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Il Ristorante Luca Fantin
Add: Bvlgari Ginza Tower 2-7-12 Ginza, Chuo-ku Tokyo
Tel: +81 3 6362 0555
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am – 2pm L.O. [dinner] 5:30 – 8:30pm L.O. (closed on Sun & Mon)
Website: www.bulgarihotels.com
Price: tasting menu 25,000 yen + 8% tax + 13% service charge
Visited: Nov 2018
There’s something exceedingly graceful about the dining room at Il Ristorante Luca Fantin, something I wasn’t able to experience the other night as I was tucked away at chef’s table (no complaints though). Just seeing the dining room during day light was a treat in itself – the towering windows that gave us a glimpse of the Ginza glitz at night now draw in an abundance of natural light, bringing out all the beautiful details of the space – shimmering chandelier, starched white table clothes, wine glasses light as air. It’s hard not to feel on top of the world when being ushered into somewhere as beautiful as this.
上回來 Il Ristorante Luca Fantin 坐在私密的 “主廚餐桌”，這次再訪則被安排在自然光充足的主用餐區，正好可以好好欣賞一下這個優雅空間的各個細節 – 閃閃發光的水晶燈、雪白的桌布、如空氣般輕盈的酒杯。有種，坐在世界頂端的美妙感。
You’ve already read about chef Luca (left on the picture below) last time, and here’s a short blurb on chef Kirk: he is the head chef at JAAN, where his “Modern British” cuisine has been awarded one Michelin star and ranked #44 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. His perpetually evolving menu embodies a seasonal philosophy to showcase British dining in a refreshing light…and we were about to have a taste of it.
看過上一篇文章的你對 chef Luca 主廚已略有所知，在這裏再簡單介紹一下 chef Kirk：來自德文郡的他將傳統英式料理以新穎的手法來詮釋，善用時令食材創造季節料理；身為新加坡 JAAN 的主廚，他以自己的 “摩登英式料理” 為餐廳收獲了一顆米其林星星以及亞洲50最佳餐廳排名#44。
First came a flurry of small bites, starting with chef Luca’s blue fish bruschetta. His choice of fish is samma (Pacific saury) for the season, grilled on charcoal and served with a paste of its liver, which provided a nice bitterness to the bite.
一連串的開胃小點由 chef Luca 的 blue fish bruschetta 開始。他這次選擇的是這個季節最鮮美的秋刀魚，炭火烤過後和略帶迷人苦味的秋刀魚肝醬一同放在烤麵包片上。
What looked like black truffle were in fact chips made with burnt rice flour and squid ink, filled with black truffle cream and truffle slices from Piedmont. It seems like chef Luca is quite fond of whimsical trompe-l’œil, as was the case with this black truffle and the olive-lookalikes from dinner. Fun little surprises.
這開胃小點看似整顆黑松露，翻開才發現其實是墨魚汁脆米餅裡填了皮埃蒙特黑松露奶油以及黑松露片。Chef Luca 似乎挺喜歡這種 “看似…其實…” 的小遊戲，上一回的 “橄欖” 也是如此，總是能給食客們帶了意想不到的驚喜。
“Fish and chips” from chef Kirk, a tartlet with salted cod and potato topped with vinegared herb salad.
Chef Kirk 的 “fish and chips” 將英國傳統的炸魚柳和薯條變身成為鱈魚和馬鈴薯小塔。
Truffle macarons.
松露馬卡龍。
These little takoyaki lookalikes were made from buckwheat flour and filled with cheddar cheese from Devon, just 5 miles from chef Kirk’s house.
這些看起來有點像章魚燒的丸子由蕎麥麵粉製成，裡面填的德文郡巧達乳酪是 chef Kirk 特地從離自家五英里處的農場挑選來的。
On that note, he also brought some Devon butter from home for us to enjoy with this rustic country bread.
搭配麵包的奶油也來自德文郡。
Chef Kirk followed these with a soup – heady and aromatic – made from black truffle consommé and roasted potato mushroom stock, punctuated with shimeji mushroom and truffle from Alba. A delicious ode to Autumn.
Chef Kirk 接著端上了一道由黑松露清湯以及烤馬鈴薯蘑菇湯組成的湯品，絲滑的口感裡穿插著真姬菇以及艾爾巴松露。香氣十足，完美展現了秋日的餽贈。
Then, the most beautiful beetroot dish I have yet to taste. Golden, red, and pink beetroots are baked individually and served over a bed of burrata, adorned with local trout caviar, hazelnut crumble, and a slightly sweet golden beetroot sorbet. The ingredients do a little tango in the mouth, dipping and swaying as the flavors leap across each other, vivid as their colors.
