What's in a name? Since last year, and especially over the past month, the most in-demand dining spot in Ginza has been the one with the most unwieldy misnomer. Afternoon Tea Baker and Diner hardly trips off the tongue. It also disguises the fact this is no mere tea room: It's a proper restaurant, contemporary yet casual, and very much of the moment.
But it is another name that has been drawing the crowds -- that of young British chef Jamie Oliver, best known for his "Naked Chef" TV series in Britain. Still in his 20s, Oliver's main appeal has been his casual approach to the kitchen and his youthful, chirpy Mockney demeanor. Behind all the attendant hype, though, there is a serious, talented chef. And that is why he has been brought in to serve as consultant chef and headline-grabber at ATB.
Modern British cooking, at least the way that Jamie Oliver expounds it, dovetails perfectly with Japanese sensibilities. It's based on an appreciation of fresh, high-quality ingredients, prepared and served without fuss or over-elaboration, synthesizing from (basically) French and Italian fundamentals. The other key aspect of his approach is keeping things casual -- dining out is supposed to be approachable and fun. That's certainly the case at ATB.