERMENTED” BUTTER The Hokkaido producer may have been going for Brittany-style butter with sea-salt crystals, but it tasted like ordinary butter with table salt. A gimmick that fell flat. FISH COURSE II: Quenelle of cod with crab and sea urchin in sauce Américaine The sauce was the best part of this dish. The quenelle was on the moussey side for my palate. The velouté-based sauce was perfectly seasoned and matched the richness of the crab and sea urchin. Sea urchin can have a livery flavor, but not here. FRENCH BREAD Crisp, with an open crumb. Personally I look for more meatiness in my French bread. This was bordering on Italian. PALATE REFRESHER: Spumante sherbet Airy and not over-alcoholic. Mission accomplished. MEAT COURSE: Center-cut of deer thigh with black pepper and grilled turnip Deer makes frequent appearances on winter menus in Sapporo. This was a hunter’s take from Sarobetsu, the famous wetland town on Hokkaido’s northwest coast. Lean game like this needs just a hint of roasting, and the chef hit the sweet spot. Tender, with no gaminess. And after the overcooked veg above, the firm roasted turnip was welcome. A highlight. DESSERT: Chocolate mousse with raspberry gelato, meringue biscuit, caramel sauce and piped puree of lily bulb mon blanc style Rich mouse, tart gelato: Perfect. But the lily bulb was overalls at an opera. I know veg puree on the dessert plate is a thing. Don’t ask me to like it. TEA: Orange sucré Soapy fragrance. Not my cup of you-know-what. COFFEE: Italian roast. Superb. CANNELES BORDELAIS AU CHOCOLAT AND FINANCIER CAKE The financier was properly moist. The cannelés were tough and dry. WINE The Piemonte Nebiolo was mis-described by the waitress as “shikkari” (solid, sturdy). It had little nose or heft and did not merit the 6,500-yen price. The Montepulciano house wine was rough, and at 1,000 yen a glass, we would have felt hard done by if we’d ordered it. Fortunately, we asked to taste it and the waitress generously agreed. We declined it and left feeling we'd dodged a bullet. THE NEGATIVES The vegetable issues described above: some veg overcooked, some veg crashing the dessert party. Disappointing wine, although two kinds is an admittedly small sample. THE POSITIVES Fresh local ingredients. An amazing variety of dishes and ingredients, especially impressive given the winter season. Satisfying portions. Quiet, well-lit ambiance. Friendly, attentive service. Overall, an enjoyable experience.

January 2015に訪問