18-01-2018
Lingua & coda: one of Yoji Tokuyoshi’s new dishes at the restaurant named after him in Milan (photo Tanio Liotta)
The tasting at Tokuyoshi’s begins with Lacrime di verdura, mottainai broth, which is the Japanese to say “what a waste”, more or less. It’s made with vegetable scraps, infused for 48 hours. It’s delicious. The first tasting – the photos are by Tanio Liotta – is the sweet and savoury Crostatina di melanzane alla parmigiana
Pianta & radici, scampi in tempura with vegetal carbon
Sicilian cannoli filled with creamed salted cod
Pizza Anna, a light version of pizza capricciosa, to share: the base is made with puffed rice, then tomato sauce, wafers of Parmigiano, cooked ham, mortadella, capers, anchovies and fried artichokes. Paired with a broth of capers
Tanti cilindri: scallops, roots, Breton sea urchins, plankton, black cabbage, carrot, cherries, peach, radish, nasturtium, fermented carrot juice... A fantastic, very elegant dish
Da leccarsi le dita: delicious eel rolled in panko, Japanese Amakusa salt (very mineral), pepper. You dip it in furikake sauce, made with fish and capon stock, with pepper from Makuaw, Taiwan, very citrusy
Ginger beer and lemon grass to cleanse the palate
Tagliatelle, lardo di wagyu di Kyoto, foglia di pomodoro: homemade tagliatelle made with lard from Japanese beef prepared by Tokuyoshi according to Italian tradition and matured 2 months, then bergamot and Parmigiano. Paired with Via Emilia broth, with capon, crust of Parmigiano, prosciutto and mortadella
Lingua & coda: veal tongue and monkfish, seasoned sauces made with their respective jus, the latter adding some tomato water, plus turnip tops and broth of capers
Deer fillet from Zivieri, purée of purple potatoes, leek, black truffle from the Apennine. The meat is glazed in mottainai broth and teriaki. Paired with a broth of red fruits and beetroot. A great dish
Mallard with its civet, rhubarb leaves, sea asparagus and crispy rice with saffron (pan fried). Absolutely delicious
Mallard liver on crispy chips and civet sauce. Paired with lentil broth
Gelatine of Zibibbo, granita with pizzuta almonds, vinegar from white Serragghia wine by Gabrio Bini in Pantelleria
O' babà napoletano soaked in Château d'Yquem 2006, «I get the babà from a lady who’s been making them for 40 years»
Monte Rosa, the evolution of a dessert we had already tasted. The new element is given by the coffee meringues – excellent choice – which look like sheets with fossils marked on them. Then there’s roast potatoes gelato, cream of quince, beetroot, sponge cake with aromatic herbs, crumble, lemon grass foam...
It may sound crazy, but Yoji Tokuyoshi is (also) a sort of contemporary Aimo Moroni, just to give a Milanese reference. Not in terms of style and dishes, of course: they couldn’t be more different. But in the approach to raw materials, in the curiosity with which he explores Italy’s gastronomic heritage. Except that, contrary to Aimo, he does so with very different eyes – and spectacles, strictly round: the eyes that come from his Japanese origins. This is the base for his approach, which is also influenced by the essential training with Massimo Bottura and all this may imply.
A memorable photo of Massimo Bottura and Yoji Tokuyoshi, when the latter was sous chef at Osteria Francescana
A pizza carton box is served...
... hiding a fake pizza made with puffed rice
Tokuyoshi making babà
He’s also keeping some intuitions that characterise dining at his restaurant: broth, often vegetal, paired with the courses; the often monochromatic and very detailed appearance of the dishes, as in the photo opening this piece, Lingua & coda. He adds more structure, which recalls the initial gamble: the “pure Tokuyoshi style” of which we spoke little over a year ago, is making its way, convincingly so. (Our dinner in the photo gallery by Tanio Liotta). Translated by Slawka G. Scarso
An outdoor trip or a journey to the other side of the planet? One thing is for sure: the destination is delicious, by Carlo Passera
by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief