Toshi Yoroizuka - A dessert bar with elegance and style

Toshi Yoroizuka worked in Belgium we were told, and cooked for royalty and commoners alike. It was there that he polished his talents as a pastry chef, and came back to Japan, to open two very popular and busy eponymously named pastry bars. In the gorgonzola cheese cake above, you see Y (for Yoroizuka) as the crown-jewel to his creation. Why is pastry so much better in Japan, than so many cities and towns in the US? We are so much closer to Europe. What do we not get? Or do we do not care for quality?

Walking with Shinji Nohara at our side, we felt comfortable knowing we would eat something wonderful at this dessert "place" he was taking us to. He did say this was not as much of a find as some of the other places he shared with us, but promised it would be lovely. As we got off the cab, walked into the Ritz, and then out of it, and watched these lit up trees, something inside my heart warmed up and was ready to be smitten by luscious desserts and memorable tastes.

 

The desserts are made from scratch, or almost from scratch. And that is the story behind dessert bars. The apple for the tarte tatin had been cooked before hand. It was then layered and constructed into a tarte tatin-like dessert before being presented. Funny that so many chefs, want to serve tarte tatin, and in doing so, compromise the very essence behind this most amazing dessert by making it an individual serving and not knowing how best to do it. Tarte Tatin does not lend itself to being done last minute. There is a certain joy and charm around it, when done from scratch, in a cast iron skillet, with the caramel enriching the apple and also the pastry. Constructed tarte tatin, simply never has that magic. Neither did this one. Though, as far as constructed versions go, this may have been the top two of I have eaten. The Grand Hyatt in Tokyo, had a DEELICIOUS individual Tarte Tatin, but not one done to order. They had it made in advance, but not lacking at the least for it. We ended up buying a family sized Tarte Tatin from their pastry shop the next day, and were so happy we did. It was like what we make at home, and would have had Julia Child very proud.

Strawberry Mille Feuille sounded wonderful to us, since strawberries in Japan had been consistently amazing. So much scent, nice sweetness, and for off-season berries, they were nothing like their American supermarket cousins. Of course they were also no where close to the fresh little berries we harvest at the farm, or find available locally in our county, or have eaten in Paris or at farmers market in San Francisco and from Chino Farms in CA. The thousand layer promise was certain. The soda-pop strawberry foam was unnecessary as most foam is, but did add some fizz and drama. I guess chefs want that, and certain customers too. They used creme anglaise and pistachio ice cream to add a special note and personality unique to Toshi Yoroizuka. It worked. Was nice and light and flavorful.

Pamplemousse de Sumatra was how the dessert above was listed on the menu. Pretty and delicate was what came to mind as we saw the dessert being made, and presented. The pamplemousse (grapefruit) had a wonderfully citrussy flavor. What ties it to Sumatra? I could not get an answer. Sometimes one learns to live with that. And in Japan, many questions asked in English, go unanswered. Lost in translation, or never understood in the first place. But you are never at a loss for wonder in Japan. And this never becomes an issue. The powder sprinkled on the rim of the plate had a bitterness similar to the grapefruit seed extract that our friend Cynthia Rosenfeld had us buy as a citrus booster to help against flus and colds. We thought of Cynthia and the healthful benefits of eating yet another dessert as we tasted the powder on the rim of the plate. The tuille was lovely and crunchy. The grapefruit ice cream delicious and light. The cheese souffle was hardly there, but gave a richness to the otherwise very cleansing dessert. The foamy mandarin sauce was also nice and flavorful and gave some creaminess and a textural contrast.

Biscuit Coulant Chocolate "Griottines" - a mouthful to say for sure. Chocolate cream and cherries were one of the many garnishes. We saw the tall garnishes made with chocolate get baked. I would have enjoyed the dessert a lot more, had my mind found out why the chef used these large shaped garnishes. The chocolate cake/biscuit was certainly runny as a coulant ought to be. I only wish they had used darker chocolate to add greater contrast to the milk-chocolate ice cream. They use 66% chocolate. I could have enjoyed even 80% and above in this dessert, at least in what they called biscuit coulant. The ice cream was beautifully prepared and had a wonderfully rich and creamy texture. Very little chocolate flavor. Just like milk chocolate! The cherries in kirsch (griottines) were what they ought to be. A good dessert, rendered well. As Charlie would say, "not bad at all, but not great either". What does that mean? To me it means it was very good. Not great! But is that always necessary? Well yes, but back home, we are accepting of so much mediocrity, that I feel it is beyond great, when you find very good overseas. In Japan, one often feels ashamed of being from America. One has to question our lifestyle every minute we live. From these desserts that at the worst were very good, and sometimes great, to the bathrooms that are very clean to astonishingly clean, to subways that are so very punctual, to trains that are phenomenally fast and clean, the list goes on, and you wonder why a nation like Japan can have such high standards for itself in everything it does, and why we, America, which claims to be the only superpower and the most advanced nation in the planet, can do very little that reaches very good to great. Well this could be a rant on another post. It ought to be. If we question, if we challenge, only then  can we be great. The Japanese do it with food, as they do it with other issues around life. And for that, the Japanese live a wonderfully comfortable and good life, even when not living like the richest of rich of Japan. Michel Bras would have been proud of this interpretation of what he made famous.

