By NIDRA POLLER

The universal sushi/yakitori craze has provoked the proliferation of pseudo-Japanese restaurants in the French capital—from the recycled Chinese corner dive to the trendy sushi bar and the “highly recommended” expensive establishment—that do an injustice to one of the most refined culinary traditions in the world. All the more reason to follow us from the simply delicious Takara, the oldest Japanese restaurant in Paris, to the simply sublime Aida, the first to be graced with a Michelin star. On our way we correct one misstep—the overrated Kinugawa—with lunch at Toraya, a haven of sweet tranquility.

Takara (www.takaraparis.com), established in 1958 on rue Molière, a few steps from avenue de l’Opéra in the second arrondissement, on the fringe of what later became “little Tokyo,” has consistently maintained a reputation for authentic Japanese cuisine. Owned and operated by two generations of the founding family until it was sold in 2005, Takara has a faithful clientele of cognoscenti; be sure to make reservations. The traditional décor is warm and muted, with wood-block ukiyo-e prints on wood-paneled walls, and wooden tables and chairs. Beaded curtains separate the dining room into sections of two or three tables to add a sense of discretion. Attentive, graceful service is ensured by the hostess, in silk kimono, and waitresses in cotton yucata.

View Full Image

Jiro Mochizuki, Agence Shot for The Wall Street JournalAida’s teppanyaki of diced beef filet served with two sauces, slivers of roast garlic and a shaved salad.

We savor tempura, sashimi, unagi—grilled eel with a rich sauce that drips into its bed of rice, served in a jubako (lacquered box)—and a sushi assortment in lieu of desert. The tempura is a perfect balance of smooth crispy coating and tasty jumbo ebi (shrimp). The sashimi and sushi are first class: a noble assortment of brightly fresh fish in a smooth harmony of shape, temperature and flavors. The sushi rice has exactly the right consistency. Except for the bland European-style salad, everything rings true. Takara offers the widest variety of traditional Japanese dishes, including dozens of vegetable specialties, fried oysters, tonkatsu, shabu shabu and their specialty, sukiyaki. Prices are modest for this level of refinement; our lunch for two, with beverages, came to €86. This is a restaurant to come back to with friendly regularity.

Kinugawa (kinugawa.free.fr), ensconced in the heart of the luxury district—near Hôtel Meurice, the glitzy Westin, Place Vendôme and rue du Faubourg St. Honoré—is a disappointment. Featured on every “Best Japanese Restaurants in Paris” list, Kinugawa only offers us impersonal service; inflated prices; tasteless, odorless food; unattractive tableware; cheap, throwaway hashi (never say chopsticks) that splinter on separation…even the acoustics are bad. We are a party of five, anticipating a fabulous taste adventure, and are unanimously displeased. Sushi is a miserable assortment of nondescript fish on refrigerator-cold rice. The tempura is a scraggly coating on tasteless vegetables and skimpy shrimp. Soggy sukiyaki, incorrectly but aptly translated as “pot au feu” (the homeliest of French stews), is brought to the table ready-made in an iron pot. Shabu shabu, swished in a tasteless broth, is dipped in watery sauce. Throwing good money after bad, two members of our party conclude with a shabby fruit salad. I pay €115; my unfortunate companions fork up €60 each. We feel like we have been robbed.

View Full Image

Jiro Mochizuki, Agence Shot for The Wall Street JournalThe façade of Takara.

Properly executed, Japanese cuisine is a holistic experience that leaves indelible memories. False notes or total disasters are repaired by kuchi na oshi (change the taste in the mouth), so the next day I meet a friend for lunch in the Toraya tea room (www.toraya-group.co.jp/paris) on rue St. Florentin, around the corner from the upscale rue du Faubourg St. Honoré boutiques. We are met with a distinctive Japanese culinary perfume—soothing rice base notes, heady maritime accents, a whiff of sesame and a waft of traditional sweets. The atmosphere is quiet and subdued, the service is impeccable, the food is fresh and tasty, light but satisfying. And for those of us who love Japanese sweets, Toraya has an elegant selection, to enjoy with sencha (clear green tea) or matcha (whipped green tea). Lunch sets, from €13, and pastries (wagashi), at €5.40 (€4.50 in the boutique), change with the seasons. Where better to take a break from the joys of shopping (bargain sales start next week) than the sleek but cozy tea room with its plumply comfortable armchairs?

Chef Koji Aida richly deserves the Michelin star his eponymous restaurant (www.aidaparis.com) was awarded in 2008. He has elaborated a teppanyaki variation on the theme of kaiseki ryoori—the ultimate in refined Japanese cuisine—that can only be enjoyed in France. This isn’t Japanese food adapted to European taste; it is a virtuoso exercise in the kaiseki tradition of choosing the best local, seasonable raw materials and refining them to the highest degree, while remaining simple and unpretentious. Nothing is over-cooked, over-seasoned or over-dramatized.

View Full Image

TakaraTakara’s udonsuki, prepared at the table.

Seating is available at tables in a small dining area or in the washitsu (tatami room), but dinner at the counter is the best choice for a total cultural experience. Our 12-course omakasse (“whatever the chef decides”) menu is orchestrated to a beautiful rhythm of alternating pleasures: observing the choreography of the chef’s agile hands, tasting each dish first with the eyes then with the mouth and retaining the sensation in a deliciously lingering memory. Pleasure in each separate taste sensation is multiplied by the chromatic harmony of the full sequence, the balance of temperatures, textures and flavors. Though I opt for sake this time, I will try the chef’s fancy on my next visit—starting with Champagne, followed by one of my favorite Burgundy wines selected from a sterling list.

Jiro Mochizuki, Agence Shot for The Wall Street Journala pastry from the Toraya boutique.

Our two-hour culinary adventure opens with a cup of steamed custard flavored with crab meat. This is followed by two dashing creations: Fresh foie gras, grilled with slices of parboiled turnip and served with a succulent miso sauce. Then veal and scallop tartare with a wine-flavored, silky light gelée served in cut-glass stemware. A subtle interval of almond tofu prepares the palate for new flavors: thin slices of oyster and sea urchin fingers slightly cooked in a thick bonito nabe (broth) flavored with ginger and kombu, followed by pressed mackerel sushi flambé. The passage from one creation to the next keeps the senses awake; the appetite is stimulated by observing the meticulous preparation and satisfied without satiation by the modest portions of each distinctive dish. Every course has a delicate flavor and a note of surprise: Flatfish sashimi with freshly grated wasabi and a sliver of engawa (the prized flesh of the dorsal fin); a thin slice of fish, stuffed with chestnuts, floating in a flavorful bouillon; and a tilapia filet grilled to perfection with an elegant sauce that heightens its natural flavor while adding a subtle counterpoint. Instead of the typical paper-thin slices of beef used in Japanese cuisine, the chef grills a very French, thick filet, diced and served with two sauces, slivers of roasted garlic and a shaved salad. His variation on the traditional bowl of rice that concludes a kaiseki ryori sequence is an exquisite chahan (Chinese fried rice), with thin slivers of girolle mushrooms. Dessert is sesame ice cream with an intriguing cake-like texture and green tea-flavored langue de chat cookies.

The omakasse menu—€140 plus alcoholic beverages—changes with the seasons and varies with the availability of products on the market. If you appreciate fine Japanese cuisine, you owe it to yourself to discover Aida. Dinner in this intimate restaurant—total capacity 18 guests—on an unassuming side street in the seventh arrondissement, is more than dining out…it is dining into a fascinating culture that makes a lively art of everyday necessities.