**Impressive Unique Dishes Using Italian Techniques** At Italian Ryori Imai, the essence of fusion cuisine unfolds without revealing its secrets. Each dish leaves my mind in a delightful state of confusion until I grasp its concept. Yet, the foundational techniques are Italian, allowing for a free-flowing culinary experience. It’s deep, delicious, and truly exciting.We started with a dry champagne, "Jean Vessel (Magnum)"… refreshing my throat and preparing me for what’s to come.The first dish was a hot broth made from clams, asari (small clams), and scallops, simmered for five hours. This pure broth, without any salt, is gentle on the stomach and rich in flavor, spreading warmth throughout my body. Wait, broth in Italian cuisine? This broth will play a key role in the dishes to follow.Next came the "Italian Rice Salad"… which featured rice from the first broth, cooked with Koshihikari rice from Sasayama, transformed into sushi rice with balsamic vinegar. Topped with pickled caviar and a finishing oil made from pickled ingredients, this creative dish is surprisingly delicious, with a perfect balance of acidity.The "Fried Abalone"… has a crunchy coating topped with shaved cheese, encasing tender abalone simmered for six hours. I received it in a paper bag and took a big bite… simply delightful.For the "Kanpachi" (Amberjack), since it’s Italian, we couldn’t use soy sauce (laughs). Instead, we simmered kombu kelp broth for about five hours, adding more kombu to create a thick sauce. The 4-kilogram Kanpachi, caught in the Goto Islands and prepared with precision, was served in this sauce. Is this a new take on carpaccio? It was elegantly delicious. Italian? My mind was a bit confused at this point.*At this point, red wine was poured. After this, the drinks flowed freely, and I can only say it was all delicious…* The red wine was "Bourgogne Côte d'Or Rouge"… fragrant and showcasing the pure fruitiness of Pinot Noir.The "White Asparagus from Hokkaido"… was cooked in the initial broth, topped with dried green asparagus skin. It was accompanied by a miso made from scallops and rice koji, fermented for a month, finished with olive oil. The inherent deliciousness of the white asparagus was enhanced by this cooking method. As I write this, I find myself craving it again.The "Homemade Focaccia"… was different from any I’ve had before, light yet flavorful and incredibly delicious. Everyone at the table agreed, "If it were for sale, I’d buy it." Dipping the focaccia in the miso from the white asparagus made it even more delightful.The "Shrimp (possibly Botan Shrimp?) Shabu-Shabu"… involved dipping the shrimp into a hot shrimp miso sauce, akin to cheese fondue, and enjoying it by hand. Rich and delicious. The sauce was so good that I also dipped the focaccia in it, finishing every last bit.The "Pasta"… finally something that resembles Italian! (laughs) The golden pasta, rich with egg, is a typical pasta from Northern Italy, "Tajarin." The sauce combined the initial broth with Hokkaido’s hairy crab. It was simply delicious, providing a nice contrast to the richness of the previous dishes.The "Steamed Wagyu Beef"… served on a plate crafted by potter Tsujiura Kai, featured black-haired Wagyu heifers from Ohashi Farm in Hokkaido, raised for 80 months. I first enjoyed it with a sweet and savory sauce… the meat was incredibly tender with profound umami. I’ve rarely encountered such delicious Wagyu.The second piece was enjoyed with egg yolk, mixed in a sukiyaki style. This too was breathtakingly delicious. Paired with slightly fragrant rice, it was pure bliss. The rice was "al dente." I added more sauce to the remaining rice, creating a bowl of sweet egg-topped rice that was also delightful.The "Risotto"… featured crispy rice topped with 0.01mm of Ibusuki’s honkarebushi, using the initial broth again. It felt like a dashi chazuke, but with al dente rice, it was undeniably Italian.Finally, we enjoyed a generous serving of "Vanilla Ice Cream made solely from Wasanbon Sugar"… with a refined sweetness that brought comfort. Midway, I added matcha for a flavor change, which was also delicious and entertaining.This was truly an innovative take on Italian cuisine, far from what I initially imagined. It made me realize that there are no borders or boundaries when it comes to delicious food. The presentation was also stunning, providing a visual feast.Before visiting, I heard that the reservation process was complicated and wondered if the chef was difficult to approach. However, Chef Imai turned out to be charming and personable.The pairing was essentially all-you-can-drink. Each person received two glasses, but since it was a one-man operation, it didn’t matter which glass held which wine as the evening progressed. By the end, the white and red wines mixed into a rosé, but that was part of the fun. Looking back at the lineup of wines we enjoyed that day (with seven drinkers among nine), I was surprised to find that we had even consumed "Taittinger" champagne without realizing it. We certainly ate and drank well.Ah, I already want to go back!
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