接著上來的是我嘗過最美的甜菜根料理。金黃、紅、以及粉色的甜菜根分別烤過後和布拉塔乳酪一起上桌，點綴著當地產的鱒魚卵、榛果酥、以及微甜的金黃甜菜根雪酪。食材風味如它們的色彩一般豐富，舌尖上輕盈地舞動著。
But that’s not it. The dish was served with this adorable beetroot meringue filled with horseradish, smoked eel, and olive oil pearls. Tell me this isn’t the prettiest little bite you’ve seen in a while.
而且這道菜還不僅如此。一旁附了枚小巧可愛的甜菜根蛋白霜，裡面填了辣根泥、煙燻鰻魚、和橄欖油珍珠 – 是不是，少女心小爆發了？
From chef Luca: Hokkaido wild scallop steamed with olive oil and served with orange purée, concentrated scallop liver, celeriac tartare and purée, then sprayed with a whiff of lemon edible perfume from Modena, Italy. A soothing dish, with colors so harmonious, it looked like an orchid painted by Georgia O’Keefe.
下一道來自 chef Luca，他將北海道野生扇貝和橄欖油一同蒸熟後佐以橙子泥、扇貝肝、芹菜根，最後輕輕噴上義大利摩德納產的可食用檸檬香水。顏色如此和諧，像 Georgia O’Keefe 所畫的優雅蘭花一般。
Next is a signature from chef Kirk: “Eggs in an Egg”. The larger is what I imagine to be the size of an Ostrich egg, which, when opened, let out a waft of smoked rosemary and sage. What it contained: New Zealand hen’s egg slow-cooked in olive oil, served with shimeji mushroom and pickled onions for acidity, over a bed of cauliflower purée and egg white to sooth the palate. Inside the small egg? Italian beluga.
接下來是 chef Kirk 的招牌菜 “蛋中蛋”。大蛋打開時，首先撲鼻而來的是一股煙燻迷迭香和鼠尾草的香氣；低頭一看，蛋裡盛裝了橄欖油慢煮紐西蘭雞蛋、真姬菇以及醃漬洋蔥，以及柔和的白花椰菜泥以及蛋白。小蛋裡呢？是鮮美無比的義大利 Beluga 鱘魚卵。
I broke the yolk and tried to get a bit of everything in one bite. This trembling little spoonful is all suave subtle smoothness.
吃這道菜時絕對要一勺挖到所有的食材，感受那一口下去的豐富。
Not to forget the two pieces of crispy cheese toasts that came along, making this a luxe version of egg and soldiers.
“蛋中蛋” 還搭配了兩條烤的香脆的奶酪吐司，做成高級版的 egg and soldiers.
One of my favorites of the meal were these raviolis by chef Luca, plump little pillows filled with puttanesca sauce (capers, anchovies, lots of olives and tomatoes). He topped these with soft and juicy chutoro (tuna belly) from Aomori, a region famed for tuna, trout, salmon, and – incidentally – apples. The swirl of sauce on the side is a reduction of shin-tamanegi, a variety of onion that’s exceedingly sweet. Such vibrant colors on a plate, with flavors to match.
這頓飯最令我喜歡的料理之一是 chef Luca 的義大利餃，如豐滿的小枕頭般，填滿了義大利 puttanesca sauce（水瓜柳、鹹魚、橄欖、番茄等製成的醬）。他在上面堆疊了鮮甜的青森鮪魚中腹肉，旁邊揮灑著焦化新玉葱的醬汁，鮮紅和墨黑形成了美麗的對比。
Continuing with the roll of seafood, chef Kirk put forth a plate of ise-ebi (Japanese spiny lobster) from Mie Prefecture, served with pickled pumpkin, pumpkin cream, roasted pumpkin seeds, and a coconut milk curry sauce. An inspired combination, the brininess of the lobster underlined the sweetness of pumpkin in the most wonderful way. I also loved the nasturtium leaves as decoration, like two parasols on a yellow beach.
延續著海鮮的部分，chef Kirk 將日本三重縣的伊勢龍蝦和南瓜（醃漬南瓜、南瓜奶油、烤南瓜籽）以及椰奶咖哩醬汁做搭配，龍蝦的鮮鹹和南瓜的甜相輔相成，非常出色。裝飾用的旱金蓮像黃色沙灘上的兩朵遮陽傘，有點俏皮。
The savories concluded with a piece from chef Luca – Ezo Hokkaido venison. Though we had venison a few days ago at dinner, the preparations were completely different. For this meal, chef Luca decided to go with the salmis style – the meat is first marinated in red wine, spices (cloves, juniper berry) and herbs, rested for 24 hours, steamed for 36 hours, then mashed and added with tendon and belly meat for extra flavors and textures. The dark sauce is thickened with the liver and blood of venison as well as chocolate, its intense flavor somewhat reminiscent of the Italian sanguinaccio (blood sausage).
