Azabu10
Azabu10 is the new experimental Japanese cuisine restaurant located in Bicocca area that breaks any link with the, unfortunately, recent trend of combining this type of innovative gastronomy with being rough. Forget this, therefore, and let yourself be surprised by beauty, elegance and hyper-refined umami tastes.
The restaurant is small, elegant and with attention to the smallest details (you will be amazed, for example, by paying attention to the tables made with pieces of tree bark and even a puffer fish) by Andrea Arcieri, founder and Chef Patron.
After several experiences abroad (London and Japan) and a more than successful pop up in Monopoli, Arcieri finally opens in Milan with a young and international team.
At Azabu10 the challenges are continuous, the goal is to always push ourselves further, reaching goals that are, in my opinion, simply astonishing. As you might be imagining, here you don't eat the "usual sushi", but rather a revisitation of the same that is never banal or stereotyped. To help you better understand what I'm talking about, just know that Arcieri dedicates himself with patience and dedication to maturing the fish, mixing different types of proteins to achieve more than satisfying peaks of flavour.
A lot of research, a lot of study and the desire to grow are at home at Azabu10.
I was there for dinner and obviously opted for the omakase menu: 14 courses at a decidedly honest price - I have rarely eaten something so elaborate so well at what I think is an incomparable quality-price ratio.
The menu also varies daily in order to always guarantee a fresh and genuine product.
My tasting journey began with a Cadore oyster topped with kizami wasabi, olive oil, Italian-grown shiso, trout roe and sansho pepper.
Yakitori (skewer) of liver and scallop collar, bay leaf and spring onion, finished with cherry wood smoking.
Grilled green beans, seasoned pecorino cheese, pepper and fermented tomato.
Ikejime tuna belly (slaughtering method to maintain the quality of the meat unchanged) matured for 14 days, cherry soy, friggitelli, coriander oil, burnt tomato oil with black garlic.
Sea bream belly with Himalayan salt, lime dressing, mustard leaves and nasturtium. Obligatory "scarpetta" with 5-cereal bao steamed on the grill and softened with Sardinian sea water.
Tuna belly sashimi, umami wasabi sauce (dried tomato, olive, caper), 24 month Parmesan and misticanza salad.
Mantis shrimp udon, cicada bisque, grilled fennel puree, dried miso and red prawn oil.
Nigiriwere made with rice treated with fresh water and seasoned with four different types of vinegar, including Modena balsamic one.
Scallop, salted eggnog, fermented gherkin, lime zest.
Dry-aged trout, fresh trout roe and bottarga.
I underline that salmon is not used in this restaurant, in perfect agreement with the high level of sushi on offer in Japan.
Seared red mullet, umami sauce and homemade turbot roe.
Otoro, miso, truffle, yuzu kosho and sansho pepper.
Cuttlefish, sesame seeds, soy with cherries and cherry cooked in soy.
Courgette flower tempura.
Open Temaki: eel marinated in koji, cocoa bean, dark chocolate.
Grilled tuna cheek, Portobello mushrooms tempura, natto dressing.
Sheep's ricotta sorbet with matcha and wasabi, grilled kiwi on sugar cane molasses.
My opinion on Azabu10 is therefore super positive: it's been a long time since I've had so much fun at a counter, eating in a superlative way and seeing so much passion from all the staff.
Hurry and try it, perhaps at the beginning of the week so it's a little quieter, and enjoy a spectacular dinner perhaps accompanied by one of the excellent wines in the cellar or a sake.
Congratulations Andrea Arcieri, ad maiora!
🌎 https://azabu10byarcieri.com/home.html
💰 $$$