Mi casa es su casa, the saying goes. And we felt right at home the moment we entered Cicada, the new restaurant from David Chiddo, the man behind TY Harbor Brewing Co. Effortlessly stylish, the restaurant is able to get away with its pretensions, such as having a section of the menu devoted solely to olive oil, because it knows that at its heart eating tapas-style is a casual affair. Chiddo, for his part, is able to get away with greeting his guests in chef's whites and shorts.

We kicked off with the waiter's recommendation of a specially imported chorizo (¥2,000), which tempted us away from the other excellent selections of cured sausages and Serrano ham on the menu. The tangy spiced sausage that arrived didn't disappoint us and we'd bet that Cicada has some of the best chorizo this side of Seville. Another tapas of clams and more chorizo steamed with mazanilla sherry (¥1,400) was an equally good pick. The salty broth, which combined the best of all the ingredients, proved a worthy adversary for the homemade flat bread (¥300) with its hint of spice. Before we returned to the menu to pick out our entrees, we tackled the spinach and feta salad (¥1,100) with sumac and walnuts-a fine example of a classic dish.

Despite visiting Cicada mid-week and only a short while since its opening, we were in good company as we waited for our meat and fish dishes to arrive. The typical Azabu mix of corporate types and trendy OLs on dates gave us plenty to watch when we weren't checking out the streetlife through the expansive windows. Once our main courses arrived though there was no competition for our attention. The grilled salmon with panzanella, basil and aioli (¥1,600) was cooked perfectly and the basil supplied just the right amount of zing. We're a proper puta when it comes to aioli, and the rich garlic sauce was just what we'd hoped for and so it was hard to share when the time came. Once we'd accepted the rules of the game and switched plates to try the lamb chops with anchovy and rosemary (¥1,800) we stopped complaining. The meat was nice and pink and the hint of salty anchovy balanced with aromatic rosemary made for an interesting twist.

Confronting the dessert menu reminded us of the Spanish Inquisition-the selection of temptations was torture by the divine. The Moroccan rice pudding (¥700) turned out to be simply amazing. Creamy and scattered with almond chunks, it succeeded in being rich yet light. The saffron panna cotta with orange and grapefruit (¥700) was an equally good marriage of tastes. Deciding to take the indulgence further, we rounded things off with coffee (¥500) and a glass of Madeira (¥900)-one of the many highlights on a knockout wine list.