Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2010

Photos courtesy of Lauderdale

Any restaurant in Tokyo that bills itself as a “Bistro & Diner” had better make good on the claim, or a legion of home-cooking-deprived expats will be seriously disappointed. Lauderdale, we’re happy to report, keeps its promise. This newly opened eatery brings the best of casual dining—both French and American—to the classy surrounds of Roppongi Hills.

While many Tokyo restaurants showcase offbeat cuisines, Lauderdale is the first in the city to specialize in, of all things, soufflés. The baked-to-order treats come in both savory and sweet varieties (from ¥650), including mushroom-cheese and apple-cinnamon. And they’re the real deal, with a puffy, slightly crusty top that mushrooms over the ramekin’s edge, needing only the slightest poke to collapse into its spongy center. Served with sweet cream, the soufflés alone are worth a trip.

But you’ll certainly want to venture deeper into Lauderdale’s menu. The restaurant offers one of the best brunches in town, with an array of standards from the US (buttermilk pancakes, ¥1,500) and France (duck confit, ¥2,300). Diners can choose a main dish plus two items from a side menu—pork rillettes, carrot-orange glacé, French fries, juice, coffee, tea and more. À la carte fare includes a fantastic French onion soup (¥1,100) and an indulgent brownie sundae (¥1,100). But what clinched the deal for us is the bottomless coffee, which lets customers lounge around in true diner/bistro style.

Lauderdale’s dinnertime menu keeps up the multinational theme. Gallic appetizers like wine-steamed mussels (¥1,700) are offered alongside Western fare like chili con carne (¥850). Main dishes range from “Portuguese-style” baked fish (¥2,300) and pot-au-feu (¥1,900) to honeyed pork ribs (¥1,800) and Kojun chicken with mashed potatoes (¥1,700). Portions are fair and the dishes attractively presented, making Lauderdale that rare restaurant which will please both hungry guys and their kawaii-conscious dates.

Photos courtesy of Lauderdale

Alas, the news is not all good. A lunch salad of smoked salmon (¥1,000) came with excellent fish on a bed of radicchio and greens, but the accompanying vinaigrette was too salty, the cauliflower too tough, and the tomatoes too out of season. Tables for couples and single diners are laughably small, and the service, especially when the restaurant is slow, becomes overly solicitous—the waitstaff hover annoyingly, and one time they even tried to clear our table before we’d finished. Considering the food-loving crowd we hang out with, they were lucky not to lose a limb.

But if you can snag a spot on Lauderdale’s cushioned banquette at the rear of the restaurant, you’ll be dining in true comfort. Classic French pop music fills the air, and an exciting crowd of international couples, model types and various Roppongi Hills denizens make this an amiable people-watching spot. That is, if you can manage to tear your attention away from your plate.