For those looking for a good lunch or dinner restaurant around Omotesando or Harajuku. This is a lunch review article at a restaurant called EUREKA, a food area GYRE FOOD on the 4th floor of GYRE, a stylish commercial building in Omotesando. I’d like to convey the value of cutting-edge experiences. It was closed for a while due to the COVID19. Currently, it has been changed to a French restaurant called Bonelan, a cafe & deli and a bar called uni, This article was written before EUREKA closed. Current GYRE FOOD store information is below.
GYRE FOOD Store Information (10/26/2023)
＜uni＞ Cafe & Deli, Bar
- Business hours: Cafe & Deli 11:00-19:00, Bar 19:00-24:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Coffee：¥550〜 Deli-lunch ¥1600 COEDO Ruri (Draft Beer) ￥1,100
- Phone: 03-6803-8699
- Access: 7 minutes walk from JR Yamanote Line Harajyuku St., 3 minutes walk from Subway Fukutoshin Line / Chiyoda Line Meiji-Jingumae St., 4 minutes walk from Subway Chiyoda Line / Hanzomon Line / Ginza Line Omotesando St.
- Reservation: Reservations not accepted
- Payment: Credit card OK, Electronic money OK
＜Bonelan＞ French Restaurant
- Business hours: Lunch 11:00-16:00, Dinner 17:00-23:00
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 03-6803-8677 or 050-5872-5714
- Reservation: Reservable
- Payment: Credit card OK, Electronic money not allowed, QR code payment not allowed.
＜L’elan＞ French Restaurant
- Business hours: 18:00-20:30
- Closed: Every Sunday, Monday (in the case of a holiday, the following Tuesday)
- Phone: 03-6803-8670
- Reservation: Reservation required
- Payment: Credit card
＜Soil＞ Grocery & Souvenir
- Business hours: 12:00-19:00 (Tuesday to Saturday), 12:00-18:00 (Sunday)
- Closed: Every Monday
- Phone: 03-6803-8620
＜EUREKA＞ All Day Dining (Closed)
- Location: 5-10-1 GYRE 4F, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Business hours: 11:00-21:00 (Mon-Sat) 11:00-20:30 (Sun)
- Regular holidays: Irregular holidays
- Phone: 03-6803-8699
GYRE concept
The GYRE building is located at 5-10-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, halfway between JR Harajuku Station and Omotesando intersection. This is the building where the MOMA store is located. I’ve been attracting attention from around the world with their unique philosophy of “SHOP & THINK,” a concept that means “Living while being aware of what is happening in the world.”
From January 2020, the 4th floor of this building will be called GYRE FOOD, and the entire 4th floor will be a one-floor, one-concept space with a space of 1,000 m3, with a French restaurant, dining, grocery shop, and event space integrated under the theme of “circulation.” It has been renewed.
The person who created the concept is Ms. Kayoko Hirao, the representative of HiRAO INC., who works on a wide variety of projects as the general director of GYRE, and a chef who works in the field of food, including “Restaurant Eatrip”, which opened in an old private house in front of Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Ms. Yuri Nomura.
The space was designed by France-based architect Mr. Tsuyoshi Tane (Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects).
Dining EUREKA
When you go up the escalator to GYRE FOOD on the 4th floor of the GYRE building, you will see a natural image with the walls all covered in earthy color. There are lots of plants, making it an oasis in the middle of the city. It also fits the image of ecology and the “circulation” theme of the entire floor. It’s calming to eat surrounded by these natural objects.
If you sit by the window, there is a balcony and you can see the sky along Omotesando, which is very comfortable.
There were three types of lunch. A was 1500 yen for a main plate and coffee or tea, B was 1900 yen for A + dessert, and C was 2600 yen for B with appetizer. This time I had A lunch and the main dish was chicken confit.
A also came with a mini appetizer and mini soup. This is a dish that uses scraps of vegetables, fish, and meat that are not normally served to customers, and the restaurant aims to never forget it’s gratitude to the nature and people that have nurtured the life of all the ingredients. It is a message from this restaurant.
↑This is a mini appetizer of puff pastry sable.
↑The mini soup was a cabbage soup. Even though it was scraps, it tasted good.
The restaurant’s approach is to proactively use the scraps of vegetables that would otherwise have been thrown away, and to avoid throwing them away unnecessarily, in an effort to eliminate food waste. I can empathize with this kind of attitude. It has a “Cutting Edge Feeling”.
↑Bread that comes with lunch. A savory bread with a deep flavor of baguette and rock salt sprinkled on top.
The main dish is chicken confit. It was very good with a simple seasoning without any unpleasant taste. It felt like I could taste the true flavor of the ingredients themselves.
My colleague who went with me ordered the baked salmon pie, which also looked good. I want to try it next time.
This is also the dessert eclair and ice cream that my colleague ordered, and the way it was presented was very stylish. As expected from Omotesando.
A store with an ecological feel
I think the word “sustainability” has already become widespread throughout the world, and I think this restaurant is a place where you can get a first-hand impression of this trend in the world.
The table was also made from clay that was no longer needed. The colors give off an ecological atmosphere.
This hand towel was suddenly placed on the table and I couldn’t help but stare at how unusual it was!
When you use a large dropper to drop a liquid mixture of alcohol and water onto a compressed, dried, pill-shaped towel, it quickly becomes bulky and becomes a towel! Wow, It’s amazing!
Souvenir Grocery Store Eatrip Soil
Next to dining EUREKA is eatrip soil, a shop that sells souvenirs and groceries, and also sells the plates and cutlery used at EUREKA.
The interior of the store, which has walls entirely made of glass, has a bright atmosphere that actively incorporates natural light. There was also a rooftop vegetable garden in the back. I think EUREKA also serves vegetables grown here.
It has an organic feel. When I looked at one corner of the floor, I saw dried vegetables. I imagine this could also be used on restaurant menus.
GYRE FOOD with the theme of “circulation”. It can be said to be Japan’s most cutting-edge place that attempts to embody sustainability and ecology.
Omotesando is a place where you can experience not only fashion but also new initiatives for future society, and I would like to keep an eye on it in the future.
↓Japanese version page