【Rumored Place】Is self-service French at Futakotamagawa!? "TOKIO French Lunatic" offers a unique and delicious experience from ordering to pickup.

I visited "TOKIO French Lunatic" in Futakotamagawa, Tokyo. Reporting on a unique experience of self-service yet authentically French cuisine, with the gap between a casual space and high-quality dishes.

I went to Futakotamagawa to check out the rumored amazing French cuisine.

I heard that "TOKIO French Lunatic" along the Tama River in Futagotamagawa is incredibly out there, so I made a reservation and headed over at 11:30 on a weekday. It's French, but both ordering and pickup are self-service. Moreover, the chairs and dishware are mismatched, which is an unconventional style. Still, I've heard that "the taste is serious," so I'm filled with curiosity about how much of a gap there is between expectation and reality. Since Futagotamagawa can be reached with just one transfer from Shibuya or Yokohama, it's not a burdensome distance even on a weekday morning.

As I walk from the station towards the Tamagawa River, the scenery suddenly opens up, and the pleasant air along the river lightens my mood a bit. I arrive with a sense of doubt, wondering, "Is there really a French restaurant here?"

At the entrance, there was a paper with the reservation name and seat number written in katakana. I couldn't help but laugh at the casualness of it, and I instantly understood, "Ah, this place is seriously committed to being self-service."

Self-service starts from searching for a reserved seat! The moment you enter the shop, you feel the sense of another world.

The reservation for this day is "2nd floor, indoor room 7." There are no guiding staff, so you go up the stairs yourself, open the door, and proceed to the seat with the number.

As I climbed the red iron stairs, there was a unique atmosphere that made it hard to believe I was heading to a French restaurant. Each time I stepped on the slightly worn steps, I felt a slight stir in my chest wondering, "Am I really in the right place?" Nevertheless, there was an oddly exciting and mysterious sense of elation.

At the top of the stairs, a narrow corridor appeared. The trees outside were visible up close, and the walls and pipes retained a sense of everyday life that felt far from urban French dining. It was a moment where the feeling of having wandered into another world grew stronger.

As rumored, the interior had a strange vibe, with chairs and tables lacking any sense of unity. Despite being disorganized, it was oddly comfortable, and I felt this eclectic mix must be part of its charm...

On the table was a booklet stating, "Our restaurant is self-service," with pages divided by payment methods. For cashless payments, orders are made through an app, while cash payments require a meal ticket machine.

Since it was my first visit, I was a bit perplexed, but on the contrary, I found it interesting to organize this process myself. It felt like the excitement of preparing for a camping trip.

Ordering and receiving is self-service! But that’s what makes it fun.

This time, I downloaded the app and proceeded with the order using a credit card payment. I chose the "Beef Filet Steak with Foie Gras" (2180 yen) without hesitation, as it was said to be a specialty.

I noticed about two male staff members inside the restaurant, but everything, including water and dishes, was self-service, and the cutlery was all mixed up. It had a style where you go get what you need yourself, creating a unified, chaotic self-service world throughout the restaurant.

There were terrace seats, and after spending about 15 minutes in this extraordinary space, I received a notification on the app saying, "Your order is ready. Please pick it up." All I had to do was head to the counter to pick up my meal. However, I was surprised when I saw the dish on the plate.

This dish has a genuine quality that doesn't seem like a casual restaurant

On top of a hot beef fillet, a thick piece of foie gras melts perfectly, and underneath lies smooth mashed potatoes with a faint aroma of butter. The moment the knife cuts in, the fillet quietly parts, while the foie gras begins to gently melt.

The rising steam and the aroma spreading is truly that of a French restaurant. The gap between the casual interior and the dish is so striking that my emotions were already stirred before I even took the first bite.

When I put it in my mouth, the rich umami of the foie gras intertwined with the sweetness of the fillet, resulting in a flavor that was more harmonious than I had imagined.

The cooking level was also superb, and I was simply astonished by its quality. The surrounding chairs were mismatched, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was relaxed. Yet, on this plate, there was no sense of compromise, and I felt it was worth coming just for this dish.

It was such a gap that I found myself wanting to confirm in my mind, "Is it really a self-service restaurant?"

The experience continued even through the cleanup! Finally, it concluded with a walk along the Tamagawa River.

After the meal, carry the dishes to the return station, wipe the table, and return the menu to its original position. In a standard French restaurant, the waiter would handle all of these tasks, but in this place, cleaning up is also part of the experience.

The flow of being able to complete things at my own pace until the end was pleasant, and the self-service system seems to quietly deepen the aftertaste of the dishes.

When I finished cleaning up and stepped outside, the sunlight felt nice, and the air along the Tamagawa River felt light. Walking the roughly 8-minute path to Futakotamagawa Station, I quietly reflected on the self-service French experience I had just enjoyed.

Despite being casual, the food was authentically high-quality, and that contrast stuck with me in a peculiar way, making me think that it would be nice to drop by again.

TOKIO French Lunatic
Location: 1-1-4 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

Reported and written by SYURI

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