Italian Food in Japan

[jrufusj]

I've looked for a similar thread, but couldn't find one. My apologies if this already exists somewhere.

Last night, we went to Il Boccalone (Ebisu 1-15-9, 3449-1430). It had been recommended by friends, but I had been skeptical, as I had read elsewhere that the price exceeded the merits and that it was sometimes "filled with boistrous stockbrokers" (per Tokyo Food Page). Given the location -- Ebisu bordering on Hiroo -- I could see both charges being accurate.

I don't have time to write a full review right now, and a friend was paying so I can't directly address the tariff, but I will say I was mighty pleased. Understand that I have been in the western food desert of Seoul for the past few years, so I am probably primed to have positive reactions to even moderately good Italian.

(I love Seoul -- enjoyed living there, absolutely in love with Korean food, will happily spend time and money to travel there again and again. However, despite the arguments on another thread in the Elsewhere in Asia forum, there is NO good western food in Seoul. There is literally one Western restaurant in the entire city that I would cross the street to eat at in another country. Again, I love Korea, but it is an Italian food desert.)

Zucchini blossoms are shun right now, so one of the app specials was battered and fried zucchini blossoms filled with mozzarella. This is one of my favorite dishes, so I am picky about it and I was thrilled with the result. My wife (similarly picky about Italian food) also ordered it and was exultant. The couple dining with us each had a simple insalata misto.

My wife is the world's biggest risotto perfectionist, damn near impossible to please. Her next course was a very simple risotto seasoned with nothing more than good light stock, a well cooked soffrito, and a touch of parm. She split this with the lady from the other couple. I think she regretted having to share.

At the same time, I was digging into a plate of rabbit tortolone in a butter sage sauce. Flavor was awesome, with a slight hint of earthiness to the rabbit seasoning, but not much to obscure the nice, almost sweet young meat. I might have had a touch more sage in the sauce, but the proportions were classic. It is my own debased palate that wants the dish loaded up with sage. My one criticism is that a few of the tortoloni were ever so slightly overcooked -- a minor flaw, but disappointing given how good the dish was otherwise. Unfortunately, for the life of me, I can't remember what the fourth member of the table ate.

The highlight of the meal came next. As a special, the restaurant has been running a cavallo (horse) steak. I've never fabricated a horse and don't get to eat it that often, so my ability to identify cuts is limited, but it seemed to be a fairly thin cut from an area roughly equivalent to sirloin. It was cooked just to the m-r side of rare, so that it had taken on a pink tone most of the way through, but still bled generously when cut. That blood blended perfectly into the classic, simple seasoning of good olive oil to make me wish I were less constrained by convention and had the chutzpah to drink from the plate! The meat was more tender than I expected and, though not long-aged, full flavoured.

I was so absorbed in my cavallo that I was unable to focus on what my wife or our friends were eating, though I know my wife had veal marsala and seemed to enjoy it. Our friends ate some sort of beef. They seemed to be content as well, but I really did zone out when my carne came.

Wine list seemed to have a reasonably well selected, though perhaps a little expensive, range. As I said, we knew we wouldn't be paying (and our dining partners aren't really wine people), so I went with a simple Rosso di Montalcino for about $55 US.

Drinking highlight was the following exchange:

me: What choices would I have in terms of grappa?

maitre'd cum captain cum sommelier: Well sir, can you tell me what you might like?

me: How about some nebbiolo, something from the Piemonte?

him, a few minutes later: Here sir, I've brought two -- a Barolo and a Ghemme. As you can see, the Barolo is almost empty. Why don't you try both and then pour yourself a glass of whichever you like?

Needless to say, that was enough to bring me back another time.

Desserts were good. I had a simple spongy cake partially macerated in cinnamon liqueur. Wife had a chocolate concoction I didn't really have room to taste. Cuban friend had cake with Italian meringue icing (traditional Cuban birthday cake treatment). They were good, but I was perfectly sated by the meat and should have stopped. I certainly had little critical faculty left.

In summary:

Didn't see any stockbrokers...Noise was discernable, but pleasant...Don't know the full tab, but 2,800 yen for my cavallo steak was well worth it...Ghemme grappa was excellent...definitely heading back soon.

What are other peoples' favorite Italian places in town?

Jim

Edited to correct typo that affected meaning (and a few others that were just embarassing...because I can't proofread for s---

Edited April 25, 2004 by jrufusj (log)

[torakris]

Sounds incredible! and way out of my price range....

I wish I had more to add but while I ahev had decent Italian nothing was anything I would rave about.

Can't wait to hear from others....

[kazuo]

Jim:

Some other places that you might want to consider (in no specific order of preference):

Cucina Hirata 3457-0094 or its wine bar sibling Vino Hirata 3456-4744, both in Azabu Juban. Cucina is spare and focuses on seasonal ingredients; Vino is much more informal. Neither is for the faint of wallet.

La Gola 5410-5550 (Roppongi). Small, always crowded, food is better than Boccalone (my view only). Principal drawback is that it's in Roppongi.

