Bistro Yamarai is a relatively new addition to the Sendai restaurant scene, but it has already been making waves. Its parent restaurant, Chez Yamarai in Hiroshima, has over one hundred years of history and a stirling reputation.
After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the owner wanted to do something for Miyagi. Simply put, both areas have a history of tragedy but both can also overcome. Using the link of oysters (both areas are famous for them), a bistro was founded around using local ingredients. Miyagi ingredients are even sent to Hiroshima to help decrease the negative associations with food from Tohoku. Produce is brought in daily. It's prepared by a head chef trained in France and the desserts are created by their own patissier.
The serving staff are no less impressive, bringing linguistic skills to their job. Between them they are fluent in Italian, French, Korean and English. This international feel carries over to the menus, which are in English and French as well as Japanese. Free Wi-Fi means you can do business or relax while you eat, and without annoying cigarette smoke, too.
Restaurants like this can be intimidating, but there's no need here. The prices aren't uncomfortably high, the staff are friendly, and you feel just as at ease in more casual clothes as you are in more formal wear. It's also small (it seats 41 with a standing capacity of 70) and tastefully decorated.
I tried one of their set menus, which includes a choice of hors d'oeuvres and main. There are several courses, each one a small amount of food but altogether it leaves you satisfied.
The mini salad was perfect to whet my appetite, obviously fresh and bursting with color. The crunch of the vegetables contrasted well with the chewier seafood. Homemade buns were served from the start, warm, crisp and fresh and everything I'd been missing in bread in Japan. It also gets refilled throughout the meal.
My hors d'oeuvre was duck – a breed from France farmed in Zao. One bite contained more flavor than everything I'd eaten in the past week. It was smoky and meaty, complimented by crunchy radish and supported by cheese that was strong yet delicate. The slightly sweet balsamic reduction was a more subtle backbone tying it all together.
Next was the oyster varie, one of the signature dishes. I'm still relatively new to seafood, but this went a long way to making me convert. They were baked, then prepared in 5 different ways, in each case ensuring that nothing overwhelmed the flavor of the oysters. My favorite was the one with tomato sauce and bacon.
The following turnip cream soup was refreshing; earthy whilst also being light and sweet. It could not be more different to the bouillabaisse, a mixed seafood broth that was drowning in flavor. Served with thin, crisp rounds of bread and ali-oli sauce to dip in the broth, it would be perfect for sharing. The last savory dish was a pot-au-feu with tender, juicy pork that melts in the mouth, accentuated by the accompanying mustard.
The dessert selection was as delicious as it was beautiful. Highlights included a buttery, flaky, heart-shaped cookie; tangy citrus cake; and a creamy coconut cheesecake with gorgeously, unapologetically tart raspberry sauce. Taken alongside tea or coffee, it rounds out a wonderful meal.
