One thing should be made clear from the outset: L'Ecailler is not a restaurant for everyone. This has nothing to do with location or exclusivity, though it must be said that tony, well-heeled Shirokanedai does boast a distinctive demographic all its own. Neither is it a question of finances. L'Ecailler may not be a budget bistro, but neither could it be called a budget-buster.
What sets this place apart is the food. Virtually everything on the menu is prepared from fruits de mer of some description. If you're not into seafood, forget it. But piscivores -- and that includes just about the entire population of Japan -- will be entirely in their watery element.
This restaurant's predilection for fish is no doubt obvious to all French-speakers. L'ecailler is the person who pries open shellfish -- the shucker, we would say in English (though the term hardly invokes the requisite gravitas for the name of an eating establishment). And there, standing behind a handsome, stone-topped counter in one corner of the room, you will espy one of the staff dressed the part of the fishmonger, in long white apron and flat cap.