I had the opportunity to visit Le Lutin, where Chef Isoya, who inherited the DNA of the now-defunct Crescent, continues to carry on the legacy of the restaurant. Chef Isoya was the last head chef of Crescent, and together with the service staff, they opened this new restaurant with a desire to preserve the spirit of Crescent. They use dishes and hand towels from the Crescent era. I enjoyed: - Ginger Ale, Apricot, Jasmine Tea - Pumpkin Velouté with Consommé Jelly - Tomato Compression - Matsutake Mushroom and Scallop Skewers - Short Horn Beef Fillet Steak - Lamb Coconut Curry - Strawberry and Caramel Ice Cream - Iced Coffee - Petit Fours Each dish was meticulously prepared, and you can taste the flavors of Crescent in every bite. As a finale, you can enjoy the Lamb Coconut Curry that was once served as staff meal at Crescent. It's absolutely delicious! I highly recommend trying it out. Thank you for the wonderful meal, and I look forward to visiting again.

I finally visited after making a phone reservation, and the specialty tomato compression was outstanding. It was so delicious that I wanted to take it home and enjoy a feast. I also had plenty of wine along with the beautiful and delicious dishes, making it a blissful two hours. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

Le Lutin Isoya @ Komagome "Crescent" A renowned two-star French restaurant with a history of 63 years closed its doors in October 2020. I had regretted not being able to visit during its lifetime... that's what I thought. However, the chef of Crescent is starting anew in Komagome in March 2022!! I couldn't resist and immediately made a reservation with friends after adjusting our schedules. I was debating between the courses at the reservation stage. The options were: 3-course Marche course for 14,300 yen, Confi course for 19,800 yen, and Chef's choice course for 33,000 yen. I wanted to try the specialty dish, Sole Bonne Femme, so I requested to switch it with the fish in the second course, for an additional 2,200 yen, making it a total of 22,000 yen. The menu included: - Short-horned beef consomme soup - Tomato compression - Sauteed spear squid and maitake mushrooms - Sole Bonne Femme with sea urchin - Roasted lamb from Mr. Sakai's farm in Hokkaido - Lamb curry - Fondant chocolate - Mignardises The dishes were meticulously prepared and presented, with flavors that were exquisite and memorable. The service was casual and friendly, making the dining experience comfortable. Overall, it was a highly satisfying French dining experience that ranks among the top I've ever had! Highly recommended for a special occasion dinner. #LeLutinIsoya #Komagome #Dinner #French #Wine #Crescent #Legendary #Delicious #AnniversaryDinner #BonneFemme #Lamb

The famous French restaurant "Crescent" located in Shibuya closed its doors in October 2020. Despite efforts to save the magnificent Victorian-style building and the support of many people through a petition, the building was eventually demolished. The restaurant was originally founded by Takajo Ishiguro, a prominent Western antique dealer after the war, who later transformed it into a restaurant. After Ishiguro passed away, the ownership of "Crescent" was acquired by Nihonmaru Automobiles. The head chef at the time was Takashi Isotani, who had trained in France for 11 years and also worked at a three-star restaurant in Paris called "Girard." The restaurant has now been reopened, with many of the original furnishings and decorations from "Crescent" preserved. The chef and sommelier have also been retained from the original restaurant. The chef, Isotani, is a master of classic French cuisine, and the restaurant offers a variety of courses. During a recent visit, the reviewer enjoyed a course priced at 13,200 yen, which included dishes such as chilled consomme with corn soup, compressed tomato dish, seafood bouillon with ginger, roast lamb from Hokkaido, and a delightful tropical cube dessert. The reviewer also had the opportunity to try the chef's special curry, which was based on a lamb broth and was exceptional. The meal concluded with a selection of petit fours and a chamomile and mint tea. The reviewer was impressed by the skilled and warm service provided by the sommelier and the overall experience of dining at the restaurant under Chef Isotani's guidance.

When it comes to the question of what I would eat for my last supper, I always mention the "Sole Bonne Femme from Restaurant Crescent." This magnificent grand maison closed down due to the pandemic, and I thought I would never be able to eat it again. But Chef Itoyama has opened his own restaurant, Le Lutin Itoyama, in March this year. I requested the Sole Bonne Femme for lunch and they added it for me. It was a blissful deliciousness! The Sole Bonne Femme by Chef Itoyama is characterized by its lightness, with a silky sauce and a hint of acidity. The balance of flavors was dizzying, with spinach underneath the delicate sole, topped with sea urchin for richness. The signature dish of Crescent, Tomato Compression Mousse, Tartare, and Jelly, was delicious and beautifully presented. The main course was roasted lamb with lemon sauce, a wonderful combination. Even the mini curry was a delight to eat. And the meeting with Mignardise, Tart Vaudouard, was a sweet ending to a perfect meal. The course was special, and I left the restaurant extremely satisfied. It became one of my favorite places instantly. They even allowed me to order my favorite ingredients for the dishes. I'm already thinking of a new theme to go back and enjoy another wonderful meal at this amazing restaurant.

