Signature at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo: Chef Boujema flourishes at Michelin-starred French

Fine dining at a certain level is truly like art, and just as you'd want to view a masterpiece painting alone with your own thoughts, some cuisine is so sublime that it requires moments of silence, to savor and reflect. This was very much the case the other evening at Signature, the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo’s Michelin-starred French, where over a phenomenal dinner I found myself wishing more than once that I had the luxury of solitude to revel in Chef Nicolas Boujema’s exquisite culinary creations. No offense to my dinner companion, but the food was just that good.

I first reviewed Signature three and a half years ago when young Chef Boujema (32 at the time) was starting off in Japan, and I immediately became a fan. I’m happy to say that Signature now might be even better than before, and that Chef Boujema has really come into his own.

I’m actually supposed to be telling you about the special menu that is a part of the hotel’s ongoing Valentine’s Day promotion - “Flowers by Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo” on until March 15 - but I just need to say, if any of you reading this happen to be those adventurous foodies, with deep pockets, who regularly do things like try out Michelin places on their own (I happen to know a few people like that), I can tell you that this is one place you need to hit, and that the plush loveseats at the tables set against the window where I was seated the other night, although obviously intended for couples, has just the right amount of privacy and is a great spot for a party of one. But, if you’re making a booking at Signature to dine with others, I urge you to carefully choose your favorite dining companion(s). This is one place you’d want to make the most of the amazing experience.

At the loveseat tables, you have a spectacular glittering view of nighttime Tokyo that sets a gorgeous backdrop for the artful dishes presented course by course, into the soft spotlight on the beautiful snowy white tablescape before you (there’s also a gorgeous sunken-level semi-private room with this amazing view that seats 12). Live jazz echoing from the nearby lounge provides an agreeable ambient sound to which to admire, taste, sip and savor, and let the cuisine speak to you like poetry, the flavors of the ingredients and the harmony with the wine creating beautiful visions of their origins.

First come the little amuse bouches, looking as whimsical and charming as a Miro painting, served with a generous glass of Charles Hedsieck champagne, the house bubbly. Although one small quibble is that it felt kind of weird to use bare fingers to pick up the halved boiled quail egg adorned with a tiny disc of truffle (perhaps a cocktail pick would help), the scrumptious set of little bites was wonderful to start off the dinner. The best amongst the bite-size morsels was the extraordinary little croquette with a hot bursting center of liquified foie gras.

The first course was one of my favorite presentations, in the signature multi-dish style of Pierre Gagnaire (whose namesake 2-star restaurant Chef Boujema headed at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong before coming to Tokyo). The "scrambled egg with caviar" was an unforgettable plate that I’ll be reminiscing about fondly for some time to come; eggs the deep rich color of bahama yellow, not so much scrambled but creamified, along with a dab of ruby red beetroot puree, and a decadent spoonful (8g) of caviar. The gentle taste of the velvety ensemble were a perfect canvas for the divine salty little pearls to make their statement.

The other "satellite" dishes were a delicate round of crisp rye bread toast topped with a glistening pink ball of smoked salmon, surrounded by dots of creme fraiche and ikura, a savory little cake as pretty as it is delectable; and shellfish soup with champagne, a savory cappuccino full of umami and so tasty that you can’t help but linger with the cup to your nose to relish the aroma of fresh dairy mingling with the salty sea. The wine pairing to go with it; Michel & Stephane Ogier Viognier de Rosine 2014, a highly expressive white with aromas of peach, pear, herbs and florals. Tasted with the dishes from the ocean, it was like hugging a big bouquet of lavender while strolling by the seaside.

Next up was "langoustine custard" with roasted cauliflower cream and langoustine tartar toast. In the frothy, silken custard soup were submerged plump chunks of langoustine on a seabed of cauliflower cream. Perched on the side of the custard bowl was the tartar toast, a little crispy wafer sandwich holding a filling of succulent sashimi-fresh raw langoustine tartar. The wine game went up a notch; Maison Roche de Bellene Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Chalumaux 2011. Buttery and complex, an exemplary wine from this celebrated village.

