Tapas Molecular Bar, Tokyo - Fun, interactive molecular gastronomy cuisine

Tapas Molecular Bar, Tokyo - Fun, interactive molecular gastronomy cuisine

The few months leading up to my Tokyo trip was almost torturous. The moment I booked my tickets I started to research where we would spend our main meal times knowing reservations would be tricky. I know molecular gastronomy isn't everyone's thing but N and I happen to be fans and generally open-minded on food, and so we decided to do a non-Japanese meal at the 1 Michelin starred Tapas Molecular Bar. I'm not too sure how they coined the name as it's not so much tapas than a degustation menu, with no choice but their current seasonal tasting menu. You can of course let them know in advance if you have allergies but generally there's no room for choice. 

Compared to the sushi restaurants around town, TMB wasn't too hard to secure bookings at, you simply have to do it early as they only take 8 seatings per night. I made the reservations for the night we landed, so this was our first meal in Tokyo (if you don't count the matcha swiss roll from cha no wa or the ice cream macaron sandwich from Pierre Herme we had 2 hours before dinner ;-). 

Tool box - essential part of everyone's meal tonight

measuring tape = menu

and again

yes it was a very long menu!

snack no.1 - macaron

Potato macaron made in front of you from liquid nitrogen, inside is some caviar. The idea is to smash it with the hammer into two and enjoy!

snack no.2 - mushrooms

Actually made from two pieces of potato, super crispy cooked and then generously sprinkled with porcini mushroom powder. Underneath is green pea puree cooked with iberico bacon for some smokiness. Not a fan of potato, the taste of this was definitely more mushroom which I loved. Sooo good!

Appetizer no.1 - Duck Cigar 

This cigar roll is definitely very fun to look at and eat! Basically the size of a regular cigar, this crisp roll was filled with iberico pork, cucumber and green able. There's sesame powder as the "ash" on the glass ash tray and a little hoisin (peking duck) sauce for you to eat with it. Smush up the ash and it looks like the real thing. 

Appetizer no.2 - Ceviche

This was great to watch being prepared - the tuna was brought out raw, and was steamed in a cast iron pot in front of us with plenty of smoke from wood chips in the pot. On the plate is some house-made seaweed chips that were addictively crunchy, abalone, Okinawan sea grapes and leaves, 

Appetizer no.3 - Frozen Crab

Super fresh Hokkaido crab meat, cold cauliflower cream, seaweed, and powder of parmesan cheese made using liquid nitrogen. Very tasty and fresh. 

Degustation no.1 - Bisque

Mushroom cream poured on top of assorted mushrooms including enoki, eringhi, porcini paper and truffle oil, diced black truffle. When we opened the jar there was a whiff of smoke that reminds you of the forest. This dish was delicious indeed but more creamy and slightly richer than I would've liked. 

Degustation no.2 BBQ

Foie gras marinated in sake kasu for 2 days then barbecued, muscat grape and fried micro cucumber with its flower, shiso glaze.

Degustation no.3 - Lobster

Butter-poached lobster meat, sea urchin from Hokkaido, somen in test tube with dashi jelly. The idea here is you have the lobster and sea urchin first, then you finish by burning the bunsen burner with the test tube over to melt the jelly which is the soup for the somen which will allow you to slide the noodles into your mouth. The sea urchin was incredibly fresh and sweet, the lobster was perfectly cooked, but the somen was too soft for me. 

Degustation no.4 - Bee Hive

A play on our Cantonese dim sum taro puff, this was a dyed taro, wagyu cooked with Chinese bbq sauce and tasted very much like our char siu bao fillings. Although incredibly yummy I thought the wagyu beef was sort of wasted in this dish. 

Breast of guinea fowl

This was an 'extra' course, as this was not in our menu, but since the thigh was used in the dish below, why not?! This was perfectly tender, and a light, flavourful sauce brushed on top made from chicken jus, garlic, beetroot and foie gras. 

Degustation no.5 - Beggar's Chicken II 

Cut it open with the mini saw, you'll have a succulent piece of guinea fowl thigh and chestnut wrapped in savoy cabbage and the black hedgehog-like shell was made from bread. Meat was very tender and juicy.

12 hours belated breakfast aka dessert 

Side view - trifle on left, benedict on right

Trifle on the left was layered with yogurt, berries, granola and a warm chocolate espuma was poured on top in front of us. Loved the hot thick chocolate!

Eggs Benedict

Yolk made from papaya, jellied almond cream served as the egg white and mascarpone was the hollandaise sauce. The caramelized brioche was made like a French toast, so sinfully good, and I was worried about the papaya yolk but it wasn't too strong and didn't compete in flavour with the almond white and mascarpone sauce.

Snow Garden
Coconut jelly and white chocolate with pop rocks; "baked alaska" with red bean and yuzu meringue

Whilst the baked alaska on the right was quite good, I wasn't a fan of the chocolate and coconut snow-man like sweets as the white chocolate was way too sweet and the consistency of the coconut jelly a bit odd for me.

To finish we were given liquid nitrogen frozen chocolate mints that are only to be witnessed by those at dinner - really fun to have cold smoke coming out through your nose but not lady-like at all!

N and I had a really great time from start to finish, which lasted approximately 2 hours. I am so glad we decided to come here! Hong Kong really needs to catch up on the molecular gastronomy front. We had a quick chat with the Chef, as he was too from Hong Kong. Turns out he worked under Uwe Opocensky of Krug Room and Mandarin Grill & Bar in Hong Kong's Mandarin Oriental hotel for 4 years before heading up Tapas Molecular Bar in their Tokyo hotel. IMHO I think he's done incredibly well and this meal definitely worthy of its Michelin star in a country which has so many excellent restaurants. Chef said they change their menu every season, i.e. 4 times a year - I will be back! 

Food: ♥♥♥♥ 1/2 

Service: ♥♥♥♥♥

Price: ¥15,000 for tasting menu, ¥18,150 after tax. Approximately HK$1,200

Tapas Molecular Bar

Mandarin Oriental Hotel

2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuoo-ku, Tokyo 103-8328, Japan

Tel: +81 3-3270-8188

Reservations needed.