A restaurant that opened in Komagome in March. It is said that the renowned chef from the famous restaurant Crescent has opened a new restaurant in this area of Komagome. I visited the restaurant with my family, reminiscing about the times we visited Crescent in the past, and enjoyed delicious French cuisine. The menu consists of courses only, and reservations are required. As we entered the restaurant, we saw the Crescent sign at the back. It was amazing to experience the familiar dishes from Crescent. The tomato compression was especially wonderful. The vegetables were all fresh and the sauces were delicious. It was a place where you could be visually and tastefully delighted! The courses included: - Chilled consommé and Vichyssoise: A delicious dish with rich and creamy Vichyssoise in beef consommé. - Tomato compression: A lovely dish that was too good to be true. It was delightful to enjoy the familiar Crescent dish here. - Bread with fermented butter: The butter was delicious, I couldn't resist getting seconds. - Sweetfish sweet umbrella grill: The crispy skin was incredibly tasty. I wanted more. The side vegetables were amazing, especially the stir-fried hijiki and silk beans. - Roast Japanese beef: The side vegetables were also delicious. The Japanese beef was tender and simply delicious. - Tropic cube: Beautiful like a Rubik's cube! The acidity of the passion fruit was excellent. Various fruits were diced and served. - Coffee after the meal: - Petit fours: The macarons and chocolate were incredibly delicious. I want to know what kind of chocolate it was. I want to take some home. The coffee brewing was excellent. Everything was top-notch, delicious, and meticulous. The drinks were also well-prepared down to the smallest detail! It's amazing to be able to experience the legendary cuisine at this price! I want to go back again!

First visit. A Buddhist cuisine restaurant next to Rikugien in Komagome. It used to be a fairly reasonable bistro, but it underwent a major renovation by a new chef who took office in March this year. The new chef's name is Mr. Isogai. He was the head chef at the Michelin Guide two-starred grand maison "Crescent" that used to exist in Shiba Park. Crescent! The restaurant I admired. I had always imagined myself eating elegant and classical French cuisine in that magnificent Western-style building someday...but the restaurant closed due to the pandemic, and I cried myself to sleep. For me, there is no news more exciting than this. Moreover, according to the early reviews, the Crescent's specialty "Tomato Compression" seems to be faithfully recreated. I have no choice but to go. Reservations are made by phone. I originally planned to visit for lunch alone, but due to various circumstances, it turned into a visit for two. The restaurant is quite small. Well, it was originally a bistro, so that's to be expected. But there is a plate displayed at the entrance of the restaurant that used to be in the Crescent building! As of July 2022, the site where Crescent existed is now just an empty lot, so just looking at this plate makes me a little happy. As we entered the restaurant, the chef's smile from the kitchen welcomed us. The seating is only tables. We were seated at a table for two. And on the table setting was a magnificent show plate. Water glasses with the Crescent emblem. Polished Christofle cutlery. Towels with the Crescent logo. This is not a bistro setting. It is a full-fledged grand maison-class setting welcoming us. It turns out that Isogai-san took over items that were scheduled to be discarded after Crescent closed, such as plates and silverware. In other words, the setting on this day should be similar to the setting of the former Crescent. What a thing. The clock that had stopped at Crescent in Shiba Park has started ticking again in Komagome. What do you call this if not heartwarming?! We had already decided on the course when making the reservation, so a paper with the course details for the day was placed on the show plate. And there were the words "Tomato Compression." At that moment, I realized that my cheeks were loosening, but I couldn't stop it. Because I had always wanted to eat this. The main course was lamb, one of my favorite dishes. Who can keep a poker face in this situation? We ordered the 12,000 yen (excluding tax, service charge not included) Marche course, which was said to be the standard course of this restaurant. Below is the course content and my impressions. Chilled Consomme and Vichyssoise: A soup with chilled consomme and chilled potato soup layered on top of each other. The Vichyssoise with a smooth texture that you can feel the potatoes in is good, but what was even better was the consomme jelly. The clear and deep umami of the jelly with just the right amount of slackness that dissolves in your mouth the moment you feel the coldness. It releases the umami. It shows a high level from the first dish. Bread: A round hard bread is served. It's warm as if it was just baked. It's homemade, I hear. It's nice that even the refill bread is freshly baked. Tomato Compression: This is a super famous specialty of Crescent and the dish I've always wanted to eat. Two types of tomatoes are used to create tomato jelly, tomato mousse, and tomato tartare, layered like strata. The layers are coated with cut tomato flesh. The dish is surrounded by cherry tomatoes, sauce, all tomato. A dish made entirely of tomatoes.

