Ojii Paris, an elegant Japanese restaurant with an intimate atmosphere and top-flight cuisine

This confidential address bridges the gap between Paris and Tokyo. Ojii is one of our favorite restaurants, transporting us into a chic, hushed world where we can savor refined Japanese cuisine.

The minimalist, ebony-black façade reveals an elegant, subdued setting through the glass windows. Inside, bronze masks watch over the tables of diners who have come to experience top-flight Japanese gastronomy in a setting that's both chic and intimate. As soon as you push open the doors of Ojii, you feel drawn in, with its soothing, relaxed atmosphere cutting through the hustle and bustle of the capital outside.

The little brother of the Onii-San bistro in the Marais, Ojii plunges us into the atmosphere of a trendy Tokyo bar, this time in the Saint-Germain district. On the menu, exceptional products are showcased in surprising and refined recipes, to share or not, designed to reveal the best of Japanese gastronomy. Prices are generally rather high, but remain in line with the standing of the place, as well as the recipes presented. Nevertheless, the offer is varied enough to allow you to enjoy the culinary experience of the address while keeping your budget under control.

From the outset, we recommend that you let yourself be tempted by a cocktail, or even better, by a made-to-measure creation that, with or without alcohol, will seduce taste buds in search of a surprise. Among the appetizers, Ojii strikes hard with Toro tartare (28€), the noblest part of the bluefin tuna, fatty and located in the belly, extremely melt-in-the-mouth, which is paired here with Volzenhka caviar (5g) and accompanied by Nori seaweed tempura and Ponzu sauce.

Don't miss out on the sushi, which ranges from €7 to €15 a piece. Here, sushi is restored to its former glory with carefully selected ingredients. The sushi is already seasoned, carefully assembled and ready to eat.

If you're looking to keep your sea legs up, the Seriola Ikejime carpaccio (32€) is well worth a try, with its thin slices that sublimate the melting flesh, all enhanced by a miso-wasabi sauce that, we assure you, has nothing spicy about it but perfumes the plate wonderfully. Roasted buckwheat seeds even add a touch of crunch to balance the textures: yes, the devil is in the details.

Our favorite is the 25€ sesame-fried tofu in dashi broth. With this dish, forget any preconceptions you might have about this ingredient, as Ojii achieves a tour de force with this recipe of roasted notes and comforting flavors. We love the slightly crispy yet light texture of the crust, which then gives way to the silky texture of the tofu. The iodized trout roe sprinkled over the tofu adds an extra kick to the plate. This dish alone would have made us want to return to Ojii.

We've promised you exceptional products, and we won't forget one of the stars of the menu, the one that meat lovers will find hard to look away from: wagyu. This Japanese beef is particularly prized, as it is the fruit of breeding methods that demand the highest standards in terms of monitoring, patience and rigor in both feeding and animal care. The result is an exceptionally marbled meat. So, of course, it's on the menu at Ojii! The Hokkaido Wagyu entrecôte (€65), for example, invites us to savor this extremely melt-in-the-mouth meat covered with a teriyaki sauce that adds even more gourmandise with a ponzu sauce reduction and the house's signature rice.

Still have room for dessert? If so, we'd recommend the Matcha and Cacao ice cream bowl, a tandem de choc by Enzo and Lily. The texture of this frosted dessert is surprisingly silky, true to the flavors of this exceptional green tea. The indulgence of the chocolate is sure to please chovorees, without overpowering the matcha. These two capricious flavors have also found their balance.