Good Eats: Italian in Japan

When I was 23 years old, I had just finished my junior college, and was about to transfer to a four year college. We just found out that my dad got Leukemia for the first time. I decided to take a break from school and came home here to be near my dad for a year. I got some jobs here and one of them was a server/bartender at this Spanish Tapas bar.

I became real close with the head chef Kiyomi there. She and I used to go to this Italian restaurant her friend owned called "IL PIATTO," it's in Minami disctrict in Osaka, super tiny Italian restaurant that holds about 9 people or so. The food was so good, it was definitely our fave.

This time I came back, It's been about 4 years, and it turned out, the owner Suehiro-san has opened the second restaurant called "Shinmachi-Icchoume." "Shinmachi" is the name of the area, "Icchoume" means 1st division. Basically he took the address of the place as the name of the restaurant. Neat huh?

Although Suehiro-san wasn't there, it was still pretty damn good. They had basically the same menu as "IL PIATTO", so busy that there is no way we can get a seat without a reservation!! I bet he's making hella bank. Good for him ;)



Above is the Antipasto for two, it includes

chilled corn soup shot, Unagi-eel quiche, marinated veggies, grilled zucchini, marinated octopus, spoonful crab mousse, seared albacore tuna, sliced pork with Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley, prosciutto wrapped fresh peach...etc.

We had Gorgonzola cheese pasta for entree, then prosciutto and cheese pizza. That was wussup. SUPER YUM.




The girls I'm with are all ballerinas, danced in ballet companies in NY, Estonia, Russia, Japan etc, international girls night out it was. we all went to a chanpagne bar after, then went home feelin pretty saucy. I slept like a baby that night.