頑張れ自分
On this day, we started with a dish of cod milt and Jerusalem artichoke. Underneath was a puree of Jerusalem artichoke, topped with pan-fried cod milt, spinach, black truffle, milk foam, and Jerusalem artichoke chips. Mix it all well. Then, we had Amakusa flounder and fried turnip tartare, the usual "Oyster and Forest Aroma" (this day was a chilled dish with gin, served with duck bone broth jelly), and a dish of Ibu Salmon and white asparagus (the Ibu Salmon was raised over 7 years in Miyata Village, Nagano Prefecture, and smoked. The dish was inspired by cuisine from the northern Italian Alps). Next, we expected a main meat dish but received a soup dish instead. It was a luxurious soup with roasted venison loin and black truffle, served with soup made from venison thigh meat. Green pea, fava bean, and snap pea risotto (rice from Niigata of an Italian variety), topped with thinly sliced 24-month aged Parma ham. Since a similar style dish was served during a visit in May last year, it may be a new specialty of this restaurant, similar to "Oyster and Forest Aroma." The main course was charcoal-grilled lean sirloin of Hokkaido virgin beef, finished with balsamic vinegar. The first dessert was like a lemon sherbet, with stracciatella (similar to soft mozzarella) at the bottom, and herb and sansho pepper granita. The second dessert was a reinterpretation of Sicilian cannoli by the chef. Originally, cannoli is a pastry filled with stuffing in fried dough, but this one seemed to be a crushed version of it. Finally, we had the chef's special coffee to end the meal. Lastly, the highlight of the day might have been the softshell turtle pasta. The turtle was boiled whole, then grilled, mixed with pasta in a turtle sauce, and served with rapeseed flowers, hazelnuts, and fried turtle gelatin. The richness of the turtle, its firm texture, the light bitterness of the rapeseed flowers, and the crunchy texture of the hazelnuts provided a variety of enjoyable elements in the dish. For the bottle of wine, we had requested a "classic Piedmont," and were presented with the 1999 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco Rabaja. Although it seemed slightly aged for its vintage, its sweetness increased over time and was very delicious. Additionally, we started with champagne and had about two glasses of white wine to pair with the dishes. Overall, the quality of the food, the excellent wine selection, the elegant yet friendly service, and the refined interior all match the levels of renowned French and Italian restaurants in the city. Despite this, the prices are reasonable. The evaluation of this restaurant may depend on how one perceives its location in Soshigaya-Otako, but I would definitely recommend it to those along the Odakyu Line. When I first visited this restaurant (around 2010, I believe), they prominently featured Piedmontese cuisine and offered a variety of soups in their prefixed menu. Surprisingly, even the cheapest prefixed course was less than 5,000 yen. They opened a second store, "Zupperia Osteria Pitiliano," on the upper floor, positioning it as a casual line, which led to this store transitioning to a high-end line around 2015. They offered multiple courses, including those prepared with Waldensian regional dishes from the depths of Piedmont, and courses highlighting seasonal ingredients. However, they further reformed their style, and in 2021 (setting up a counter), they offered a single course for around 15,000 yen, and now (as of February 2022), dinner is 18,700 yen including tax, served in a simultaneous start format. The cuisine at this restaurant before the opening of Pitiliano was ==========