When former ballerina, Mihoko Kiyokawa, planned to open her first restaurant endeavor in Manhattan she envisioned a dining experience with an innovative menu that captures the essence of contemporary French fare along with the lightness of Japanese cuisine. 21 Grams, said to be the approximate weight of a person’s soul, is far from your average Asian-European fusion restaurant. Mihoko’s vision “allows guests to experience the decadence of life in the 19th Century French setting coupled with a truly sophisticated and progressive culinary experience.” The décor, as does the food, balances the two very distinct cultures through Baroque wall paintings, rare Japanese ceramics (some of which are on sale in the entryway), and etched-glass murals from the Cartier mansion.

The rise of cosmopolitanism brought dinners an unparalleled decadence that resulted in a blend of unfamiliar flavors and ingredients new to modern society. The sushi menu is an ideal representation of combining French techniques together with Japanese sensibility. Mihoko’s shrimp ceviche roll with uni, cilantro, and avocado or the Wagyu tartar pressed sushi with pea shoots and shoyu vinaigrette along with the barbequed eel, foie gras, and cucumber fish roll are symbolic of the rue balance between culture and cuisine.

Mihoko’s 21 Grams offers an a la carte menu as well as an amazing Four-Course Chef’s Tasting Tour ($95) that takes dinners on a culinary journey through Franco-Japanese cuisine. Also offered with sake and wine pairings, the Chef’s tour allows diners to select four items starting with an appetizer, a fish course, meat course, and lastly a dessert. Between courses a complimentary small plate is brought to help cleanse the diner’s palate. Each unique offering adds to the overall sense of delightful decadence and indulgence but we won’t give away what they are. The surprise was half the fun, you’ll have to trust our judgment on how absolutely delicious and stunningly plated they were.

If you choose the Four-Course Chef’s Tasting Tour we suggest the following:

Appetizers:

Broiled Aji: crispy rice, white miso, and brown butter sabayon

Mihoko’s Garden: upstate varietals, goat cheese, and black truffle

Fish Course:

Maine Lobster Cocotte: apricot, almond, lemon verbena, corn, and manila clams

King Salmon Riviera: panisse, rainbow Swiss chard, and grenobloise

Meat Course:

Suckling Pig: three cuts of pork (tenderloin, shoulder, and belly), ratatouille stuffed squash blossoms, and black olives

Colorado Lamb: squash “petit farcis,” lemon thyme, and wild allium

Dessert:

Meyer Lemon Chiboust: biscuit, grapefruit sorbet, and grapefruit gelée

Pistachio Parfait: fresh strawberry, pistachio cake, and yogurt ice cream

Mihoko’s cocktail menu also has a variety of interesting fusion cocktails made using ingredients that are hard to come by at other restaurants around the city. We loved the Lautrec Royal mixed with umeshu, lemon, pear, vodka, champagne, and black lime as well as the Pacific Overture a cocktail made with apricot brandy, yuzu, Japanese single malt, and calvados served on the rocks.