Isetan Shinjuku will be holding a "France Exhibition" from May 20th to 26th in the event halls on the 6th and 7th floors of the main building, showcasing French food culture.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the exhibition, which will focus on the Bordeaux region in southwestern France under the theme "Bonjour France! - Authentic and True Art de Vivre (Aesthetics of Living)." The exhibition will be held jointly by Isetan and the French Chamber of Commerce in Japan.
One of the highlights will be the "Caviar Tasting" event. STURIA, which farms sturgeon in water drawn from the Gironde River in southwestern France and produces caviar, will be offering a set (limited to 80 items per day/5,000 yen) in the eat-in corner, where you can compare three types of caviar: two types of French caviar, "Baeri" (Siberian sturgeon), and one type, "Oscietra" (Russian sturgeon), along with champagne.
In addition, LE CORDON BLEU, a French culinary school with over 100 years of history, will be adding "Hachette Périgourdine" (1,705 yen) to its lunch menu. The course includes Magret Canal Fumé, foie gras, truffle oil, and homemade bread. (Lunchtime is from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with last orders at 2:30 PM. On the final day only, it is from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM, with last orders at 1:00 PM.) The foie gras on the menu is from CASTAING.
Also featured exclusively at the exhibition is Bonjour de France Camembert (125g: 741 yen) from Bresse Bleu Japon, a France-based natural cheese manufacturer. According to a buyer at Isetan Mitsukoshi, the perfect wine to match this mild-flavored cheese is Gonzac-Lurton's Chateau Durfort Vivant 2007 (limited to 60 bottles, 8,500 yen), a red wine produced in the Bordeaux village of Margaux.
Cannelés de Bordeaux, a French confectionery that originated in a monastery in Bordeaux, will also be on sale (limited to 400 pieces per day, 250 yen). These cannelés, perfectly baked on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, are the perfect match for Chateau Le Sepe Cuvée Classique 2011 (limited to 120 pieces, 2,200 yen), a Bordeaux wine with pleasant, elegant tannins.
La Chanteracoise will also be selling biscuits in an Isetan-exclusive tin (limited to 400 pieces, limit 2 per person, 4,300 yen), specially wrapped in chocolate by the only biscuit artisan in France who continues to preserve the handmade recipe. The "Murielac" macarons (limited to 400 pieces, up to 2 pieces per person/5,000 yen) are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, offering a simple taste that you will never get tired of.
