The night was cold, windy and rainy; it also involved a couple of soul-depriving subway rides. But we would gladly skip out the door on any cruel, cloudy day knowing what we know now about Café California, the Radisson Miyako Hotel's fusion restaurant. Considering the name, we had expected a peppy-colored interior, but the restaurant is actually an extension of the Radisson's warm retro-decor concept. Indeed, the lobby fireplace would have been equally appropriate among the café's dark wood paneling and furniture.

Ruffled from the unforgiving weather, we sank into a deliciously long booth, snuggled up to a thick cappuccino (¥600) and studied the menu. Not feeling hardy enough for one of the courses (¥6,500, ¥5,000, ¥3,500), we opted for selections from the pleasantly manageable a la carte menu, which appeared to be a union of Japanese ingredients and Californian sensibilities resulting in original touches to traditional fare. True to its name, the café also has an impressive selection of 47 California wines sure to please the smattering of post-meeting businessmen who were gathered there the night we visited. Unfortunately, one of our favorite whites, Cakebread, was only offered by the bottle (¥6,800), and while we yearned for the Silver Oak (¥14,000) and Opus One (¥59,000), we settled for a glass-a rather generous portion-of La Crema Pinot Noir (¥1,300) to take us through the chilly evening. 

We started with the café-style oyster chowder (¥900), and it proved to be as straightforward as the menu. Three blessedly plump oysters were bathed in a bold soup afloat with sizeable bacon pieces. Our dining partner went for the off-the-menu yet recommended Caesar salad (¥1,000), a hefty serving of evenly dressed iceberg lettuce wrapped in prosciutto. We followed both up with an eggplant, bacon and tomato pasta (¥1,200), which kept our palettes warm with a slight spicy kick. The walkie-talkie-equipped wait staff, meanwhile, didn't miss a beat as a basket of whole-grain bread appeared after they were seen whispering commands into their collars.

For our main courses, the always-popular grilled filet mignon (¥2,300) was actually outshone by Japanese beef cheeks with risotto (¥2,300). Stewed in wine, large chunks of tender beef rested on a bed of moist risotto. With thinly sliced almonds sprinkled on top and quartered grapes adorning the rim, the dish reached a harmony of texture and flavors.

Despite generous main courses, we somehow found room for dessert. Whereas the apple pie (¥900) had merit, we had to fight over the chocolate truffle cake (¥900) with its moist cake, melted chocolate, ice cream and fresh berries.