Pignon

Piping hot French bread with butter, chicken liver, scallops with a pesto mushroom risotto, carpaccio, sorbet. These may not be the dishes that usually come to mind when you think Tokyo, but that doesn’t mean they won’t blow you away at the cozy Pignon. “My husband and I are always so impressed by Rimpei, the Japanese bohemian chef who has travelled the world preparing great food and returned with the secrets to Morrocan and French cuisine,” says Megumi Nakajima-Caldwell. I recommend sitting at the counter and doing Omakase—just give your chef your budget and he will whip up something fitting.” Omakase is even an option for Western visitors, as Rimpei is fluent in English.