A new restaurant taking its earliest baby steps. A young chef, as yet unknown, but already with an impressive resume under his belt. And an extensive tasting menu spanning a dozen dishes of considerable complexity.

The venue: Elan, in Harajuku's revamped Gyre building. The chef: Ryoma Shida, lately of the elegant, always excellent Esquisse in Ginza. The occasion: Shida's very first dinners in his own restaurant. Needless to say, as the hors d'oeuvres begin to arrive, expectations are running high, albeit spiked with a certain tension.

First up, to prime the taste buds, a shot glass of warm potage served over crisp, finely diced nukazuke pickled vegetables. Next, to further open the senses, a light blancmange made with renkon (lotus root), adorned with colorful morsels of uni (sea urchin), "petals" of starchy yurine (lily root) and dabs of kinkan (kumquat) compote.