[Tokyo] Sugalabo - Introduction Only French Restaurant

Sugalabo opened 2 years ago and is currently ranked in Tokyo's top 10 restaurants on Tabelog with a score of 4.66. Opened by Yosuke Suga who had worked for Joel Robuchon for 16 years, the 20-seat restaurant is introduction-only but luckily I was able to secure a dinner reservation with the help of a friend. The entrance to the restaurant is inconspicuous - there were no signs and I only knew to look for a Orange Cafe. I saw a few other people waiting near a glass door with a painting of a moon and that was how I found the entrance to Sugalabo. 

Once we were inside, we were led to a 8-seat counter with a full frontal view of the open kitchen. The set menu for the night was already placed on our seats and we opted for the optional wine pairing (¥12,000) as well. 

We started the meal with this Monaka filled with ikura and creamy egg yolk. The crisp wafer was made especially for Sugalabo by famed Kyoto confectionery Suetomi.

We then had a Turtle Soup which reminded us of the one we had at Den. 

The house made sourdough bread was fantastic and they kept filling our bread plate with them. 

Fried Matsutake Mushroom and Himeji with tartar sauce and chili powder

My favorite appetizer was this amazing Prosciutto from Bon Dabon in Gifu - the only certified Parma ham producer in Japan! The ham is only available at 2 restaurants in Tokyo (Sugalabo and Pellegrino) and we had our ham with warm rice underneath so it was like sushi almost.

We then started our meal with the first course Miyagi Sea Urchin with "Sekigane" Fresh Wasabi. With almost everyone dish we were shown the special seasonal ingredient that was used and it seemed like the real star of this dish was the wasabi rather then the sea urchin because we couldn't really taste the sweetness of the uni over the spiciness of the wasabi. 

Hokkaido Sardine with 25 Years Aged Balsamic

The Foie Gras with Shimeji was a rather interesting dish as the foie gras was stuffed inside a ravioli and served in a clear shimeji mushroom broth - I wasn't sure this combination worked for me though. 

Yamaguchi "Amadai" with Miura "Daikon"

Kanagawa Wagyu Beef

At the end of the savory portion of our meal, we were asked if we wanted cheese or curry rice to end the meal. I opted for the curry rice which had a real spicy kick to it but I'd still prefer the version at Loup de Mer and Shima. 

We were then served a super refreshing palate cleanser made with these tasty Yamanashi Kyoho Grapes.

Our main dessert was made with these Gifu Nakatsugawa Chestnuts with a really nice puff pastry and honey ice cream - I would enjoy it even more if I wasn't so full already. 

After the dessert we were served fresh mint tea with a few petit fours - fresh madeleines and an egg caramel pudding with lemon foam which also reminded us of the one we had at Den. 

True to its name, we were eating in Suga-san's laboratory and were treated to some very interesting and bold combinations that can be hard to find elsewhere. Not every combination worked for me but one thing is sure - the ingredients he use are some of the best you can find.

Sugalabo
1-11-10 Azabudai Minato Tokyo 
東京都 港区 麻布台 1-11-10 日総ビル1F
http://sugalabo.com/



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