WHY Chef Akira Hirose, who trained with Joel Robuchon and has cooked at Citrus and L’Orangerie, brings his particular brand of culinary artistry to the French-Japanese restaurant that bears his name.

WHAT Picture a townhouse on the Upper East side of Manhattan and you’ll have an idea of Maison Akira’s décor. Its quiet opulence—in the dining room and on the menu—may lack flash but you’ll eat as well here as you will anywhere. Simple yet dazzling main dishes include a grilled Chilean sea bass with a miso marinade and a rack of lamb with rosemary sauce and potato mousseline. The Sunday brunch is spectacular.

WHO Pasadena Playhouse season-ticket holders.