I often wonder what would have happened to my life if I had allowed an investor I worked with, to name my restaurant Suvir's? This questions goes through my brain often. And I am grateful that I did not allow that to happen. Of course I would have been several times more successful and richer in the checking account, but would I have had as rich a life as I do now? It is the answer to the last question that gives me peace. Having had Suvir's as a business, would have made me into an enterprise. And that would have allowed business savvy others to take over my life, and run it as they please. Of course, there is no harm in doing that. In fact sometimes, an enterprise can lead to many more avenues opening for the brain behind it. And hopefully, there are those investors that will still make me do all of that and more. But I am never too removed from that loss of innocence and honesty, that can become reality, if you lose all of yourself, and all your standards and principles, to the translating process that ensues once you have to be solvent to keep several others happy and inspired. Seeing Y as the garnish on this dessert, made me wonder what quality of desserts would we have tasted, had the Y been absent. Would they have been better? Worse? Who knows..... But funny that the chef chose to garnish the most tedious of all desserts perhaps to sell at a dessert shop with his initials. The Gorgonzola cheese cake was not enjoyed at all by Shinji and Charlie. They could have done without even the little taste they had. I on the other hand lapped it up, and did not leave a morsel on my plate. LOVED it, but could not say I would go back looking for it. The cheesecake was smelly but seemed perfumed for some reason. Perhaps the crust and the butter and sugar in it turned the savory smell into a more neutral smell? Who knows... Mind over matter, and anything becomes good. The two icecreams were wonderful. One was all blue and smelly, but delicious, the other a hazelnut ice cream and not at all savory. The nuts a good textural contrast. The tuilles ordinary, other than the statement they made of ego and presence. Of attitude and success. And of placing things in context.

 











Chocolate Souffle - Well suffice it to say, this may have been one of the better ones we have had. Light, airy, fluffy, well risen, and chocolate-y (but yes, darker deeper and richer chocolate would have made it the best every we had ever tasted) all at once. It disappeared even before we knew it had been served. The yolks were so beautifully yellow it was wonderful. Living at the farm, with heritage and rare breed eggs, has spoiled us as far as eggs go. But in Japan, eggs are very special and very tasty. And you often see eggs so large, you wonder what kind of chickens are laying them. As we raise chickens, we know that eggs come in all shapes and sizes, and that sometimes, giant eggs happen, and certain breeds are famous for that. It was wonderful to see Kato (the male chef) make the souffle from scratch, and enjoy beating the eggs by hand. It took me back into memory lane, when I would watch my mother for hours, as she beat eggs, churned cream into butter and butter into icing... all by hand until she finally got an electric whisk as a gift from her siblings aborad (US). She would make birthday cakes for 80 to 100 hungry young kids, and all herself, all by hand. The souffle was made with Suntory Yamazaki Single Malt (aged 12 years) and it added a nice nutty taste to the souffle. The effortless manner in which Kato prepared the souffle was a lesson in how one must be light handed and light hearted in the kitchen. It is after all a place where people come for pleasure. And for true pleasure, you need to keep ego and tedium at bay.

You are what you eat is the old dictat that I wish more of us would remember, me included. And similarly, what we eat is all about what is used in its preparation. At Toshi Yoroizuko, they use two kinds of creams as you can see in the photos. F has 45% butterfat and H has 38%. The chocolate was 66%, I wish they had more than one kind. Several kitchens, even at very high-end restaurants in NYC, work with one chocolate, and usually comparable to what they used here. How can I complain. I shall not. They use premier alcohol and spirits. Why would they use a 12 year old Single Malt from Suntory instead of the 18 year old that is readily available in Japan? I am sure the chef has a reason. The bar looks wonderful. The product they use are displayed with pride. A sign of a restaurant that respects the choices they make.

