Japan does adaptive innovation well: just look at the nation¡¯s cars, video games and, yes, hamburgers.
Who would have thought to extricate the burger from the bun, beef if up and ladle sauce all over it?
Just as it¡¯s hamburgers are a little different at Sept Bistro, so is it¡¯s culinary identity. There may be checkered table cloths here, but this is a restaurant that doesn¡¯t flaunt its ¡°Frenchness¡± ¡ª there is no accordion music or Left Bank memorabilia. Instead of symbols there is substance, in the form of a well-judged wine list and the cheese menu. Aside from the interior decor and menu, I was also encouraged by the sounds from the kitchen: a chef smashing meat patties into formation and hard-boiled eggs being cracked.
During a few recent visits I tried the curry and hamburger set menus. Both are filling lunches and come with a choice of soup or salad starter, and though these are often a letdown in set lunches, Sept Bistro puts in more effort. The curry is rich with sweet tones, but the hamburger was my favorite, loaded with flavor and complimented by a rich red wine infused demi-glace.
Sept Bistro recently downsized from two restaurants to one. Here¡¯s hoping this one stays.
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