Review: Le Pristine Tokyo

A vast open black doorframe hinting at the gates of a Shinto shrine marks the threshold of Le Pristine Tokyo, Michelin-sprinkled Dutch chef Sergio Herman’s first foray into Asia. The restaurant is located in Hotel Toranomon Hills, whose softly minimalist Nordic-meets-Japanese interiors by Space Copenhagen hide behind a new twisted-façade skyscraper. The street-level venue is home to both a café and restaurant, the latter of which offers an escapist gourmet journey through modern European cuisine with a fresh Japanese twist. Dishes include marinated mussels, dashi, yuzu, and verbena; hamachi (a type of yellowtail), hairy crab, pistachio, mikan (Japanese mandarin), and black radish; and Sergio’s signature seafood orecchiette. Food is not the only winning ingredient, however: Diners also soak in the intimacy of the elegant lines and crafted textures of the plant-scattered decor, with the mushroom-like Como SC53 Portable Table by Space for &Tradition tabletop lamps, Rotgazen wall-clinging melted disco balls, and Fredericia Furniture chairs playing into the theater of the central open-plan kitchen.