New Three-Starred Japanese Dessert Bar Toshi Yoroizuka Disappoints

The original Toshi Yoroizuka, located in Tokyo, is known as a popular three Michelin-starred Japanese dessert bar and is named after the owner Toshi Yoroizuka. Our rendition has no stars, unfortunately. And following our visit, it looks like they might not be getting any.

After reading many positive reviews, we were itching to try these Japanese sweets. On a sunny Saturday afternoon, we finally made it to their recently opened location at the Grand Summit. The front desk was decorated in black marble, where the waiter told us, “Sorry, all the seats are booked at the moment. You can buy to takeaway, but you are not allowed to eat here.” When we showed disappointment, a managerial looking waitress told us: “Someone just canceled, so we have two seats left. I’ll lead you in.”

We followed her up the stairs, and entered a place that looked like a bar or a saloon. Two chefs were busy in the open kitchen, and four customers were sitting around the bar. There are 12 seats in total, so the place certainly didn't look as busy as the first waiter described.

We sat at the corner and were handed the menu. There were only two options. Course A: a small dish and a main dish, with any beverage (except for champagne) for RMB 330. Or course B: a small dish and two main dishes, with any beverage for RMB 550, including service charge. Since we just finished lunch, we wanted to share, but they insisted that each of us had to order one course. Sigh.

There are six main dishes, such as dessert caprese, lemon souffle, gorgonzola pistache, dessert Mont-Blanc and mango risotto. We tried to order their signature Mont-Blanc. “We don’t have the ingredients at the moment, but they will be shipped from Japan in two weeks,” they told us. Fine, so we ordered the lemon souffle and gorgonzola pistache instead.

The small dish included a cold soup, chopped olives mixed with cream and topped with sesame chips, and a scoop of ice cream. All three of these were salty. The soup was light, and we liked the smooth cream with olive. The ice cream was bitter and sweet. The experience was nice as you could see every moment of the chef's prepartion in the open kitchen. It was like watching a show.

After 20 minutes, our main dishes were served. Gorgonzola pistache, served with a small and round cheese cake topped with cream and a scoop of ice-cream on the side. Introducing the dish, the waitress told me that green cream was made of grapefruit; I asked “Isn't it made of pistachio?” She said: “No, it is grapefruit.” I tried to confirm: “Then where does the green color come from?” She didn’t answer. The chef heard that and came over to tell us, “It is made of pistachio.” Phew, that meant I didn't need to check if I was color blind. The ice-cream was actually pretty tasty, with a hint of salty cheese. The cheese cake had more of a Japanese light style, and went well with the cream. Yummy.

My friend didn’t really enjoy her lemon souffle, unfortunately. As a soufflé lover, she told me it was too sweet. Without using any flour, but instead using only sugar and egg, the soufflé looked good, a foamy top decorated with fresh flowers. I tried it too, with the lemon sauce. It was super tart and sweet, and it seemed like the sauce was syrup. Her plain sparkling wine, which the waitress recommended, made this soufflé even sweeter. Oh by the way heavy drinkers, take heed: the beverages are not free flow.

We chatted with a couple of girls sitting next to us, who said they had some trouble too. They were expecting another friend to join them, who was running late, but the waiter accused them of holding the seat and insisted they place their order right away. Even though Toshi Yoroizuka is one of the top 3 pastry chefs in Japan, he doesn’t do the baking at the Beijing branch himself, so I hesitate to recommend this pricey place. I know it is meant to be a decadent experience, but the strict rules mean the experience isn't very relaxing.

If you do want to go, don’t forget to make a reservation in advance. We couldn’t say that we were satisfied. Yes, it is elegant. Yes, it is nice. But it’s overpriced. We understand that the ingredients have to be shipped, but the Beijing branch's prices are even more expensive than those found in the Tokyo original. Maybe we will come back to try the take-away desserts. To be honest, I’d rather pinch my pennies, fly to Japan, and experience the sweets made by Toshi Yoroizuka himself.

Toshi Yoroizuka
306 The Grand Summit, 19 Dongfang Donglu, Chaoyang District (8531 5785)
朝阳区东方东路19号院5号楼官舍南区3层306

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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang