For the record, we had to make reservations a week in advance to dine at this cross-cuisine restaurant. And for good reason too, because the food is divine. The simple décor, with a single gold or black starfruit on each table, belies the elaborate and complex cuisine. Shibaken serves French Japanese fusion cuisine in degustation portions. They have two menu options—the Moody course and the Elegance course. We went for the former. The presentation of the dishes was exquisite and the novelty factor impressive. Outstanding dishes were the extra fine pasta with marscarpone cheese and hairy crab; yellow amberjack tartar with balsamic vinegar sauces; the charcoal-grilled sweet corn cold soup with cappuccino; and pan-fried veal fillet stuffed with Parma ham and sage in veal juice sauce. The only dish that was a little bit too exotic for our palates was the cold buckwheat noodles with grated dry mullet roe. The dessert of homemade marble fondant chocolat, white peach sherbet and fruits was also delicious. Service was tip-top and not too intrusive too. Make sure you have at least two hours to enjoy this meal—it was definitely one of the best we’ve had all year.Since this review was written, Shibaken has reopened as Matsu.