La Patata 3403-9664 (Gaienmae). A sentimental favorite, lovely little room (make sure to make reservations or you get stuck downstairs), our best meals have been when we ordered omakase.

Yamazaki 3479-4657 (near Nogizaka/Aoyama 1-chome). Dark and intimate, draws a mature, quiet crowd. Depth in the wine list with a number of older (80's) vintage Soldera Brunellos. Not inexpensive. Not to be confused with Ristorante Hamasaki which is run by Yamazaki's old chef and is often booked - I still think Yamazaki is better.

Croce & Delizia 5770-2310 (on Tere-Asa Dori near Roppongi Hills). Piemonte specialists, course menus are a bargain but too much food for us. Fair wine list but also has a library selection that is meted out judiciously (another table asked for a 1996 Sandrone Barolo that was in plain sight in the wine cooler, only to be told that it was "not ready").

La Bisboccia 3449-1470 (Tengenjibashi, across from Hiroo Hospital). Stylistically close to Boccalone, but food is not quite up to the same standard. Loud, big space, draws a lot of expats (judge for yourself if this is a good thing or not).

Ca Angeli 3423-1224 (Omotesando). Nice well lit space, terrific for weekend lunches (although dinner is fine as well). Wine list has depth and has some relative bargains.

Hope this helps.

[jrufusj]

Kazuo-san:

Thanks for a great response. Several of these look particularly interesting.

La Gola 5410-5550 (Roppongi).  Small, always crowded, food is better than Boccalone (my view only).  Principal drawback is that it's in Roppongi.

Is the food enough better to justify going to Roppongi? Silly question...better food is always worth it. Seriously, as you've clearly spent a lot of time seeking out and enjoying Italian food in Tokyo, how do you think Il Boccalone stacks up against the competition? I've just moved to Tokyo, so Il Boccalone was my first stab at Italian here.

La Patata 3403-9664 (Gaienmae).  A sentimental favorite, lovely little room (make sure to make reservations or you get stuck downstairs), our best meals have been when we ordered omakase.

I was commenting to my wife that I thought it would be nice to call ahead to Il Boccalone and ask them to do omakase. The Italian who was in charge of the floor seemed to be very knowledgable about his food and about the wine and spirit offerings. Don't know if they'll do it, but I've found that most places will if one is enthusiastic and already known to the owner/chef/maitre'd.

Ordering omakase (whatever the cuisine) always produces my favorite meals.

Yamazaki 3479-4657 (near Nogizaka/Aoyama 1-chome).  Dark and intimate, draws a mature, quiet crowd.  Depth in the wine list with a number of older (80's) vintage Soldera Brunellos.  Not inexpensive.  Not to be confused with Ristorante Hamasaki which is run by Yamazaki's old chef and is often booked - I still think Yamazaki is better.

Croce & Delizia 5770-2310 (on Tere-Asa Dori near Roppongi Hills).  Piemonte specialists, course menus are a bargain but too much food for us.  Fair wine list but also has a library selection that is meted out judiciously (another table asked for a 1996 Sandrone Barolo that was in plain sight in the wine cooler, only to be told that it was "not ready").

These are both appealing, even if only for the wine. Unless there is a reserve list at Il Boccalone, there is nothing there that even begins to approach maturity. Is Croce & Delizia a Piemonte specialist in terms of food as well, or only wine?

Thanks for your thoughts,

Jim

[torakris]

Kazuo,

welcome to egullet and the Japan Forum!

and an extremely informative post to boot!!

Hope to hear more.

[kazuo]

Kristin: Thanks for the welcome.

Jim:

I prefer La Gola to Boccalone, but it's hard to fault either. I just think that the food is better executed at La Gola over a wider range (particularly with fish dishes), and the presence of a reserve list at La Gola (be sure to ask about the prices though - breathtaking at times) pushes it over the top. But I do wish it were located in some other neighborhood. That said, Boccalone is still good (it was really popular when it opened 10 years ago and I think the food quality suffered during its peak popularity; the standard of execution is higher now).

I'm sure Boccalone would do something along the lines of omakase, even if it just means having the chef select his or her favorites from the menu. No reserve list that I'm aware of at Boccalone (I've asked but been told there is none).

Croce is Piemonte focused in both food and wine. Don't know if you'd call it a Piemonte classic per se, but we had a lovely rabbit braised in Barolo back in November.

[Lucil]

any recommendations?? traditional or japanese style is fine...

[thelobster]

any recommendations?? traditional or japanese style is fine...

←

There are thousands. Any preference for price range? Neighborhood?

[Lucil]

i dun mind payin 6000-8000 yen for really good italian.. anywhere in tokyo is fine.. becoz i might be goin all over tokyo... is elio locanda or La Casuccia .. my focus will be on pasta, appetizers, meat and deserts... where will be good??

