Shiseido Parlour, Japanese-style Western cuisine – Ginza

Top 20 Best Restaurants in Tokyo

Shiseido Parlour is part of the famous cosmetics brand and is over 100 years old. The Parlour was established in 1902, as a soda fountain featuring in the pharmacy Shiseido Ginza. It soon became famous by selling ice cream which was still rare at the time. The amazing thing about Shiseido is that they are a huge brand but I had only ever known them for their make-up. In Japan they are a famous cosmetics brand sold in department stores and pharmacies but at the same time their cakes and restaurant are equally renowned.

The Ginza main building is a large nine story red building on the main street of Ginza walking away from Mitsukoshi Department store, towards Mikimoto Pearl shop on the opposite side of the street. The shop on the first floor of the Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Bldg. features cakes prepared by Shiseido Parlour pastry chefs, with cakes and biscuits embossed with camellia flowers, the symbol logo of Shiseido. The shop is a good place to pick up Omiyage (souvenirs). There is also a cafe on the 3rd floor which serves cakes and desserts exclusive to the cafe.

The restaurant opened in 1928, as a pioneer of Western dishes and is on the 4th-5th Floor. The restaurant was much fancier than I was expecting. My husband had brought me here as a surprise, thinking I might like it as it was “Western”. The decor was light beige, creams and yellows with white tablecloths. The Clientele were all Japanese, a few families, a father and daughter and some couples but it had a very Western feel and reminded me of a hotel restaurant. In Japan the cuisine for this restaurant is termed “Yoshoku” which translates as Japanese-style Western cuisine. It is the food which Japanese people who have never travelled overseas think Westerners eat but food which all Westerners have virtually never tried! The food/ ingredients originally came from Europe/ Asia and were modified to Japanese tastes such as Japanese mild curry, Spaghetti Napolitana with ketchup, hamburger steaks with demi-glace sauce minus the bread, shrimp macaroni gratin and curry doria (curry with rice and cheese sauce). All these dishes are now very much a part of Japanese food culture.

The restaurant is well-established and has a reputation for fine Western food. We ordered a glass of sparkling and looked at the menu which had a fine selection, from salads and soups to meat and seafood. We decided to order a la carte. I ordered one of my favourite Yoshoku dishes “kani croque” (Crab croquettes). My husband ordered one of the house specialities and possibly one of the most popular Yoshoku dishes in Japan, “Omurice” (egg omelette with rice). The actual menu is more sophisticated than my description does justice. My dish arrived first and looked beautiful. The croquettes were lightly fried and the crab and cream filling was delicious. The “Omurice” was also beautifully presented with soft egg covering the rice.

The restaurant is a great place to escape from the busy shopping streets of Ginza. The food and decor are sophisticated and calm while still being warm and inviting. My husband was right I did like it and it is only now after dining here that I appreciate Yoshoku even more. There were no foreigners when I visited and I have come across very few reviews of this restaurant which I find surprising. The food is not cheap but this is a gem of a restaurant in busy Ginza.

A la carte menu:
Crab croquettes with tomato sauce　　　¥3,100
“Rice omelet” Chicken fried rice wrapped in a thin omelet　　　¥2,400

RESTAURANT

Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building 4-5F
8-8-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

81-(0)3-5537-6241

SALON DE CAFÉ

Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building 3F
8-8-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

81-(0)3-5537-6231