Osaka: “the Polar Star in the Constellation of Japanese Restaurants in Milan”
In Corso Garibaldi 68, in the middle of Milan Financial District, inside the hotel Ritter Gallery, there is the traditional Japanese restaurant “Osaka”. This restaurant opened in 1999 before the fashion of sushi hit Milan. Together with Edo-Tomoyoshi-Sacco (now closed), is the oldest Japanese restaurant in the city.
Due to this reason, also the ambiance and furniture strongly reflects the spirit of the “Land of Rising Sun”. Indeed, there is also a traditional Japanese table in the middle of the downstairs dinning room, where people kneel at the table. The restaurant has two floors: downstairs there are a dinning room and the sushi counter, upstairs there is the dinning room. While I am writing this review, the restaurant is closed for 2 weeks for refurbishing. I have been informed that the Japanese table will disappear, but I have no idea if the style of the restaurant will change.
The service comes with a smile. The waitress are astonishingly polite and efficient. At lunch, they are dressed in white shirts and black trousers, while at dinner they wear Kimonos. The only weak point of the service is that most of the Japanese waitresses barely speak Italian, and with some of them it could be problematic to make an order.
Osaka is a pure Japanese restaurant, so here you can taste a high quality and delicious “Traditional Sushi” made by a talented sushi master chef; although it is a little expensive. Besides, what makes Osaka special to my eyes is the fact the it is one of the few places in Milan where you can eat some Japanese dishes; like the “Okonomiyaki”: the Japanese pizza. Moreover, at Osaka you can taste the best ramen in Milan.
In conclusion, Osaka is, in my opinion, one of the two best traditional Japanese restaurants of Milan.
