© Takuto Paris, Géraldine Martens – Iné – Yujin, Bird Food And Co and More Content Studio.
At the moment, Paris is living on Japanese time, displaying its share of openings, each more attractive than the last. If the trend is towards haute Japanese gastronomy, we never tire of lunching in pretty canteens at nice prices to click our chopsticks around handrolls, bentos And skewers of author. Focus on three cool and well-thought-out new addresses that have delighted our appetite.
The most comfortable: Iné
The mood: walking past without stopping would be an unforgivable mistake! Inéit’s a little gem that hides its game well. Only four tables fit in this very small restaurant which allows you to observe Sarah getting busy from the open kitchen. This former press officer specializing in luxury has reconverted to open the chakras of Parisians to traditional bentos, these boxes which contain rice, proteins and vegetables. Served at lunch only, its generous and tidy bentos, to devour on the spot or to take away, are already delighting the orphans of (the late) Nanashi who are missing a lunch as healthy as it is delicious. Enough to discover true Japanese gastronomy! A tip: follow Iné on social networks: Sarah sometimes organizes collab’ and events in his restaurant, like a brunch exceptional.
A la carte: what are these hiding bentos ? Three options are served every lunchtime (€16.50 to take away, +€1 on site): one version meat with a delicious minced pork and beef steak, another with fish with cod and an option veggie with mushroom and tofu steak. Each bento is served with Japanese rice, edamame for the crunchy side, a sweet/savory carrot stir-fry, eggplant marinated in miso sauce (a delight), a pumpkin salad, zucchini baked and marinated red cabbage. Yes, yes, all that in one box! Another option: daily specials which change all the time. A fried chicken of which you will tell us news, curries Japanese, from katsudon… In short: the Japanese canteen we dreamed of.
Iné, 29 rue D’Enghien, Paris 10th. Open Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
© Iné.
The mood: among the legendary addresses of passage of Panoramas there is a new spot that is likely to get a lot of attention. Yujinwhich means “friends” in Japanese, is the baby of four friends – Pierre Sene, Bryan Birget, Alexandre Basse And Guillaume Guedj – fusing Japanese cuisine, street food and hip-hop. On the bottom of Rihanna And Jay Z, we enter a place where the spirit of the times mixes with tradition: woodwork, exposed beams, an old bistro staircase go perfectly with the neon lights, the subdued lights and the white tiled counter. The mood? We sit at the counter on high chairs in this small, elongated restaurant, where the festive atmosphere and the proximity between customers invite chatting, especially after one or two cocktails shaken by Bryan Birget.
A la carte: we start with one of his creations, namely a Gin and Tonic well struck (€14) or a Piña Colada which sends you directly to Copacabana (€12). In the kitchen, it is Pierre Sene who pilots. The chef, who sharpened his knives at Bernard Loiseau And The Snail Montorgueil, pays homage to Japanese cuisine while allowing for transgressions, mischievously rolling out a menu that is both comforting and creative. Time for starters, to share (or not!): “Tokyo Drift“, of the beef and cheese skewers revisited as sushi with raclette cheese and flambés at the counter (€14). You could almost lick the plate… Fish lovers will prefer the delicious salmon tartare (€12), perfectly tangy and accompanied by a divine homemade mayo, all to be placed on a rice cake. Idyllic combo. Save room for dishes: at Yujin, the curry is king! Vegetable tempura, fried chicken or beef: make your choice (€16 – 18). The chicken and beef melt in your mouth while the curry is just spicy enough. Sweet tooths will finally pounce on the yuzu cheesecake (€6), not too tangy, and the pineapple-coconut mochis (€7), each served on a raspberry-mango coulis. A success.
Yujin, 53 Passage des Panoramas, Paris 2nd. Open Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday to Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight.
© Yujin, Bird Food And Co and More Content Studio.
The sharpest: Takuto
The mood: when the sushi master Takuya Watanabe (Taku for short, ex-chef of Jin) and the serial restaurateur David Memmi (the daddy of burgers Birdy) are launching a Japanese canteen in the middle of Saint-Germain-des-Prés with all four hands, this is clearly not in jest. Finito the boring boxes of California and salmon sushi. At the house of Takuto, raw fish makes its starlet directly from super well-designed drawer boxes, as practical as they are Insta-friendly. Located on Rue de Seine (and on delivery, joy), their little bombs of handrolls take on the air of couture snacks that we happily take for a picnic with a view of the river.
A la carte: on site, we recommend 3 to 5 handrolls of your choice, cut into four large slices and placed in their pretty box (lunch menus from €24 to €40, 5 rolls €38). Our recs? Kaito Maki with fatty tuna, red tuna, marinated squash and shiso, shrimp Ebi Tempura, Unagi with eel, cucumber, tamago or Negi Toro and salmon or sea bream rolls. These little beauties that fit perfectly in the hand are super easy to enjoy and are easy to share with your +1. We add them some delicious marinated edamame, a miso soup that delivers flavor and we pray that the dessert of the day will be that again. matcha cheesecake which we still remember for the umami.
TAKUTO Paris, 71 rue de Seine, Paris 6th. Open from Tuesday lunchtime to Friday evening from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Delivery to Paris Intra-Muros and nearby suburbs via UberEats Tuesday to Sunday noon and evening.
© Takuto Paris, Géraldine Martens
Also discover a gourmet Italian restaurant in the 8th And a super romantic bistro in the Latin Quarter.
