Service: Very friendly and relaxed. Slow food!
Equipment: Great cleanliness and splendid washroom
Prices: Appropriate
Strong Points: Vegetables, especially local and organic whenever possible. Local products. Good French and Italian wine-list

I’m not a vegetarian, but if one can come up with a superlative vegetarian dish I will not hesitate!
And if the vegetables are organic and local to boot I will ignore meat and fish for the whole meal (and postpone the latter to my next visit! LOL)

Kazuo Igarashi originally comes from Tokyo, but with a wife from Shizuoka and a constant access to extravagant ingredients convinced him to open Piatto in downtown Shizuoka City on June 12th 2006.
Since then he has acquired such a fame that his own peers advised me to pay him a visit as soon as possible!

Kazuo’s cuisine is definitely Italian in inspiration but his small establishment is a happy fusion of European and Japanese influences with plates and dishes being chosen among the artworks of three different potters. Food is served on wooden (wood and fabric material and colors are everywhere!) trays with wooden chopsticks and spoons (although you can ask for forks and knives!) and in art glassware. Frankly speaking I would need to write a separate article to describe the place (which I will do next time!)!

I almost cried when I found a Mercurey white wine on his menu! Mercurey is my home-place back in Bourgogne, France!
A very tasty appetizer was served in a beautiful glass: yuuba (skimmed tofu sheet) with parmegiano, pepper and olive oil!

A first for me!

“Bagna Couda”: Italian-style hot dip vegetable tray!

The small deep dish was placed on larger pot containing a combustible to heat the dip.
Both the dish and “burner” were made of sophisticated Japanese pottery!

The dip recipe is a secret of course but it does contain parmegiano and anchovy paste!
I did not leave a drop!

The vegetables, all local and most organic, were more of a Japanese concept, proving that superlative Italian gastronomy can be successfully achieved anywhere if you have quality ingredients!

A little explanation here:
The eggplant is mizu nasu/水茄子, a variety which is eaten raw. The renkon/蓮根/lotus root and takenoko/筍/bamboo shoot are definitely Japanese in concept.
And even more so the mini melons eaten as vegetables in our Prefecture!

Kazuo’s focaccia seems to be known all over town.
Carrot focaccia to finish my dip sauce!

What did I tell you about pottery?
I know some people who would visit the place just to have the pleasure in eating with them!

A risotto was of course on the cards!
I just asked Kazuo to concoct me one with vegetables!

It just shows that green can be become such an appetizing color in the hands of a great chef!

Even the dessert was local!
Can you guess?

I almost took the same picture: Cherry tree flower Ice cream! Yes you read well: flowers!

I’m afraid this is still a bit short of an article as Kazuo Ishigarashi’s cuisine will take time to explore, but don’t woory, I’ll be back soon!

PIATTO
Shisuoka Shi, Aoi Ku, Kooyamachi, 5-12, 2F
TEl.: 054-253-8844
Business hours: Lunch, 11:30~14:30 on Monday, Saturday, Sunday & National Holidays. Dinner: 17:30~23:00
Closed on Thursdays
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese and a little English)

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