| Restaurant Review |
BY Michael Kleindl
|
Ristorante Cantare
Andrea Cozzolino skillfully extends his family’s restaurant empire to Azabudai
 |
| Photos courtesy of Cantarea |
Between the Cozzolino brothers, you can dine in a different Italian eatery every night of the week.
Carmine, the eldest, came to Tokyo some 20 years ago. He operates seven restaurants so far. Angelo, the middle brother, started off in Shimokitazawa with his excellent Il Cantuccio, then moved on to start La Befana, the pizzeria, and now practices his craft at his superb little place, Babbo Angelo, in Jiyugaoka. Angelo said he learned to cook at his mother’s side and his cloud-like potato gnocchi are unforgettable. The youngest brother, Andrea, started his own place in Tokyo several years ago, but an unfortunate motorcycle accident forced a hiatus. Since June, Andrea is back in his own kitchen, and the results are well worth the wait.
Andrea has concentrated and reduced 20 years of experience in Florence, London and at other restaurants in Tokyo, including Carmine’s establishments, onto the plate at Cantare. The tastes are clear, focused, and fresh. The antipasto Peperoni con Mozzarella di Bufala (¥1,600) is a simple arrangement of peppers and mozzarella, but the strips of roasted red, yellow and green peppers have a subtle smokiness that is balanced by the fruity Tuscan olive oil. Combined with the creamy bufala mozzarella, this dish adds up to more than the sum of its simple parts.
The Carpaccio de Manzo con Rucola e Parmigiano is an abstract composition of red, white and green—paper-thin slices of tender raw beef highlighted with ivory white cheese and peppery green rucola (¥1,200). Andrea must have also been standing at his mother’s side when she made gnocchi, because his pale-green asparagus version is just as delicate and heavenly as his brother Angelo’s.
Artwork is not only on the plate at Cantare. A dozen bold, colorful abstract paintings by artist Chiaki Horikoshi grace the walls of the dining room. The spacious interior is cleverly divided into intimate alcoves by ceiling arches, soft lighting and greenery. The tables are laid with good linens and proper wineglasses.
Autumn is the season of wild meats, pasta and Andrea’s Fettuccini di Capriolo features housemade pasta enrobed in a rich venison ragout (¥1,800). The fine Poggio Salvi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (¥6,300) was an excellent match for the meaty sauce.
 |
Grilling meat in Tuscany is taken very seriously, none more so than Bistecca di Maiale alla Griglia, the simple pork chop. Andrea uses the renowned Iberico pork. He gives the grilled chop a benediction of sea salt and pepper and pairs it with sautéed eggplant, mushrooms and yellow peppers seasoned with a touch of balsamic vinegar (¥2,500). Perfetto.
The wine list is, of course, heavily Tuscan with wines ranging from ¥3,300 to ¥16,000. Pricey, but gems like the Poggio Salvi are worth it. Desserts include a tasty Tarte Tatin with vanilla gelato (¥700) and a tangy limone sorbetto (¥600).
“Cantare” in Italian means to sing. And anyone who loves Tuscan cooking ought to sing a hymn of thanks to Mama Cozzolino for allowing her three sons to come to Tokyo.
B1 Sanki Bldg, 2-2-12 Azabudai, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5545-1617. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-3pm (L.O. 2pm), 6-11:30pm (L.O. 10pm), closed Sun & hols. Menu in Japanese and Italian. Reservations recommended. Non-smoking section available. www.cantare.jp
When popular restaurant Roti closed its Harumi Triton Square branch in March, there were a lot of sad diners. Fortunately, a new and exciting restaurant and wine bar has opened to take its place… or perhaps we should say “dramatic,” since that is how Garden Bay describes itself. Garden Bay offers modern Italian cuisine in a casual style at reasonable prices. The dinner menu is quite extensive. For starters, you can pick from carpaccio, tomato and basil salad, pancetta, terrine, or bacon and egg salad, for ¥680 to ¥1,380. For entrees, Garden Bay offers lots of grilled meats, seafood, pasta, rice dishes and some vegetarian fare. No entree item costs more than ¥2,400, and there is an ample selection of red and white wines from Italy, Spain, France, Argentina and Australia to go with your dinner.
The restaurant is also popular with the lunchtime crowd.
Sets, which change daily, include pasta, a rice dish and a one-plate combination of salad, rice and meat. Of course, no meal is complete without dessert, and Garden Bay offers the likes of tiramisu, gateau chocolate cake and fruit tart. The restaurant is available for parties as well, starting at ¥2,400 per person for a two-hour period. Having just opened, Garden Bay doesn’t yet have an English menu, but the staff are friendly and floor manager Kanako Uehara is more than happy to help with any inquiries.
Harumi Triton Square 1F, Harumi 1-8-16, Chuo-ku 104-0053. Tel: 03-5547-0561. Open daily 11:30am-11pm. Nearest stn: Kachidoki. www.gardenbay.jp CB |
Got something to say about this article? Send a letter to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.
Listen to the Metropolis Podcast, the coolest guide to what goes on this week in Tokyo.
Looking for international friends? Check Japan, Inc. Friends now - it's 100% free!
|