The ice cream machine was modest and doing a great job. Happy to see a chef who uses his initials to garnish desserts, use something simple and functional. Small batches ensure great freshness and quality.

The customers seemed very happy to be here, there were only two seats available as we arrived past 10 PM. And a line at the front of the restaurant, where people were coming in to pick up packaged pastries to go.

This chocolate dog found a place of pride at the bar. Did the chef make this for a competition? The dog has a story. And I am not aware of it.

There were two young cooks doing all the work, with the help of one person, who bussed for them, and also served us our drinks. The non-alcoholic apple juice I had from a vineyard in Germany was wonderful. Kato is the name of the male chef. He had never worked before in a pastry kitchen, and has worked with Toshi Yoroizuka for the last 4 years. He said he loved working here, and that this is where he has learned everything. Hiyoshi, the female chef, went to culinary school and worked in other restaurants before coming here. Has worked here for 4 years as well. Loves it too. They both were very polite, very disciplined and detailed, and yet aware that they were on stage, and somehow, still managed to be very natural and honest about their work and their dedication to it. Sometimes, when you are aware that you are being watched, you are all show, and all about show business. Not in the case of these two young cooks, working hard and diligently to maintain the standards of Chef Toshi Yoroizuka. The chefs said that the menu has changed made to it every 2-3 weeks. They make sure to keep things as seasonal as possible, and remove a couple of items, and add a couple of new ones.

Naganuma was the wonderful hostess that greeted us and bid farewell to us as we left. Her smile, her infectious energy and her respect for her work, are so very admirable. It was the energy that emanated from the two cooks, and Naganuma, that made me enjoy the bar as much as we did. The dessert were delicious, but we made that much better because of these three dedicated professionals. There is a work ethic that has been respected through time and seems to be getting lost as time goes by. These three certainly are not poorer because of that. If at all, they are better than most one could remember working for and with. They made the dessert experience sweeter because of their hard work and demeanor.

As we came out of Toshi Yoroizuka, we were again greeted by the beautiful trees and the brilliance of Tokyo at night. Sweet memories and flavors haunting us from the desserts we had, and the nightscape of Tokyo taking us to sweeter and more memorable heights.

Comments

[May]

Yum. This place looks pretty amazing. I think i might have enjoyed the smelly cheese dessert as well. some of these desserts (the home made ice cream part) reminded me of a little place in east village (run by former Nobu chefs) but i think clearly your restaurant is more gourmand..

Le Miu
(212) 473-3100
107 Ave A
New York, NY 10009

anyhow its great to see that you are enjoying japan however and seeing america by seeing such a different culture.

and the strawberries are in season now as they come from the hot houses in japan. too bad you are not there when the white peaches and kyoho grapes are in season. those go for $5 a pop but oh boy oh boy.. you have to eat the peaches over a sink. we would never have such fruit here in america because they have low shelf life.

[May]

ahh le miu has closed

unfortunately. the recession is forcing good japanese restaurants to close. so sad. track these cooks down and befriend them back in NY.

Le Miu: Chef-owner Yasuhiro Shoji, formerly of Nobu 57. He is joined by Takaho Mori, former head chef at Megu, Motonari “Moto” Matsunaga, also of Nobu 57, and Miku Suzuki, who was most recently head chef at Onigashima.

[Suvir]

May, you have a wonderful way of speaking about Japan, and reacting to what another writes about your home country. Good for you!
I would love to someday be in Japan when you are there as well.

And I am sure many Japanese chefs are being lured by people West of Japan, or South, North or even East. That is how life works these days.

Most good restaurants these days make their own ice cream. That is a given. Unless of course space is an issue. And the chef is clueless.
But if a chef cares, you can rest assured that you will eat ice cream made in house, and to go with the restaurants cuisine, and by a pastry chef who the chef respects. Or sometimes by the chef themselves.

We too were sad that we did not get to taste so many of the other fruits. The melons of Japan are quite something as well.

[male menopause]

They look delicious! Triple chocolate...must be delicious.

[[email protected]]

I have been there. really good. It is not mordern dessert, it is like classic French inpired by Japanese ingredients? hehe.
but really good.

[Air Jordan shoes]

As anybody understands respect is one of the most imperative amongst people's existence. Only respect one another to obtain along properly and I feel that leaving one's opinion is often a behavior of respect. Do you feel so?

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[Maruti Ritz]

WOW!!nice desserts!!!yummy!!Very nice for an sweets after eating some good meal.