What sets Lugdunum apart from the other French bistros or brasseries in town is that it’s not a bistro or a brasserie. Lugdunum is a bouchon Lyonnais, the only of its kind in Tokyo—and perhaps Japan.
Unique to Lyon, bouchons are small, unpretentious eateries serving hearty food and good cheer. Christophe Paucod, the owner/manager and creator of Lugdunum’s recipes, is a hearty Lyonnais soul himself, whose joie de vivre is seen in his smile as he greets each customer coming though the front door.
Last year, back in Lyon, Paucod managed to get an entire bouchon—everything from the authentic zinc bar and old-fashioned wine cooler, to the tables, chairs and floor tiles—packed into a container and shipped to Tokyo. So, by crossing his threshold off the cobbled Kagurazaka side street, you have, essentially, arrived in France.
That feeling is reinforced by the French customers who come for the Lyonnais cooking. Generations of mère-named restaurants have given Lyon a standard of “mom’s home-cooking” that’s hard to beat. Paucod has put together a traditional yet updated menu of classic bouchon dishes—including his grandmother’s take on fish dumplings—that is sure to please.
The à la carte menu is easy to figure out: all entrées are ¥1,500, soups ¥1,000, main dishes ¥2,500 and desserts ¥1,500. Daily specials are written up on a chalkboard leaning against the zinc bar.
I can’t stay away from this place—three times so far, and every dish has ranged from very good to great. The Lyonnais salad is made memorable with lardons of good bacon, a poached egg and ”a cake of pig’s ear,” which turns out to be a surprisingly tasty slice of toasted brioche-like bread laced with pleasant bits of said meat. Another standout entrée is the flan of bacon, spinach and smoked conger, which contrasts a chawa-mushi-like custard with deliciously smoky chunks of eel and bacon.
Leeks are outrageously expensive in Tokyo, but Paucod’s leek terrine is packed with plenty of these delightful onions, fresh from Holland, rendered meltingly tender and sweet. This appetizer is blessed with a delicate green herb sauce and topped with chervil and a cute pink shrimp. Try it with a glass of fresh white Montagny (¥1,600).
At Lugdunum, soups are given the respect they deserve. The lowly cauliflower, for example, is elevated to star status as a creamy, unctuous soup topped with a flourish of olive oil, some grated Gruyere cheese, and a subtle, sexy flirtation with exoticness brought by a pinch of cumin.
The main dishes include earthy classics such as breaded tripe; blood sausage with apples; pan-fried steak; and roasted lamb chops. Fish is given expert treatment. A recent daily special featured a thick slice of roasted trout served with asparagus and zucchini in creamy sauce of mussels, tarragon, and chervil. The quenelle of sea bream, à la Paucod’s grandmother, are two light, flavorful fish dumplings set in a rich crayfish sauce. Slices of freshly baked bread, served in small burlap sack, are perfect for mopping up sauces.
Desserts are as fine as the main dishes. After a creme bruleé with orange flower water, or a slice of chocolatetarte, or the citrus salad with pastis, basil, and cheese sorbet, try a shot of Delices de Rhubarbe (¥1,000), a digestif as unforgettable as a first kiss.