Poets may talk all they like about mist and mellow fruitfulness, but for us, autumn is above all mushroom season. And this year we have a new favorite place in which to indulge our fondness for fungi: Les Chanterelles.

Open since the beginning of July, this is just the kind of restaurant we love. Set well away from the razzle and bright lights of the inner city in residential Moto-Yoyogi, it has a relaxed neighborhood feel. The scale is intimate (just 16 seats), but the look and the lighting are plenty stylish enough for a serious night out, whether for a date or a celebratory dinner. Most important of all, though, owner-chef Yusuke Nakada's food is fabulous.

That will come as no surprise to anyone who ever tasted his cooking during his seven-year tenure at L'Artemis in Harajuku, especially in the early days (as extolled in this column in 2006). But now that he's his own boss — working virtually solo in the kitchen — Nakada is finally free to spread his wings much wider and show us what he's capable of.