Opened in May 2023, this new Nogizaka restaurant is run by a chef who decided to close his bistro after over 10 years to pursue his passion for cooking. The theme is Nostalgic French, offering a variety of French regional dishes and classic French cuisine. - Corn Mont Blanc - Homemade bread with grape yeast - Tart of Amberjack and Ratatouille - Pan-seared Foie Gras with risotto and porcini mushrooms - Pan-seared Red Snapper with saffron sauce - Lavender and Orange Granita - Roasted Lamb with jus - Peach with Cardamom ice cream and American cherry - Tea sweets The dishes were described in detail, such as the Corn Mont Blanc which combines the sweetness of corn with the richness of consommé jelly and karasumi. The homemade bread with grape yeast was highly praised for its texture and versatility. The Amberjack and Ratatouille tart featured thick slices of smoked Amberjack with a flavorful combination of beets and anchovies. The Foie Gras dish was a highlight, with the rich flavor of the Foie Gras enhancing the risotto, accompanied by porcini mushrooms. The Red Snapper with saffron sauce was praised for its gentle flavors and crispy skin, complemented by shrimp powder. The Roasted Lamb with jus was a favorite, with the strong aroma and sweetness of the lamb satisfying the reviewer's taste. The Peach dessert with Cardamom ice cream and American cherry sauce was described as fragrant and flavorful, with the spice of the cardamom enhancing the sweetness of the peach. Overall, the reviewer recommended the restaurant for its classic and honest French cuisine, attentive service, and the chef's accommodating nature for special requests.

Nogizaka's La couleur d'ete is a French restaurant that recently opened in a residential area near the station. It is quite a quiet place, blending into the residential area quietly. The interior of the restaurant has 8 seats and has a compact and chic atmosphere with gray as the main color. On this day, I had dinner here and enjoyed the food and wine. The chef, who runs the restaurant alone, conveys his hard work, and the taste of the food was good. The portion was generous, and I couldn't even make it to the petit fours, which was a shame. Next time, I will make sure to try the petit fours. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Located in Nogizaka, the French restaurant "La couleur d'ete" means "Summer Color" in French. Chef Tomohiro Fujii started his career at the Osaka Nakanoshima Rihga Royal Hotel, then trained in bistros before moving to France at the age of 25. He honed his skills in Champagne, Alsace, Nimes, Arbois, Lyon, and Paris before returning to Japan to work at various restaurants. In 2009, he opened his own restaurant. After running a restaurant in Daitabashi for 14 years, he moved to this current location in May 2023. The lunch course was light but substantial, featuring both fish and meat dishes. The meal started with a savory salted chiffon cake with Parmesan cheese, olive powder, and fresh peanuts, served with prosciutto. The homemade raisin yeast bread with a hint of cereal flavor and butter was delightful. The appetizer consisted of a rich veloute sauce with four types of mushrooms, fried burdock, French prawns, and an onsen egg. The fish dish featured pan-seared thread-sail filefish with Van Blanc sauce, served with sautéed white eggplant, cabbage mousseline, and tapenade sauce. The meat dish was roasted beef sagari with Carbonade sauce, accompanied by red pepper puree, asparagus, and sautéed purple sprouting broccoli. The meal ended with a refreshing dessert of pineapple granita, tonka bean gelato, mint jelly, and peanut tuile. A chocolate macaron with raspberry buttercream, grapefruit peel, and champagne biscuit was served as a petit four. The meal was complemented by a well-crafted iced coffee. The serious approach to French cuisine, the chef's attention to detail, and the wonderful ambiance made for an excellent dining experience.

Behind the Nogizaka Station, a quietly situated French restaurant has emerged. The chef runs the place single-handedly, with only two table seats and two counter seats in the cozy interior. Chef Tomohiro Fujii, who trained in Osaka at Riga Royal before honing his skills in bistros and then in France, where he worked in cities like Strasbourg, Albi, Nimes, and Lyon before returning to Japan. His mentor was Chef Kiyoshi Miyashiro of "KM". After the meal, he shared stories of his hardships during that time. "I may not become like Chef Miyashiro, but I love cooking. I considered bistro cuisine at one point, but now I have decided to focus on creating nostalgic French dishes from the 90s," he said. Despite occasionally showing a timid side, he seems to have firmly established his own path, which is quite endearing. The dinner course costs 12,980 yen (tax included, service charge not included), and an additional 1,000 yen for post-meal drinks and mini desserts. 1. Appetizer: Consomme - Yamanashi Mille-Feuille Corn A corn mousse Mont Blanc-style on top of roasted corn, served with seafood consomme and powdered corn husk on the side. The sweetness of the corn is delightful. 2. Appetizer: Sardines, Olives, Pissaladiere Caramelized onions and instant smoked sardines on rectangular dough, with olive powder and beet puree. 3. Appetizer: Eel from Kawaguchi Marsh, Foie Gras Beef burdock in red wine sauce Eel marinated in red wine, served with risotto, poached egg, goose foie gras, and red wine and burdock sauce. A dish with an earthy feel, layering ingredients harmoniously. 4. Fish Dish: Sauteed Thread-sail Filefish Shrimp powder to complement the red fish, classic lemon, tomato, fish broth, and butter sauce. 5. Palate Cleanser: Ginger, Rosemary, Lamb Granita 6. Main Course: Beef Cheek Red Wine Stew - Burgundy Style Cheek of beef Bourguignon on chickpea cake, with fried potatoes in foie gras fat. 7. Dessert: Oishi Plums, Tonka Bean Ice Cream 8. Mini Desserts: Madeleine, Canele, Chocolate Bonbon, Caramel 9. Chamomile-based Herbal Tea The bread is homemade with raisin yeast, served with plenty of butter. The wine served is LE NATUREL, a full-bodied Grenache from Navarra, Spain. It's quite a feat for the chef to prepare the main course options and mini desserts single-handedly. Throughout the course, one can sense the nostalgic French cuisine of the 90s, evoking a sense of familiarity and nostalgia from that era.

Today, I visited La couleur d'ete for lunch. The course cost 12,900 yen plus pairing for 5,500 yen, excluding service charge. The amuse-bouche was a soup made with green pea cold potage, topped with a poached egg and served with ham. The appetizer included sautéed white asparagus from Germany with an orange sabayon sauce. The second appetizer was a combination of bamboo shoots, foie gras, and grilled conger eel with port sauce. The fish dish was made with scale-coated red snapper with wild asparagus. A basil and lemon granita was served as a palate cleanser. The main course was a dish of young rabbit with porcini mushrooms. The dessert was a yogurt mousse with frozen crushed raspberries and crème catalana. Overall, the reviewer felt that the menu was too heavy and lacked balance in terms of ingredients and flavors. The dishes did not seem to complement each other well, and the reviewer was disappointed with the overall composition of the meal.