主菜的最後一道以 chef Luca 的北海道鹿肉為結尾。雖然之前在晚餐也嘗過 chef Luca 的鹿肉料理，但這次的料理手法完全不同，採用的是 “salmis style” – 先將肉用紅酒、香料（丁香、杜松果）和數種香草醃製過後，休息24小時，蒸36小時，再混入筋以及腹肉來調整口感。深色的醬汁裡加了鹿肝、血、以及少許巧克力增加風味和稠度，濃郁的風味讓人想起義大利血腸。
The reindeer on the side is made with horseradish cream, with a bit of black pepper powder for spiciness, giving the dish a kind of electricity.
一旁的麋鹿由辣根奶油做成，裡面加了一些黑胡椒，給這道菜帶來一絲刺激的辣味。
A variation on carrots accompanied the venison. Carrots from Aomori, small and sweet, were rendered into puree, semi-dried pieces, in oil…even the leaves were fried and included as part of the presentation.
陪伴鹿肉上桌的是胡蘿蔔的變奏曲 – chef Luca 將青森出產的小胡蘿蔔以蘿蔔泥、半乾燥蘿蔔、以及胡蘿蔔油等型態展現，連蘿蔔葉也經炸過後做為裝飾一同裝盤，絲毫不浪費。
Then came the sweets. Pastry chef Fabrizio Fiorani presented a bowl of surprise, whimsically labelled as pictured below. What it contained: raspberry jelly, liquid nitrogen-frozen raspberry juice, Mexican vanilla gelato, and vanilla espuma. A charming balance between the sweet and the sour.
最後是甜點師 Fabrizio Fiorani 的表演時間。首先端上的這一碗讓所有人都笑了 – “若有甜點緊急狀況，敲開它！” 的確，在吃下如此多道鹹食之後，的確會想要趕緊來一口甜的。這道甜點不止可愛，由覆盆子果醬、速凍覆盆子汁、墨西哥香草冰淇淋、以及香草泡沫所組成的風味酸甜平衡，非常討喜。
Then, as an hommage to Singapore, he fashioned a dessert in the form of butterflies that he saw at the butterfly garden in Singapore on his last visit. The flavors, however, are distinctly Italian – almond cookie, ricotta cream, caramelized citrus and pistachio bits, much like the traditional Sicilian dessert cassata.
蝴蝶餅乾靈感來自於新加坡機場看到的蝴蝶花園，風味則是杏仁餅乾、瑞克塔乳酪、焦糖柑橘、開心果碎 – 雖然形式完全不一樣，但味道組合簡直就是義大利傳統甜點 cassata。
The dessert to desserts was chef Kirk’s caramelized white chocolate ice-cream served with English custard, aerated dark chocolate, muscovado sugar and biscuits.
甜點的甜點是 chef Kirk 的焦糖白巧克力冰淇淋佐英式蛋奶醬、黑巧克力、紅糖、脆餅。
And not to forget, the incredible lineup of wines for the meal…
當日喝到的好酒們，大合照。
I must also mention that the service was wonderful. Welcoming. Enthusiastic. Knowledgeable. Endlessly professional. I couldn’t help but feel that the team was proud of what they did, wanted us to have a great experience, and would do anything to ensure that.
而完美串連起這一切的，是 Il Ristorante Luca Fantin 溫暖、熱情、專業的服務。在這裡用餐，可以深刻感到這個團隊對自己的餐廳的自豪，而且全力以赴地想讓每一位客人得到最好的體驗。
This was, all in all, sumptuous indulgence on a very grand scale. I wouldn’t want to get accustomed to eating like this, but every once in a while it’s wonderful to be reminded that a dining experience can be this inspiring. I walked out the door, feeling as I always do, that a great restaurant lifts your spirits and leaves you feeling both refreshed and fortunate.
這樣華麗的一頓飯自然無法（也不會想要）天天吃，但偶爾能有如此精緻而美妙的用餐體驗，實在令人感到人生美好以及幸運。離開寶格麗大樓踏入東京秋日的微涼午後，肚子沈甸甸地，心情輕飄飄地。
Il Ristorante Luca Fantin
地址：東京都中央區銀座2-7-12 寶格麗銀座塔9F
電話：+81 3 6362 0555
營業時間：[午餐] 11:30am – 2pm L.O. [晚餐] 5:30 – 8:30pm L.O. (週一/日休)
網站：www.bulgarihotels.com
價位：tasting menu 25,000日幣 + 8% 税 + 13% 服務費
造訪：2018年11月