Iné and her delicate Japanese bentos at Strasbourg Saint-Denis

After years in the fashion world, Sarah Ueta turned to another art form: gastronomy. Japanese to be precise, in homage to her Japanese origins. Realizing that the capital lacked a place to enjoyauthentic Japanese bentos, made by Japanese people, this former press attaché embarked on a new project: to open a Parisian address where you can savor bentos worthy of the name.

After a catering service that delighted gourmets for a while, the chef is now opening her own permanent address, Iné, on the Strasbourg Saint-Denis side. Minimalism is the order of the day, both on the walls and on the menu. In addition to the lunch menu (a starter, main course and dessert that change daily; on our lunchtime visit, a karaage don with teriyaki sauce), 3 bentos à la carte, 2 desserts, and that's it.

Here again, simplicity is the order of the day, with the same base for all three recipes (an assortment of different vegetables on a rice base: kinpira-style sautéed carrots, potato salad, eggplant in miso sauce, roasted zucchini and pickled red cabbage, which obviously follow the seasons) and a choice of three variations on the "Salisbury Steak": cod, tofu/mushroom or pork/beef.

A well-balanced blend of textures and flavors, to be enjoyed on the premises or to take away at a reasonable price (€16.50-€17.50 on the premises, €15.50-€16.50 to take away) and accompanied by a tall glass of cold yuzu green tea, barely sweetened (€4.50).

In addition to its permanent menu, Iné also offers - once a season, for three weeks only - a bento in collaboration with Kayanoya, a Japanese house renowned for its delicatessen products. At present, a delicate and tasty assortment (various onigiri, green beans with sesame sauce, omelette with fresh cheese and walnuts, fried chicken with tartar sauce, tsukudani with peppers) accompanied by a cold broccoli soup.

And to round off this lunch, a matcha cheesecake (€5.50) from another world.

• To be read
• Japanese restaurants in Paris
• Marie Akaneya, the only Japanese restaurant in Paris to offer Matsusaka beef
• Takuto (ex-Kaïto), the elegant hand-rolls restaurant of Japanese chef Takuya Watanabe

A carefully thought-out address that avoids the pitfalls of fusion cuisine and pays homage to a pillar of Japanese cuisine: the healthy, well-constructed bento.