Located near Heian Shrine in Kyoto, cenci is a renowned Italian restaurant that serves dishes made with Japanese ingredients.It has been selected as one of the "2024 Asia’s Best Restaurant 50" and has earned a Michelin star.Chef Ken Sakamoto, who worked for three and a half years at the legendary restaurant Il Pappalardo, moved to Il Giottone in 2002 following Chef Sasajima's independence. When Il Giottone Marunouchi opened in 2005, he alternated in managing the restaurant with Chef Sasajima. After serving as head chef for nine years, he confidently opened cenci in 2014.Chef Sakamoto is also a board member of "Chefs for the Blue," a group of chefs dedicated to learning about and promoting ocean sustainability.I finally got to visit this place on the recommendation of Chef Mudani from Ruogo, thanks to a reservation made by a friend.【First Drink】"Lemon Herb Tea"A blend of lemon balm, lemon myrtle, lemongrass, and elderflower.【Cheers】 "Peach-Flavored Soda" With rose hips, rose, dried fruits, and orange peel.【Radish, Yogurt, Sweetfish, Tomato, Cucumber, Canistel】"Fried Sweetfish from the Tenryu River in Nagano."Sprinkled with homemade sushi rice powder, served with a tartar sauce made from lacto-fermented radish and yogurt."Green Tomato Gazpacho"A gazpacho topped with paste made from Sadowara eggplant from Miyazaki and Okinawan canistel citrus.【Potato Percheux】 Percheux made by Mr. Tada, a Parma artisan. The other is dosa. Filled with ricotta cheese from Okayama Yoshida Farm, infused with cardamom, and combined with a paste made from two-year-aged Hokkaido-made May Queen potatoes. Served with new potato chips.【Beans, Cucumber, Basil, Brown Rice, Squid】Grilled squid seasoned with sweetfish fish sauce. Served with aged brown rice and new ginger, garnished with finger lime powder."Mixed Squid Ears and Tentacles"Tentacles and ears of squid mixed with edamame puree, Kyoto green beans, and snap peas in a genovese sauce, along with squid innards, aobasa, and salt koji. Topped with shredded cucumber and lime.【Fennel, Kamo Eggplant, Okra, Tomato, Ribbonfish】Fried ribbonfish from Chiba Prefecture.The batter includes hops from Yosano, Kyoto. Served with fennel microgreens and pickled fennel. Accompanied by fried Kamo eggplant, yellow tomatoes, and steamed okra, all topped with a broth made from ribbonfish bones and bay leaves from Kyotango.【Green Asparagus, Sea Lettuce, Sesame, Sea Urchin】Pasta made with green asparagus from Jet Farm in Hokkaido.The stalks are shredded, and the tips are sliced, served with a sauce made from Shiga fermented sushi rice, sea lettuce, sesame, and chicken dashi, paired with handmade whole wheat tagliolini. Garnished with sesame seeds and sesame oil.【White Asparagus, Jerusalem Artichoke, Cashew, Thyme】A dish featuring white asparagus from Hokkaido Korobokkuru Village.The stalks are boiled, and the tips are steamed, topped with a sauce made from cashews and Jerusalem artichokes with thyme, served with Okinawan island pepper sesame oil.【Gin, Cassis Sprouts, Watermelon, Rhubarb】A palate cleanser.A sorbet made from Okayama's small watermelon and rhubarb, layered with fresh watermelon, lemon, and gin granita, garnished with cassis sprout oil and cassis powder.【Zucchini, Tofu, Mint, Black Koji Beef】Kagoshima Prefecture's dairy beef from Sakaeya in Shiga, with the aged sirloin cooked to perfection. Stuffed in zucchini flowers are tofu sauce, zucchini namul, and mint leaves. Served with a sauce made from fermented sea lettuce soy sauce and black koji from Sea Vegetable Farm.【Bitter Melon, Cucumber, Marigold, Surf Clam, Tagliolini】Handmade tagliolini with marigold genovese sauce. Bitter melon and cucumber cooked at a low temperature of 60°, topped with grilled surf clam from Hokkaido. Garnished with marigold flowers.【Mango Passion, Fruit Lime, Earl Grey Coconut】A croissant dough filled with passion fruit and lime ricotta, topped with fresh mango and passion fruit pulp, layered with coconut ice cream and lime zest.【Amazon Cacao, Rye, Cherry】Sourdough cheese, Amazon cacao cream, and cherry liqueur "Kirsch" cream, served with fresh cherries and spiced cherries. Garnished with red oxalis flowers.【Beverage】"Hibiscus Tea"【Mignardise】"Chienchi"A sweet pasta snack coated in sugar, traditionally eaten during the Carnival in Tuscany. The literal translation means "rag." In Italy, it goes by various names such as Chiacchiere, Galani, and Bugie.Though it appears to be a small restaurant, it has depth and is surprisingly spacious. The ambiance is wonderful, and the hospitality is top-notch. Aside from us and one other group, all the seats on the first and second floors were occupied by overseas guests.At first glance, the combinations might seem innovative, but they ultimately land on classic Italian cuisine.The ingredients are sourced from producers that are not typically available in regular Italian restaurants, allowing for a truly creative dining experience.
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