A note on the words: Tencha no Umami and Otona no Cola are non-alcoholic drinks on the menu, the former pairing green tea with orange peel, basil, and salt. Hokkigai is surf clam, amanatsu is a mild Japanese citrus, and Asakusa Kaikaro is a Tokyo noodle workshop renowned among ramen shops, collaborating here on fresh Italian pasta. Kainomi and sasami are both prized cuts of Japanese beef here, not the chicken tenderloin that sasami usually names, and biancomangiare is an almond-milk pudding served here as gelato beneath a white tiramisu.
Table of Contents hide
SALONE TOKYO on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. For lunch this time, I went to the Italian restaurant “SALONE TOKYO” in Tokyo Midtown Hibiya. Once before, when I walked right past the restaurant, lunchtime had just barely ended and I could not get in, which had only stoked my desire to visit. Plus, a phrase from a featured Tabelog review had caught my eye — “Don’t overthink it. It’s delicious.” — so I promptly booked a table.
The entrance is stylish too!
Seven-course lunch featuring carefully chosen ingredients — 7,700 yen
Eight-course special lunch — 14,300 yen
A choice between the special lunch course and the regular lunch course. This time I went with the most popular option, the seven-course lunch.
Now then, drinks…
Unfortunately I could not drink alcohol at lunchtime, so looking through the non-alcoholic options, there were novel drinks that were neither standard tea nor juice! Names like Otona no Cola and Tencha no Umami. Looking closely, they even indicate what they pair with, such as FOR SHELL FISH. Well, I did not notice that on the day, ha, and simply chose the Tencha no Umami that had caught my eye.
Green tea, orange peel, basil, and salt.
How to describe it — a very curious drink. It is built on a green tea base, but you detect a touch of saltiness, giving it an unusual feel, ha. The basil and orange peel add a refreshing lift, making it a great drink for resetting your palate.
The first dish was boiled octopus. You might think, ‘Wait, ha, octopus? Where?’ — resting on top is a foam of asari clams, with the octopus hidden underneath!
This octopus is so good.
While tender, it retains a pleasant bite, and with every chew flavor floods out. The accompanying foam of asari clams lends a lovely, subtle shellfish flavor! The orange oil drizzled over the top adds a refreshing note and tastes delicious.
The olive oil was Lorenzo No.5 (an olive oil)! Incredibly delicious.
A bed of couscous, often called the oldest pasta, topped with asparagus, hokkigai (surf clam), a jelly of prosciutto, and amanatsu (a mild Japanese citrus).
A jelly of prosciutto?! I thought at first, but it has a delicate flavor and is delicious. Honestly, this dish is wonderfully good too. The asparagus is great, and while I wondered whether surf clam would go with it, they pair together brilliantly. The amanatsu is present in juicy segments, giving everything a refreshing crispness that makes it so easy to eat.
These noodles were apparently developed by the owner in collaboration with Asakusa Kaikaro (a Tokyo noodle maker known for supplying ramen shops). They are a familiar name in ramen shops, of course, ha, but here they have turned into something so elegant. There is lamb ragu, alongside both roasted mushrooms and thinly sliced fresh mushrooms. The noodles are delightfully chewy — just what you would expect from Kaikaro noodles! The aroma of fresh mushrooms and marjoram brings a refreshing lift to the rich, deep ragu. It goes wonderfully with the cheese and is simply delicious!
The main meat course was kainomi and sasami, both rare beef cuts from Kogen Kuroushi (a Japanese beef brand). The vegetable garnish alongside is incredibly good. The grilling is absolutely spot on: Brussels sprouts and stick senor (a long-stemmed broccoli). The sauce paired with the beef is a bearnaise made with Irodori Tenyu eggs (a Japanese egg brand). Rich and creamy, the sauce holds its own against the robust flavor of the beef and complements it beautifully. Honestly, every single dish so far has been delicious.
Apparently, in its home country, there is a way of ordering ice cream in which it is sandwiched in brioche.
Here, lemon sorbet is tucked into a plump, bite-sized brioche, accented with limoncello and sliced lemon. The lemon aroma comes through vividly, making for an extraordinarily crisp and pleasant dessert. Delicious.
This is another signature dish: white tiramisu. It is pure white! Underneath lies a layer of caramelized almonds, Marsala jelly, blood orange, biscotti Regina, and biancomangiare gelato. Rich, sweet, and delicious!
The chocolate shaped like a salami was charming.
Really, at 7,700 yen, this felt like tremendous value. Every dish was delicious and wonderful! I am not sure I have had many Italian courses this stylish before. Without question, it is a restaurant you can count on for a truly delicious experience. Midtown has Philippe Mille (another restaurant in Midtown Hibiya) and so many other great spots! And finally, let me close with that phrase once more:
“Don’t overthink it. It’s delicious.”
SALONE TOKYO (Italian / Hibiya Station, Yurakucho Station, Ginza Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★★★ 5.0
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
