LATURE

The lunch was a lovely experience and thoroughly enjoyed for two hours. Every plate presented was delicious and left a lasting impression. Regrettably, there wasn't time to return for dinner, as it would have been a pleasure. The food was very good and highly recommended to others who might visit. Making reservations proved to be a wise decision.

I recently enjoyed a delightful lunch course at Lature, seated at the counter, where I had a perfect view of the kitchen. The meal began with a unique deer blood macaroon, unique and surprisingly umami in the best way, setting a fascinating tone for the course. Next, I savored a cold corn soup, which featured a delightful balance of lemongrass, adding a refreshing sourness that perfectly complemented the natural sweetness of the corn. For the following course, I was presented with a beautifully arranged terrine. This dish featured a blend of deer, bear, and wild boar, with a rich foie gras center. Although I was initially skeptical upon hearing the ingredients, the robust flavors of the wild meats harmonized beautifully, though the boldness of their taste slightly overshadowed the foie gras. I then indulged in a Fish Wellington, which was juicy and tender, boasting a wonderful texture and a well-seasoned sauce. For the main course, I was served expertly cooked venison, prepared to a perfect medium-rare. The dish featured Hokkaido deer paired with a flavorful red wine sauce and Hokkaido potatoes, intriguingly reminiscent of sweet potatoes. However, with two pieces of meat on the plate, it’s best to eat quickly to ensure the second piece doesn’t lose its warmth. Finally, we concluded our meal with a beautifully balanced dessert of plum jelly and ice cream. As a fan of desserts, I must say this one was truly a standout!

Good concept, and they executed it well. It was a decent meal. The wild/game flavors were all things I'd never tried, so it was really unique. Service was great as well.

The ayu fish in wellington style is the best i have ever have! Wish I can get the whole piece of it! Vension is well-cooked with juicy texture and balancing sauces. However, we were seated at the extended part of the restaurant which is like a bakery...and they are short of staff during lunch so attention is limited Definitely want to try dinner with wines 🍷

Grabbed a lunch via Pocket Concierge - aside from the fact that I had to pay to secure a reservation, i had no complaints. It is a fine dining set up sans white tablecloths, a more casual and not-stuffy vibe. Very interest choice of ingredients (deer from Hokkaido), beautiful presentation. I do think they could better and more clearly explain the dishes, however, which would really enhance the experience

We had the full dinner menu with beef as the main course. There were three main courses to choose from, however the entire table needed to other the same main course. Quite upset on this part. One of us wanted beef, and the other one was not so into beef, so end up half the table was not happy. Need to paper-rock-scissor and whoever wins gets to pick. I rarely encounter this when I go to French Michelin restaurants in Japan: the guests always get to pick their favourable main course. From the appetizer (macaroon), foiegras paste toast, creamy soup, bouch, sashimi covered in reddish, a veggie stew pot, pate, wellington… not that they were not tasty. Just none of them were memorable. Also, the restaurant didn’t have any menu. So basically you didn’t know what you would be eating. I only knew there were a lot of hunted meat like deer, etc. However, the waiter who described the dish in English, was not very fluent (could only understand barely half). Bread and butter was not good. I usually expect Michelin restaurant would home-made their own butter/spreadable. However, this block of butter seems like from supermarket. Very cold and hard, didn’t bother trying. The only good part of the meal was the beef. Very tender and juicy. The guests who wanted beef was happy.

Lature is a Michelin 1-star French restaurant in Tokyo which also has a green star. Online reservation is straightforward. According to the building directory, the restaurant occupies both the basement and 2/F, but there is no clear sign for the entrance(s). The elegant 2/F dining room has a high ceiling. It is minimally decorated and well-ventilated. Tables are set with much space in between. The 5-course set lunch Menu LATURE (JPY 8,096/person) is aesthetically plated, but food quality is rather inconsistent. The seafood dishes are the most unimpressive. While the Marinated Red Shell and Ground Cherry lacks the natural freshness and sweetness, the Poired Saint Pierre Squid Ink Sauce is rough and tough. Highlights of the meal are the crispy Deer’s Blood Cookie and the juicy Roasted Venison with Seasonal Vegetables. Staff is green, inefficient, and unwelcoming! While they experienced difficulty in printing out the menu, their food introduction sounded like tape recordings. One of the waiters actually dropped a knife next to my cousin’s leg; luckily no one was hurt. The high rating online doesn’t reflect the poor service!

We had the chef menu with wine pairing. Food was delicious and well prepared. Wine pairing although not of the premium kind but the price point was very fair and choices were thoughtful. The chef sending us off after the meal was a nice touch. The restaurant can definitely contend for 2 stars should it wants to. Small improvements on the finesse, setting (space, utensils, noise level), plating etc would definitely get it there. Again very happy with the meal and very pleased to have discovered this.

I went for the fish lunch course, which featured beautifully presented fish - 3 courses of it - and a dessert. I enjoyed the first course in particular (with liquid nitrogen sauce?) as well as the smoked salmon. The final course, an ayu pie, was heavy and by this time, I was already full. Note that 3 courses of fish is a LOT of fish. Some vegetables would have been nice. So I can't say I was pleased about the lack of balance and diversity. I had also ordered two glasses of red wine. The first glass was served in a white wine glass and was poured in approximately half the amount of the second. That was also pretty disappointing.