Restaurant J has been open for more than a year, so there's absolutely no reason for the Food File to wait any longer to bestow its seal of approval. But we're still reluctant to give it the unconditional thumbs-up it so richly deserves. Why so? It's the same old story: We're always loath to spread the word about the places we like best.
But it's not as though enough people haven't discovered this brilliant little place for themselves. It has already won a loyal following of enthusiastic fans who like the chic but casual surroundings, the sense of spare simplicity and the fact that it draws a young and unpretentious crowd of diners.
But, above all, they like the food. Restaurant J is the showpiece for one of our most gifted young chefs, Masahito Ueki. His CV is short but illustrious. Before setting up shop here last year, he was the man in charge of the kitchen at Stellato (from its inception) and before that was second-in-command at Tableaux.