Browsing through numerous Michelin-listed French restaurants in Toulouse already made me excited. There is one that particularly got my attention — Hito, owned by a Japanese chef and offering excellent set menu throughout the week. They are very popular. Since they release the reservation spots no more than 3 weeks ahead, I kept my eye on it almost every day to make sure I didn’t miss. I’m glad that the foodie God was with me.
Everything was so DELICIOUS!
Perfect Combination: Japanese x French
Here they do Omakase — 5-course for €45, or 6-course for €54, without prior knowledge of what’d be served. When you make a booking, do mention your dietary requirements, and they’ll manage accordingly. (Check their homepage for latest price.)
The first course is a Japanese kakuni (豚の角煮), braised pork. I haven’t had it since I left Japan. It just surpassed all the kakuni I had before.
My favourite dish throughout the dinner was prawn bisque. The richness is beyond my imagination, seriously. And THAT bouncy prawn? Can it be more perfect?!
Courgette stuffed in a squid tube, interesting! Never had something like this before.
Use chicken as a main instead of red meat or seafood is considered rare in a Michelin restaurant, but I liked it a lot!
And dessert? We had one each to complete this fantastic meal. The left side is banana ice cream which took us by surprise! So yummy!
Conclusion: All plates are in decent size, and I recommend keeping a generous capacity prior to the dinner. You may also notice there’re many elements on each plate, in which vegetables play a key part. I like this idea very much. If I allow myself to be picky, the table setting can be quite close, so I’d deduct a minor point for the ambience. But still, the food quality outrates any compromise. Book it! You won’t regret!
Tips: If you have a thing for Japanese chefs, like I do, you may also want to try Les Planeurs, another Michelin-listed restaurant by a Japanese chef and owner. It’s located nearby Canal du midi. For the time being, Mon-Thur surprise dinner is €57 for 4 courses and €68 for 5 courses in Friday evening.
Other Highly Rated Food
Below were other good food we had in Toulouse. All had 4.8 or above Google ratings!
Open on Sundays
Molette, tucked into an alley next to the Garonne river, offering an excellent dinner deal with 2 courses for €25 and 3 courses for only €29. When most of the great restaurants take rest on Sundays, Molette is welcoming all guests with fantastic food (and the meal deal)!
An Impressive Salad
Chez Marco is located in the city centre near Primark. They have plat du jour ,which is likely to sell out early. I tried the cocotte salad — unexpectedly tasty! The panko chicken fillets were very crunchy and juicy, with the fresh whole gem lettuce, yum!
A Bowl of Comfort
Kumo is a Chinese-operated ramen shop. The broth was not like the authentic Japanese’s, but a bowl of hot soup noodles did comfort me. Take a spicy version; it’s not chilli-hot. Overall, reasonably priced and very popular.
Hidden Great Pizza
Sapori Di Italia, newly opened for only 2 months, but all reviews are 5 stars. The pizza dough was REALLY GOOD — chewy and fragrant — it’s a properly made pizza. Mostly take out, but they have outdoor seating. Very competitive price, too!
A Popular Asian Stop
Saveur d’Asie Express, a family-run Asian store. The bowl may have looked small, but there were a generous amount of fried spring rolls. Tasty and satiated. When we got turned away by two French restaurants, I even liked this warm-welcoming small shop more.
To Complete the Journey
In France, who doesn’t expect to indulge in pastry even you already had a full set menu du midi? Un Petit Gâteau is the little treat I picked for ourselves. It’s again Japanese-made! Just loved the Japanese craftsmanship, which includes food.
Related post: 10 Thing I Know After Travelling to Toulouse
Happy Travelling! 🙂
