Keen-eyed Nishi Azabu-watchers will have noted the arrival of a whole slew of new restaurants in recent months. The influx has been especially noticeable on the southwest quadrant of the crossing known to old-timers as Kasumicho Crossing and to foreign punsters as Hobson's Choice.
In the space of just one small block, the newcomers include the latest incarnation of Futon (funky Korean shichirin barbecue); Seizan (contemporary Japanese in izakaya mode); an upscale basement "wine salon" called Ageing; and a couple of flash Asian-fusion joints, right on the main Gaien-Nishi drag. Most of the above can be safely ignored as mere backdrops for affairs of the heart. But one place that is entirely serious about satisfying the palate and the stomach is Harmonie.
The appealing, timber-framed facade is enough to pique the interest. Push through the antique wooden doors and you find yourself in a small chamber equipped with a handful of round tables and well-worn chairs in the Parisian style. The cheerful glow of a rotisserie machine draws your eye to the small kitchen at the back. The menu is hand-written on a blackboard in Japanese and French.