The third course, "Vialone Nano risotto with saffron," was one of the special dishes with a flower theme that was created for the aforementioned Valentine promotion. It was delicious, and beautiful with a few flower petals strewn about, but I thought Japanese sensibilities might find the bubblegum pink of the beetroot-tinted foam a bit lurid. And forgive me for the imagery, but those from the U.S. might see a bowl of foamy pepto-bismol. The dish itself was perfectly nice - and a French chef may have never heard or seen of the pink tummy medicine drunk by Americans - but really, it's just the color. (Sorry, I grew up in the U.S.).

The palate cleanser "carrot and citrus granita with Sansho pepper" was also just a bit difficult; a tiny amount of what had a look and texture of plain old finely grated carrots, served in a small crevice made in a bowl of rock hard ice cubes, kind of frozen together like a menacing icy boulder. Much of the carrot got stuck to the ice so that I wasn’t sure when to stop trying to scrape the hard jagged ice with the silver spoon for a few licks more of the spicy mixture. The flavor was nice, but it felt like a bit of work, which one does not expect at this price point. I would have gladly had the fragrant carrot granita in a little shot glass instead.

The ice shoveling made the next, sumptuous, playful warm dish all the more welcome and wonderful. One of Chef Boujema's specialties, and my favorite on the menu, is the "black truffle waffle" with cream chantilly and endive coulis. It’s kind of breakfast-y (think fluffy crispy eggo waffle), savory, but kind of like dessert. The finishing touch is added at the table, the arrangement topped with a scoop of cold, rich cream chantilly speckled with black truffles, looking like a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

I’d never felt so glad to be skillful at using my knife and fork as when I used them to make the perfect bite from this delectable truffle-waffle composition; onto the fork went a nice chunk of the warm crisp batter cake, a smudgen more of the truffly cream, a perfect dab of the sweet and savory endive coulis, which was then topped off with a sliver of amazingly fragrant truffle. In heaven, I would like to have this for breakfast every day. And my choice of beverage might as well be the wine that was paired with it; Domaine Alain Burguet Geverey Chambertin Symphonie 2011. I could hardly put down the glass even after it was all gone, to keep inhaling the lovely perfume.

Finally, the main course: "Roasted venison loin stuffed with truffle and foie gras wrapped in a green mantle," which was an elaborate plate of crepinette, what the French call a dish of meat wrapped in a layer of caul fat (the layer of fat that surrounds cow and sheep innards). Surrounded by a savory forest of enchanted seasonal mushrooms, and soft tender gnocchi, the whole ensemble was just gleaming in a pool of rich, truffly jus. I forgot to ask what the green tinge of the outside layer of the crepinette was about (maybe just parsley or something?), but in any case, this intricate dish was an outstanding climax to the awesome dinner. The wine: Domaine Le Roc Des Anges Reliefs Cotes Du Roussillon Villages 2013, a rich, ripe wine of Southern France blending the region’s varietals like carignan, grenache, and syrah. Cherry, chocolate, plum with lovely structure and tannins, it was like a second sauce to the venison, as it is with great wine pairing with a dish.

At the end, just a little bit of cheese and then dessert, which was the other Valentine’s dish: "Ile flotane" with hibiscus and champagne custard cream, which was so sweet and romantic with a few rose petals strewn about again. Then the grande finale, the "Strawberry Nelie Melba" that luxuriously uses loads of fresh Beni Hoppe (expensive Japanese strawberry variety), which comes with a glass of fresh strawberry juice.

Currently on through March 20, in Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall is the much-talked about digital art exhibition “Flowers by Naked 2017.” With the concept “the earliest 'ohanami' in Japan,” it is a spectacular display of cutting edge projection mapping along with various enjoyable events such as trials of limited edition products and shopping. Be dazzled by this spectacle, then head up to Signature at the Mandarin Oriental to be dazzled even more. What a glorious plan for an early spring evening.

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Special “Flower by Mandarin Oriental” Dinner course 20,000 yen

Wine pairing 4 kinds 10,000 yen

(Prices exclusive of service and tax)

Signature Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo 35F 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-8328
Tel: +81(3) 3270 8188

Hours Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Dinner 6 – 10 p.m.

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