Masayume
Lovers of good ramen, come together and celebrate because there is a new place in the city where you can enjoy it! In Isola area stands Masayume (literally "a dream come true"), conceived by Danilo Cucci after a long experience in traditional Japanese restaurants. He himself warmly welcomes you to his restaurant, where he works busily with a staff in love with the Land of the Rising Sun.
The restaurant is intimate and cozy and boasts 25 seats (in this period an outdoor area was also arranged for those who do not want or cannot eat indoors) and it is all colorful, with a metropolitan appeal, with lights, neon, objects Japanese folklore and screens, as well as a bathroom full of details on the walls.
The kitchen is open and is led by Filippo Caldarella.
The menu is very detailed, but if you are not an inveterate Japanese fan like myself, don't worry: on each page you will find a small glossary that will allow you to juggle unknown preparations and ingredients.
Masayume carries the subtitle of "izakaya vibes" (the Japanese tavern where alcohol is drunk accompanied by small preparations) and in fact follows the nocturnal and hidden atmosphere of Shinjuku. It is an urban place where the real protagonist is the ramen which is prepared just like in some of these taverns.
The ramen you will find on the menu are: shio (tori paitan broth, shio tare with clams, onion oil and ginger, fresh flat noodles, spinach, marinated menma, ajitama, chashu), shoyu (tori paitan broth, shoyu tare, niboshi, fresh flat noodles, ajitama, mizuna, chashu), tantamen (tori paitan broth, white sesame tare, Sichuan oil, spicy rayu, curled noodles, ajitama, pak choi, nikumiso), masamen (curled noodles to be mixed with spicy miso, onsen egg, nikumiso, mizuna, spicy rayu) and veggy masamen (mizare curled noodles with spicy miso sauce, roasted tomato, onsen egg, nori seaweed, tenkasu). For all types of ramen there is the possibility of adding extra topping.
Among those listed, I enjoyed the shio and tantamen. What to say? Both are simply excellent. The broth was very thick, soft and flavorful. It is no coincidence that it cooks for 10 hours!
At the moment there are no pork-based broths, but I assure you that the chicken one is excellent, as are the rest of the toppings: the chashu, for example, is delicious - it is cooked for ten hours under vacuum and then purged, for a total 24 hours of preparation. The noodles are alkaline and come from Japan, and almost all of the ingredients are non-industrial, including soy sauce.
The result is decidedly beautiful, but also very good: each bowl contains all the love for Japan of Danilo and Filippo. The most welcome surprise? The heat. This ramen is not just hot, but piping hot! When I felt the glowing bowl in my hands I was moved: finally a place where the ramen is served at the correct temperature and is not lukewarm. Just like in Japan.
The rest of the menu includes some extras (including excellent edamame with truffles, bao with pork cheek kakuni, a special cirashi and chashu don), four different types of gyoza (I obviously tried the original stuffed with pork and grilled, accompanied by a ponzu sauce with spicy rayu - they are prepared and served with a crust at the base that makes them as authentic as they are tasty) and handrolls, a novelty in Milan, an alternative and certainly more elegant way to taste the temaki. I tried karai sake (with salmon tartare, kimchi mayonnaise and kataifi pasta) and nikuage (with fried nori seaweed with panko, nikumiso and kimchi mayonnaise), both delicious and perfect as a snack to accompany with a fresh beer Japanese or a glass of sake - the choice of which I hope will become wide, let's give time to time.
There is no shortage of desserts: classic tiramisu or matcha one and cherry blossom cheesecake.
Masayume is a young, dynamic place, made up of enthusiastic people who want to convey all their passion through their dishes. It is the perfect place for a quick meal, an informal dinner with friends or maybe even alone: the counter is the best place to get lost while watching the chefs at work.
You eat well and spend the right amount, what else to add? Go and try it!
🌎 https://www.masayumemilano.it/
💰 $$$
