What makes a good restaurant? It¡¯s a pretty basic question, and one that I imagine is on most people¡¯s minds, even if you aren¡¯t actively aware of it. With a new restaurant, such as EO, this question and the search for answers are more to the forefront. What it boils down to, if you¡¯ll forgive the cooking metaphor, is an enjoyable experience, comforting food and even a little inspiration.
EO, or Eloge de l¡¯Ombre?(no, I don¡¯t know what it means either), is located on the 14th floor of Abeno Harukas, Osaka¡¯s latest very tall building ¡ª the tallest in Japan if you discount the Skytree. The food is French, the atmosphere formal and the inspiration is the late Bernard Loiseau, a guiding light to many chefs, including Hiroshi Yamaguchi, head chef at the award-winning Kitano Hotel in Kobe and also owner and chef at EO.
As far as I could tell, Yamaguchi wasn¡¯t cooking the day I had lunch, although an enormous soundproof glass pane separates the diners from the kitchen. The designers have done well to obscure the fact that EO is located in a food court of sorts: Hundreds of little glass balls dangle from the ceiling and the walls are painted like a cave, as if you have entered a grotto. The restaurant wants to take you away from the hustle and bustle of coming through crowds, of elevators and escalator rides. It worked, until a child screamed for a few minutes straight somewhere beyond the entrance. Pity the poor parent, and the rather serious maitre d¡¯, who looked like he wanted to go out there and strangle the indolent.
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