Gentil H

We visited Gentil H for the multi course lunch. It was a special treat for my nephew’s birthday. We enjoyed the private room and each course was beautiful and well thought out. The server and chef took care of us and were very patient while I tried to Google Translate something that meant so much more than oishi(delicious). The chef even gave us food and drink recommendations for our trip to Kyoto. Both the chef and server essentially walked us out where I was presented with a small bag of tea(the birthday guy got one too). So kind! They continued to wave as we walked down the street. The whole experience was beyond what I’d imagined! :)

A small restaurant in a quiet neighborhood off Platinum Street that has very good reviews so decided to try their lunch course. The service was just as you would expect and the dishes looked and tasted great. I could feel that a lot of thought has gone into the use of ingredients and presentation to give the feeling of Autumn. The portions are quite small though so perhaps can try a more expensive course next time. They have wine pairing for lunch too. Didn't expect the chef to come downstairs to send us off but it was a nice touch.

Gentil H is located in a quiet residential area, and the place has very nice decor.

We wanted an escape from the Japanese food for our stay in Tokyo and decided on gentil h based on the positive tabelog reviews.
We went for the 4000 yen lunch course.

There are only 5 or 6 tables in the restaurant. Service was good and the staff were very attentive (maybe a bit overly polite...but it’s japan anyway..)

Wine was on the expensive side, as a glass of wine starts at 1500 yen and the definition of a "glass" is different from the US standard.
I was expecting that they would at least fill "half of the glass"
(glass size is normal), but my glass was only 30-40% filled...
Nonetheless, the sauvignon blanc I had was delicious and went well with the food...

The lunch course consists of 4 appetizers/small plates), the main dish, and two desserts.
The first appetizer La Sphere(blue cheese coated in a ball) had a delicate and sophisticated taste. The other appetizers were good but not as memorable.

Main course was impressive!
We ordered duck breast and butterfish(managatsuo) for the main course.
The duck was cooked to the perfect doneness and skin was crispy! But I still prefer the old-fashioned redwine sauce over the japanese ume/plum sauce...
On the other hand, the butterfish was the highlight of the course. The butterfish was topped with sliced radish and lotus root. Fish was very tender and fresh. Moreover, the zucchini sauce was absolutely genius!

Chef Hirano presented each course to us by himself, making the dining experience unique and personal. In spite of my very limited Japanese, the chef was very kind and willing to explain the ingredients to me in details.

Dessert was also above my expectation. The pumpkin ice cream with peanut butter cookies and chai sauce didn’t sound too promising nor french. But, it tasted really good and definitely the best pumpkin ice cream I ’ve had!
Pistachio macaron was a nice surprise as well.
And the coffee was probably more delicious than in most cafes!

One thing to note is that the food portion is small. I don’t have a big appetite, but I didn’t feel full at all after the 3 courses... The whole dining experience was also kind of long (3 hours).
But I guess these two things aren’t necessary downsides if one wants to enjoy a delicious meal with friends without being rushed or getting too full...

The only thing that I think could be significantly improved at gentil h is the baguette.. It tasted like reheated frozen baguette --hard outside and too moist inside. Even baguette from costco is better than that...

Minus 1 star is for the wine price/portion and baguette.

But overall, I am very satisfied with the dining experience at gentil h.
Bravo Chef Hirano!