As the dust settles from the annual pronouncement of Michelin stars — and, yes, Tokyo remains the tire company's gastronomic capital of the world — it's timely to remember that stellar dining does not have to mean stratospheric prices, even in the most rarefied of surroundings. A case in point: Monna Lisa's Marunouchi branch.
Perched on the penthouse floor of the plush Maru Biru (Marunouchi Building), right across from Tokyo Station, it boasts one of the finest views in the city. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic vistas over the dense woodland of the Imperial Palace compound to the skyscrapers of Shinjuku on the horizon.
Gratifyingly, the food lives up to this dramatic setting. Owner-chef Toru Kawano's cooking is confident, modern, vibrant and colorful. Above all, it is intensely flavorful, just as you'd expect from a chef who has worked with some of the top names in French cuisine, from Guy Savoy and Georges Blanc to Joel Robuchon.
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