APRIL/MAY 2019STEAK
FILET AND
STEAK SANDWICH
AT SHIMA STEAKThere’s no street-level sign
for Shima Steak, and no
writing on the door that
sits below a branch of
the Japanese chain Tully’s
Coffee. The easiest way
to find the restaurant is
the occasional narcotic
waft of roasting Wagyu
beef, which chef Oshima
Manabu imports from his
native Kyoto, wet-ages, and
cooks on rotisserie skewers
in an oven of his own
design. Shima’s steak sand-
wich is Instagram-famous:
two slices of Pullman bread
slathered in house-made
secret sauce and stuffed
with grilled Wagyu scraps.
It’s sliced into thirds and
packed into a bento box
for the road—the takeout
of emperors. According to
the hostess, the sandwich
should never see the
inside of a refrigerator,
and should be consumed
within 24 hours.PASTA
SQUID INK PASTA
AT BULGARI IL
RISTORANTE-LUCA
FANTINChef Luca Fantin, of
Treviso, Italy, imports
very little from his
homeland for the thrilling,
modern, molto Italiano
dishes he’s serving above
the Bulgari boutique in
Ginza Tower. Yes, the dry
pasta comes from Italy.
So does the top-notch
wine selection, aged
carnaroli rice, and the
Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Almost everything else is
sourced in Japan which
has more in common with
Italy than you might think.
“They have the same sea-
sons, they’re on the same
parallel,” Fantin says. Jet-
black, squid ink spaghetti
is slicked with a squid
stock and topped with raw
aori ika (reef squid), which
melts in your mouth thanks
to meticulous knife work
that Fantin hones with
everyday practice. MARTINI AT
MORI BARTakao Mori, 71, is
considered the grand-
father of the martini in
Japan. In his signature
version—served at the
tiny, windowless, 10th-
floor bar bearing his
name in Ginza—punchy
Boodles gin is tempered
by a touch of vermouth,
a drop of orange
bitters, and a faint mist
of lemon. It’s a potent
and perfect take on the
classic. The elegant,
diamond-etched coupe
is bigger than it looks,
so order more than one
at your own risk.BARTENDER’S
CHOICE AT
BAR HIGH FIVEThe encyclopedic
selection of spirits takes
up an entire wall at Bar
High Five in Ginza. Giveone of the talented
bartenders a few data
points on your prefer-
ences and prepare to
be pleasantly surprised
by exotic local liqueurs
that elevate the classics
and create entirely
new cocktails found
nowhere else.SIX-COCKTAIL
TASTING AT
GEN YAMAMOTOA six-drink tasting
sounds excessive,
but spirits take a back
seat to seasonal fruits
and vegetables at this
eight-seat bar. On a
recent night, fresh plum
juice was spiked with
cherry brandy and a
touch of wasabi, while
grated kabocha squash
was enlivened with
toasted squash seeds
and smoky Japanese
whiskey. Six drinks here
feel like not enough.And Don’t Miss These
Masterfully Mixed DrinksMODERN
FRENCHPIGEON WITH
“GUTS SAUCE” AT
L’EFFERVESCENCEL’Effervescence is nomi-
nally French, a label that
doesn’t much interest chef
Shinobu Namae. “I don’t
care how it’s categorized,”
he says of the food that
earned him two Michelin
stars. “I want to be free
and I want you to feel
free.” Freedom, in this
case, means blending
techniques and traditions
for maximum pleasure
and effect. Take the small
gold-leaf bowl, filled with
a vibrant blend of wine
and sake, presented at the
start of the meal. Pigeon,
grilled over straw for a
sharp, woodsy smokiness,
was served over a rich
“guts sauce” and finely
diced piles of gingered
clam from Hokkaido. It was
paired with a juicy Côte-
Rôtie. The eight-course
lunch is probably the best
$100 you can spend on a
meal here—or anywhere.The Eiffel Tower-inspired
Tokyo Tower dominates
the skyline (opposite);
L’Effervescence serves
pigeon (top left); bar-
tender Takao Mori makes
his signature drink, the
martini, at Mori Bar (top
right); squid ink pasta is a
must at Italian restaurant
Bulgari il Ristorante-
TAKASHI YASUMURA (RESTAURANT), MARIE TAKAHASHI (BARTENDER)Luca Fantin (right).