After watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi this week, you can imagine I walked out with an intense craving for some really good sushi in an authentic setting. As my friend and I ran for our iphones in search of a place that could fit the bill, he remembered this little place called Hyotan
Tucked away behind an inconspicuous door, on a quiet street, in the 8th district (arrondissement) Hyotan is a two story restaurant with a Sushi bar on the ground floor and a seating area on the first. Barely big enough to fit 50 people, the restaurant is managed by all Japanese, and frequented by mostly Japanese patrons. Daily specials are written in Japanese and the barely francophone waitress will translate them to you in broken french as she glances to the sign hanging on the wall.
On the night we went, the restaurant was filled with Japanese customers who washed down their sushi with Sake as they joked around and chatted loudly. I have never been to Japan, but it felt like I was in tokyo there and then.
My friend and I were eager to sample their menu, so we went for vegetarian appetizers, a sushi selection, and ended our meal with grilled mackerel and udon noodles. Every single dish was tasty and well balanced. The mixed vegetables, which had lotus roots, carrots, shitake mushrooms and a couple of mysterious ingredients were well seasoned, beautifully cooked, and made my tummy feel warm and fuzzy. The sushi were individually delicious. Fresh fish, beautifully cooked rice, and just the right amount of Wasabi. Last but not least, the grilled mackerel and Udon noodles where absolute perfection. The fish was expertly cooked, with salty moist flesh, and the noodles seemed home made and the accompanying tofu almost tasted like desert. We had Kirin Beer with our meal, but there were a number of Sake bottles lining up the shelves and I’ll be sure to taste some next time I go. Don’t forget to wash the whole thing down with some green tea.
What you should order:
Starters: Definitely grab some sushi. Their fish is truly fresh and delicious.
Main dish: Have some grilled fish and udon or green soba noodles to go with it.
Desert: Desert wasn’t all that impressive, red bean jelly, some ice cream or fresh pineapple. I’d say skip it all together.
Drinks: Have a Kirin or one of their many Sakes.
Bill: Approx 40€ / 45€ per person
Restaurant info:
For reservation: 01 42 25 26 78
Location: 3, Rue d’Artois – 75008 Paris
Metro: Philippe du Roule | Line 9 & Franklin Roosevelt | Line 1
Opening hours: 12:00-14:00/ 19:00 – 22:30 | Closed Sunday all day & Saturdays, Mondays for lunch
