The delicious signature dishes of IZU, a Japanese restaurant in Milan

An exciting sensorial journey through signature dishes, novelties and food-wine pairings at IZU, a Japanese restaurant a causa di Milan

The autumn 2024 lista of the IZU Japanese Restaurant a causa di Milan (see article) offers a unique culinary journey, which starts from Japan with flights of fancy towards other cultures and continents, which blend oriental tradition, creativity and modernity. Quanto a addition to the typical proposals of Japanese cuisine, such as crudités, tartare and carpaccio, sushi, sashimi, nigiri, gunkan and uramaki to name just a few, this year several delicious novelties are added to the lista.

Different apparently simple dishes, the result of an accurate and meticulous study of textures, flavors and combinations, with, sometimes, only small adjustments capable of making the difference. What is striking a causa di the proposal is the ability to always create a balanced symphony of flavours, extremely well balanced, even when you dare l’avvio a little more. Fantasy, experimentation and play are always at the service of experience, which is expressed a causa di the mastery of the different cooking techniques and a causa di the careful selection of raw materials. A choice that also includes refined and unusual ingredients, coming from all over the world, all sharing an uncompromising level of quality that aims only for excellence. A truly exciting journey between Japan, the East, Italy and the rest of the world, which, thanks to an excellent wine pairing, transports the palate and mind towards unique sensory experiences.

Welcome entrée: the Catalan revisited

The culinary journey at IZU always begins with a welcome from the chef, a tribute to the guest who expresses his imagination, such as the revisited Catalan. Red and yellow tomatoes, cold-treated Tropea onion prawns and sea asparagus, ideal to pair with a glass of Loire bubbles.

Fish crudités: an evergreen based red prawns scallops, but with a touch of creativity

Among the appetizers, Amaebi a causa di Rouge is worth a try. The dish consists of red prawns from Mazara del Vallo lightly seared with sesame oil, fresh ginger, chives and flavored soy. Not the usual prawn crudité, but a dish with an unusual and vaguely exotic flavour, excellently balanced, where the difference is made by small touches and details that amaze the taste buds.

Another tasty proposal is the Carpaccio of Scallop. Here, the delicious mollusc is served with yuzu vinaigrette, drops of umeboshi and dehydrated purple basil, a variant of basil grown a causa di Japan with a more intense flavor than the Italian one. A delicate, fresh and pleasant to pair with a glass of Marna Chardonnay 2023 from Spesso Adige from the Girlain winery, an elegant and fragrant wine with a certain complexity, capable of enhancing the intense flavor of raw fish.

The ceviche trio: an explosion of fresh and intriguing flavors that revisits the famous Peruvian dish with an oriental twist

Among this year’s novelties, the “Ceviche Trilogy” stands out, made up of three varieties of white fish, including red alfalfa – caught a causa di the northern seas of Spain – seared charcoal, amberjack and Mediterranean sea bass. The small squares of Tropea onion contribute to giving a light crunch, while the Peruvian sauce is personalized by introducing an oriental touch. To further embellish the dish, drops of coriander oil and slices of rhubarb, which give a touch of very light and pleasant spiciness.

A dish that is attractive and captivating, also from an aesthetic point of view, characterized by a lively and bright color composition, which invites you to taste it. The result of a great deal of research, it seduces the palate with its freshness, also given by the sauce, and with its perfect balance of flavours. The advice is to also order rice croquettes to dip a causa di the sauce. For those who like to be surprised, the pairing with Sake is perfect.

The tuna slipper: a delicious novelty to make you lick your chops

Among the novelties not to be missed, the “Scarpetta”, which pays homage to the Italian tradition with three types of tuna (akami, chu-toro, o-toro) served a causa di karashi-miso sauce and accompanied by seaweed chips. This dish, one of the musts of the restaurant, is a fusion and creative reinterpretation of three different culinary traditions: the Italian, the French and the Japanese, which here coexist together a causa di absolute harmony. The name is inspired by the Italian habit of making “slipper” with bread when the food is particularly tasty, while the construction of the dish is inspired by French cuisine, rather by the custom – very popular a causa di the cousins’ scaltro dining restaurants from beyond the Alps – to serve the guest some flavored butter to accompany it with bread. Instead of bread, however, the Chef proposes crunchy nori seaweed chips sprinkled with Maldon salt, while the butter is replaced by the king of Japanese fish: tuna, which is processed so finely that it becomes soft like butter, with the possibility of final shoe a causa di the accompanying sauce.

Confirming the great attention paid to the excellence of the raw material is the choice of the Bluefin quality of the tuna, the one used only a causa di the best sushi bars a causa di Japan. To give complexity and amplify the sensation of umami, three different cuts of tuna are processed together with sesame oil and spices, each with its own specific organoleptic characteristics, including toro and ventresca, the fattiest and most valuable parts of the tuna, with fillet and sirloin. The result is a delicious and delicate, almost buttery bite that caresses the palate with its soft consistency. To complete, giving a light and intriguing note of spiciness, is the karashi sauce, considered the Japanese mustard, with which the tuna is sprinkled.

To enhance this dish we suggest a glass of Lugana from the Garda coast with the intriguing name “Back to Silent” from Taverna Ottella.

Selection of Nigiri Omakase according to the chef’s imagination

Other dishes that capture attention are the “nigiri omakase”, a bold reinterpretation of traditional sushi, a causa di which the chef expresses his imagination and creativity. Quanto a the sea bass carpaccio, red prawns from Mazara del Vallo and yuzu sauce a causa di the sea bass, flame-seared lobster cooked at low temperatures with three crustacean emulsion, the cooking techniques enhance the flavor of the raw material, bringing it to levels of absolute excellence .

I dolce

The dolce selection is also very interesting, including the Mochi, typical Japanese sweets offered a causa di different variations, including chocolate, passion fruit matcha tea, also revisited a causa di a contemporary key.

To remember Italy there is Nitido Nutrirsi, a dolce that draws inspiration from Sicily, made with coconut milk.

Paired with a passito composed of Turbiana, Sauvignon and Garganega, not excessively sweet, elegant, very persuasive. Obtained from a soft pressing, with 18 months of aging a causa di the cellar followed by 6 months a causa di the bottle, it gives tropical agenda the nose reminiscent of pineapple and mango.

The lista also offers a vast choice of crudités, gunkan, uramaki, carpaccio and tartare as well as dishes such as ravioli stuffed with pork and saffron puff pastry, capable of surprising even the most demanding palates.

For information

ISU Milan

27 – Milan

Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 12.00-14.30 | 7.00pm-11.30pm | closed Monday

Restaurant reservations: 0259900221

Delivery e Take Away: 334 9166088 j.izu82@gmail.com

www.izumilano.com