Chef Takashi Isotani, who maintained two Michelin stars for over 10 years at the now-closed Grand Maison Crescent, has made a brilliant comeback. He has taken on the role of head chef at the newly renovated Ryutan, following the closure of Crescent due to the pandemic. The iconic dishes from Crescent, the signature cutlery, and the unforgettable flavors have all been revived at Ryutan. The compression of tomatoes, perfectly cooked black wagyu beef steak cubes, and exquisite desserts were all part of the miraculous course that delighted diners. The restaurant also saw the return of Mr. Ishii, the general manager, and Chef Morikawa, who provided friendly and impeccable service. Instead of just following the trend of popular and hard-to-book restaurants on Instagram, I highly recommend experiencing the legendary flavors at Ryutan for those who love authentic French cuisine. Here is the menu for today: - Chilled consomme and bisque - Tomato compression - Sweet snapper with pine needle grilling - Black wagyu beef fillet steak - Tropic cube dessert - Petit fours Thank you for the wonderful meal!

Komagome, French cuisine "Le Lutin (Le Lutin) Isotani". The bistro "Le Lutin" in Komagome has been reopened as a restaurant named after Chef Isotani. The head chef, Takashi Isotani, previously worked at "Okura Hotel Niigata", "Hanano Ki", and after training in France, at legendary establishments such as "Chez Les Anges", "Robuchon", "Crocodile", "Michel Guerard", and "Troisgros". He returned to Japan in 1997 and became the head chef at "Crescent". The Crescent House, which was originally an antique dealer, was transformed into a restaurant in 1957 and then into a late Victorian-style Western house in 1967, becoming the only French restaurant with a dignified atmosphere. Unfortunately, it closed in October 2020, but Chef Isotani took over and reopened it on March 14th this year. In front of the restaurant is the Crescent House sign, and on the brick wall at the back of the restaurant is also the Crescent sign. From the wine shelf to the copperplate prints on the wall, even the hand towels, everything was taken by the chef to avoid disposal. The sommelier is Mr. Morikawa. He mentioned that during the Crescent era, he was in charge of cooking in the kitchen, and he joined the chef when he started the restaurant. For lunch, I ordered the short course, which includes Chef's signature dishes. [Cheers] "Natural carbonated water from Oku-Aizu" [Amuse] "Short-horned beef consomme soup" A clear and fragrant broth made with short-horned beef, aromatic vegetables, and herbs. [Appetizer] "Tomato compression" A specialty dish. A cube of tomato topped with Pentas flowers instead of the previous "basil cookies". The cube, made with two types of tomatoes, contains creamy tomato mousse, tomato tartare salad, and tomato consomme jelly in three layers. The tomato sauce, garnished with slices of yellow, green, and red cherry tomatoes, beautifully combines the distinct flavors of each tomato and a smooth richness. Chef's creative reconstruction of tomatoes is truly compression. Moreover, it was made larger than before. [Bread] "Baguette" A house-made baguette. A bread with a strong flavor of flour. Served with cute-shaped butter. [Main] "Roasted lamb toast from Shirokawa, Hokkaido, with tripe" Juicy lamb roasted with a crispy surface and a tender center. The tripe, pre-treated and simmered in tomato sauce until tender, adds a rich umami flavor. Served with fava beans, eryngii mushrooms, and small Kyoto carrots. Mr. Shingo Sakai of the Hokkaido Shirokawa Sheep Research Institute, a sheep specialist ranch in Shirokawa, Hokkaido, is one of the few sheep farmers in Japan. The breeds used include Cantessa, Sheep Sunrise, and Teisukari, all well-known. [Main] "Roasted wagyu beef with truffle red wine sauce" For those who don't like lamb, there was also beef, which looked equally delicious. [Dessert] "Tropic Cube" A "tropical cube" resembling a Rubik's cube. It was assembled just before eating. A dessert platter with diced kiwi, pineapple, banana, mango, dragon fruit, and coconut mousse arranged in a cube shape. Underneath are fresh gooseberries, blueberries, ground cherries, and topped with passion fruit cream.

Unexpectedly, Chef Isoya, who used to lead the restaurant Crescent in Komagome, has made a fresh start at Rurutan. The intimate space, with a maximum capacity of only 10-12 people, had just 3 groups totaling 7 guests, including ourselves. We were fortunate to enjoy Chef Isoya's French cuisine, which he personally prepares, after leading Crescent for many years. The course menu is similar to Crescent's, but slightly more affordable, with no service charge of 10%. The wine pairing is available for 7500 yen per person (although it actually included two types of sake). We savored the signature dish from Crescent, the tomato compression. As a bonus after the main course, a small portion of lamb curry rice was served, which was also exquisite.

Casual classic French. 10,000 yen.

I remembered various dishes at Cressent. All delicious, including the bread. No complaints. The prices were not too high and I would like to visit again. It's a French restaurant worth going to.