Nestled on the fifth floor of AO Building—a short walk from Tokyo's Omotesando Station—is TWO ROOMS Grill | Bar, an elegant restaurant offering lunch and dinner menus curated by the seasons.

 

In January, TWO ROOMS launched their first vegetarian dinner menu. The five-course meal caters not only to vegetarians, but to anyone craving for a different taste.

First up is an exquisite salad made up of fresh leaves, including corn, and sprouts, complemented with whipped yoghurt and brown rice furikake (seasoning). Topped with black vinegar syrup from Kyoto, it made the perfect blend for an opening dish. Head chef and CEO Matthew Crabbe adds his own style to the furikake with green tea peppered in to make the dish lightly salted for the palate.

 

Next is the salted beet tartare, an adaptation from the usual raw beef. The dish is garnished with lilies, winter truffle from France, and the gem in the tartare crown, a phoenix hen yolk. The dish is light yet flavourful – the truffles in particular combine well with the beet.

The third dish, Danshaku potato croquette, is sourced directly from Hokkaido. The croquette is enjoyed with black garlic aioli (sauce) and whipped avocado.

 

What makes this dish special is how the black garlic, carefully aged over weeks, brings an earthy taste to the croquette, which by itself is softer than the ones commonly sold in Japan. The avocado, for guacamole lovers, is the icing on the cake.

 

The climax of the meal is the glazed Kyoto carrot that is topped with dried yanagi matsutake mushrooms, shishito pepper, and chimichurri sauce. According to Chef Matthew, this dish is the most popular one in the set and it's easy to see why. This does not taste like your run-of-the-mill carrot as it is caramelised and offers a sweet taste; a perfect foil to the light spice of the shishito.

 

Rounding up the menu is a seasonal dessert. For winter, it is pomelo ice cream served with fruits like oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. White wine jellies are also part of the dish.

 

This menu leaves a light yet filling sensation and is a delicious option for those who wish to take a break from meat. Vegans can also enjoy this meal as Chef Matthew revealed that the menu is flexible can be customised to be gluten-free. With a glass of white wine, this is a meal not to be missed.



by Ignatius Koh