Italian Gastronomy: Dinner at Il Dritto in Shimada city!

Service: Kind, attentive and very informative
Equipment and facilities: Overall spotless clean. Superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: inventive modern Italian cuisine making use of many local products. Interesting and reasonable Italian wine list including wines from Kumamaoto Prefecture!
Doubles up a gastronomic bar in the evening!

Succulent and elegant Italian cheese amuse!

I have always thought that Shimada City deserved better when it came to food. They are already blessed with some of the best sake in Japan and when it comes o Japanese gastronomy they are blessed with a couple of very good restaurants/izakaya. But when it came to Western cuisine they definitely missed higher class Italian Restaurant.
Now, they have it with the arrival of Il Dritto a few months ago!

Check he specials of the day!

It is not only a restaurant but also a wine bar (with food if desired) at a small counter until last orders at 22:00!
Otherwise it does not sit so many guests,and I recommend to reserve in advance unless you want to try your luck at opening time at 18:00. As for the week ends it is definitely crowded!
This was our first visit so I don’t know what happens at lunch time on week ends but you expect crowds and single set menus!

As for the evenings it is real fun reading and choosing from the menu board!
Do take your time! You will discover a very interesting fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine definitely served in the Italian fashion, I would say high fashion!

I know some Italian friends who would be very intrigued and tempted by the “Aburi Ankimo/Hal grilled monkfish liver”
A real fusion creation using ankimo/monkfish liver first steamed the japanese way and then slghtly grilled served an Italian-concept fish sauce! Very, very unusual which the the creative talent of young owner chef Daisuke Hirabayashi

Of course the herb bread is exclusively home-baked!

Aburi/haf grilled Sanma/Pacific saury wits liver sauce and fine vegetables!

Another fine marriage of Japanese and Italian cuisine!
Pacific saury is a Japanese fish par excellence and again my Italian friends are in for another surprise!

Kumamomoto Prefecture Horsemeat Carpaccio!
As a frenchman I just couldn’t ignore that morsel! Mind you, my Italian friends will have a pleasure to dispute that!
Smiling Owner Sommelier Megumi Hirabayashi shy (Daisuke’s wife) actually hails from Kumamoto Prefecture and you can expect some rare wines from her own Prefecture!

Talking of wines we had this reasonably-priced and very fine Valpolicella!

We had a bit of a fight to choose either pasta or risotto for our visit, but I lost the jankenpon/stone paper scissors and we opted for this beautiful seafood pescatore linguine with prawns, squid, scallops and cockles!
Don’t have to mention the little ensuing fight! LOL

Consequently I was “allowed” to choose one of my favorites for the next dish: Roasted duck breast with red wine sauce and fine vegetables! A dish that has made the French and Italian friends forever! LOL

It was time for dessert, then? Then, what did I choose to satisfy my male chauvinistic preference?

Hazelnut Catarana!
Who said the Italian are limited when it come to dessert? So sweet! corny comment, sorry!)

My only regret? I could sample all the dishes!
But I will have my revenge soon!

IL DRITTO
Owner Chef: Daisuke Hirabayashi
Owner Sommelier: Megumi Hirabayashi

427-0022 Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimada City, Hontoori, 1-9-1,Marichi TAC 1F
Tel: 0547-330790
Opening hours:
Lunch 12:00~14:00 8 Saturdays and Sundays only)
Dinner: 18:00~22:00
Closed on Mondays and 4th Tuesday
Credit cards OK
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