Edited June 27, 2007 by Lucil (log)

[Lucil]

can someone guide me on how difficult is it to book a reservation at this place

http://www.la-bettola.co.jp/

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/0000603082/P013737/ktop/

[JasonTrue]

Not sure anyone here would know a specific Italian restaurant well enough to know whether it's tough to reserve... there are so many restaurants in Tokyo that even the "famous" ones probably aren't recognized by more than a small percentage of people, unless they were featured on some popular TV show within the last three weeks.

The only time I've ever even made reservations in Japan is when I am going with a large group or have a special occasion. Most of the people I've eaten with don't make reservations even for particularly well-known places, probably because there's almost always something else good nearby.

Shinjuku's south exit and the department stores in that area like Takashimaya are littered with Italian restaurants. I like "La Manina" in Takashimaya Shinjuku. It's mid-ranged in price (probably around 4000-5000/yen per person unless you eat small, or come for lunch).

Hiromi and I recently enjoyed a Italian-Japanese izakaya when we stayed in Ochanomizu.... it was called "Wai Wai" See more pictures and details here.

[anpanman]

You could try Acqua Pazza around Ebisu. I've been to their restaurant in Hiroshima and was pretty impressed. Their Shizuoka restaurant was recently featured on Gochi ni Narimasu, the off-shoot show from Guruguru99. Acqua Pazza is the flagship restaurant, but they have other specialty Italian restaurants around Tokyo as well.

[Ohba]

i dun mind payin 6000-8000 yen for really good italian.. anywhere in tokyo is fine.. becoz i might be goin all over tokyo... is elio locanda or La Casuccia .. my focus will be on pasta, appetizers, meat and deserts... where will be good??

←

Kid, this is a forum, not a chatroom. You'll put fewer backs up if you adopt a less half-assed style of requesting assistance. Have a heart. There are old people reading.

[thelobster]

Stefano in Kagurazaka has excellent food, with an emphasis on Venetian-style, and good prices, although the tables are on the small side.

Il Pinolo Due in Marunouchi does good-quality budget Italian and they have a big wine list with all bottles priced at either Y4500 or Y6500.

I haven't been to Ferraro in Ochanomizu in awhile, but I've had excellent Northern Italian cooking there.

Rusticanella in Akasaka might be a little above the price range you mentioned, but they have a serious Italian kitchen.

L'Estasi in Azabu-Juban is a casual restaurant with a serious wine list from the Michelin-starred Sadler restaurant in Milan; it's probably more expensive than others on the list but worth mentioning.

[thelobster]

La Bettola is often full but I'd guess you should be able to book a table if you call at least a few days in advance. The food is good, but they seem to offer only full-course menus (or at least that was true last time I was there), and it's usually more food than I feel like eating.

In general very few restaurants in Tokyo will be so busy that it takes weeks to get a table, but good places do fill up (and even not-so-good places fill up on Fridays), so it's usually worth it to call in advance rather than wait in line or wander the streets looking for an alternative. (And often you'll get a better table if you've reserved.)

can someone guide me on how difficult is it to book a reservation at this place

http://www.la-bettola.co.jp/

http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/0000603082/P013737/ktop/

←

[Pezchef]

Why do you want to eat Italian food in Japan? Just curious!

[thelobster]

Maybe for the same reason people want to eat Italian food in the US.

Tokyo is a sophisticated international city and it has many world-class Italian restaurants.

Why do you want to eat Italian food in Japan?  Just curious!

←

Edited June 29, 2007 by thelobster (log)

[Ohba]

Maybe for the same reason people want to eat Italian food in the US.

Damn, I like that answer!

[nakji]

I'm not sure if this belongs in this thread, but it seemed more appropriate than the "Pizza in Japan: horror stories" thread, as this pizza was a dream.

We went to Forza Napoli! near Ikejiri-Ohashi station in Setagaya-ku. It has take-away, restaurant, and lounge spaces, and some pretty incredible pizza.

The crust was so light and crispy - but still had enough heft to be chewy. I'm so used to thin-crust pizza that are like chewing on crackers - I had a horrible prejudice against wood oven pizza for a long time, but it turns out I was just eating crappy ones. I am a complete convert.

I had one with marscapone, proscuitto, and mushrooms.

Prices were reasonable, with a Margherita at 1,400 yen, up to 2,500 yen for seafood pizzas. You can even do half-and-half, if you can't make up your mind.

[torakris]

Those are some beautiful pizzas!

This Napoli style is the current 'boom' for pizza. There are tons of places doing in my neighborhood, one delivery place only does Napoli style.

Now I am getting a craving...

[raji]

As a born/bred NYer I refused to live in Tokyo because the pizza so universally sucked.

My friend vowed to take me to an impressive pizzeria, and it quickly became my favorite. It is located in Akasaka, off Akasaka-dori (I believe) near the nagatacho station? It is run by a Japanese chef who had trained in Italy and even appeared on Ryouri no tetsujin. Their pizzas are WAFER-thin so you can have several at once, one of their best being quatro frommagio.

If anyone cares to dig up which this is, GO, you will be rewarded!