Volume 04, Number 05

Dining

Jim Thompson's Table
by Marie Teather

We probably eat at a Thai restaurant around once a week and generally am of the opinion that it's very hard to have a bad Thai meal here in Tokyo. The Thai community here have done a great job of ensuring that flavors and cooking styles remain authentic and food is prepared just as in the kitchens of Bangkok or Koh Samui. Unlike my native country England, where curries are sometimes made creamier to suit British tastes, and where eating out will see an unenthusiastic student plonk food on your table with no character or concern, here in Tokyo, Thai food is how it should be. And what's more, it's served with a genuine Thai smile. With this in mind, I was intrigued to see how Jim Thompson's Table, in the newly opened Marrioner Building in Ginza, would fare. On the 10th floor overlooking the upscale and wide avenues of a designer shopping heaven, I wondered just how the spices would compete with the more delicate palette of a Ginza ‘lady who lunches'.

The sleek, hotel lobby-inspired interior, seats around 40 and is set in the corner of a modern high-rise. Two of the walls are in fact floor to ceiling windows, allowing tables to be encapsulated in natural sunlight before sunset, and creating a romantic viewing spot to see an illuminated Ginza after. The huey green and crisp white color scheme suggests nature and efficiency, and indeed once seated, the suit-clad floor staff attend your orders whilst you relax into the surroundings.

Cocktails were suggested first and a list which includes a Mango Pina Colada and a Monsoon Tonic added to the holiday feel whilst the Champagne Mojito is the perfect refreshment after a hard day of pounding the designer shopping streets below. From the extensive menu we started out with the Fresh Green Papaya Salad (¥950) and the Stir-Fired Morning Glory with Garlic Chili Sauce (¥900). I admit I expected the spices to be somewhat subdued but on the contrary my partner felt the garlic was possibly even too strong. Next we had the Fried White Fish with Herbs and Chili Sauce (¥1500)—the sure fire hit of the day. Succulent pieces of fish basted in a delicate sauce that simply melted in your mouth. We could only wish there was more on the plate. Presentation, I should add was an aesthetic delight throughout, combining the best of Thai and Japanese culinary flairs (think lotus flowers added to cocktails, delicate tempura-coated extras, and vegetables cut to resemble flowers). Now reveling in a more refined Thai experience, we opted not for our usual phad thai or green curry favorites, but instead for the Sautéed Beef with Red Curry Sauce Steak (¥1600). Tender pieces of beef cooked in spices were washed down with a Chang beer which all but completed our meal.

By then the sun had set and the restaurant was filling with couples and even the odd family. Although the restaurant was full it continued to feel spacious and calm as diners experienced great Thai food, great Thai hospitality and all amidst the glittering skyline of Ginza.

Ginza Marronier Gate 10F, 2-2-14 Chuo-ku. Open 11am–11pm daily. Tel. 03-5524-1610. Jim Thompson's Table is opening a second branch in Akasaka in March 2008. For more information see www.jimthompson.com/index.asp