Bistro Marx by Thierry Marx : Probably the Most Expensive French Toast in Japan

Tokyo isn't short of Michelin-star restaurants and it isn't surprise to find overseas Michelin-star chefs venturing into the local market. One good example is Bistro Marx by chef-owner Thierry Marx of 2-star Sur Mesure in Paris. For the price and the location in glitzy Ginza, Bistro Marx is more like a upscale fine-dining restaurant than anything else. 


I haven't read much about his legacy but I know he started his training as a baker and pastry chef before moving on to the culinary cooking. He even established bread school back in 2013. I wondered why he chose to open a restaurant instead of a bakery. Nonetheless, his signature Brioche Feuilettine (only limited to 30 per day), besides his Pain Perdu and Marx Burger, was one of the items highlighted by local media.

My visit was an unplanned one on a Sunday afternoon, during which the afternoon tea menu was only limited to desserts and tea. As a French Toast lover, I instantly picked his Pain Perdu which came in the option of half size (1 cube) for ¥900 and full size (2 cubes) for ¥1800.

The Pain Perdu was soft and custardy, but not as creamy or pudding-like as the ones from Grain Traders, which perhaps makes it more qualified to be called a French toast to the french toast purists. It was served with both maple syrup and caramel syrup, of which the latter' burnt bitter taste might be a little strange with bread. The vanilla ice cream was too sweet, but just right when you mopped them with the pain Perdu. This is no doubt delicious, but hardly superior than the ones from Mercer Brunch so I felt it was overpriced.

The Marquise Chocolat was a trio of moist, fudgy baked chocolate cake with a slightly crisp edge. But that's only a part of the story. It's actually hollow within, filled with generous amount of chocolate ganache which was concealed from the eye with a paper-thin chocolate sable.


Paired with the tangy raspberry coulis, this is rich dessert for serious chocoholics only. I loved this more than the Pain Perdu and probably more worth the splurge because it's chocolate.

My friend who visited the place for dinner commented that the food was good. With a "million-dollar" sky view overlooking the crowded streets of Ginza, this might be a

[BISTRO] 11:00–23:00 daily
[BAR] 23:00–26:00 / Closed Sun/PH
7F GINZA PLACE 5-8-1 GINZA CHUO-KU, TOKYO, JAPAN

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