Osteria da K. [kappa]

“Think of it as an Italian restaurant opened by a sushi chef.” That is how the Michelin Guide Tokyo urges people to approach Osteria da K, one of Ginza’s most popular Italian restaurants. This is an apt enough descriptor. Chef Isogai Katsunari started out at Chianti in Katamachi, then served as head chef at Trattoria Mikita in Nogizaka before moving to Italy to further his experience. It was only on returning to Japan that he decided to serve in the kitchen of the Michelin-starred Sushi Yoshitake, and this is undoubtedly where Osteria da K gets its affinity for seafood from. True enough, the restaurant’s signature dishes all expertly incorporate seafood, with Chef Isogai using all manner of molluscs, crustaceans and fish in his culinary craft in a beautiful fusion of Japanese and Italian sensibilities. Cold babettini pasta of Hokkaido sea urchin and seaweed is, ironically, a hot favorite. The classic Italian staple of acqua pazza-style whitefish is another: guests first take their pick from marbled rockfish (koudai), Japanese bluefish (kuro-mutsu) or a dozen others. The fish is then grilled in traditional Italian fashion, but when it comes time to poach the end product, Chef Isogai eschews the usual herbal broth for a dashi-based stock instead, giving it a distinctly Japanese twist. The wine, on the other hand, is all Italian: with 70 to 80 wines from Italian wineries in the restaurant’s collection, guests are all but guaranteed to return multiple times, seeking the perfect pairing with each impeccably crafted dish. Michelin Guide: 2017 - Bib Gourmand