Looking for a stylish spot to meet a client? Blossoming romance needs to be nurtured over a cappuccino? Maybe, like most of us, you just need a respite from the mad rush of the city, but don't have the time (or cash) to catch the next train out of town.
Well, as they say, sometimes you don't have to look any farther than your own backyard -- especially if you live in Akasaka. Behind the Ark Hills towers and the Suntory entertainment complex, set back on the curve of a quiet, tree-lined lane, is Kihachi Patisserie. If the name sounds familiar, it should: There are 10 shops in the Tokyo area alone.
As Maiko Inaba, Kihachi's publicity person explains, the original idea behind Kihachi, brainchild and namesake of founder Kihachi Kumagai, was to create a fusion of cuisines -- French, Japanese, Italian, Chinese -- offering the best of all epicurean worlds. Anyone who has been to the French and Chinese "sister" Kihachis in Ginza can attest to Kumagai's success.