Koji Nakai and Roberto Salvati are the creators of this new project, a small corner of Japan that impresses with typical recipes from the Rising Sun, sake labels and an immersive atmosphere.
The restaurant
Japan has an invaluable gastronomic heritage that we have come to know over time. From the iconic sushi also to be tried in the all-you-can-eat omakase experience at the “counter”-where the itamae, the sushi chef, surprises guests with a course composed of different tastings-to kaiseki cuisine. But the land of the Rising Sun is also famous for izakaya tables, typical convivial eateries where the focus is on sharing and enjoying traditional Japanese recipes. Indeed, the culinary proposal of Ie Koji, the new izakaya sign opened in the summer by Koji Nakai (chef) and Roberto Salvati, is based on these assumptions. The two owners have already made a name for themselves in the capital for their path: the first for his adventure at Nakai (and several consultancies also in Rome) the second because for years in the Ostiense district he has been preaching excellent Japanese cuisine with Sakana Sushi.
“The concept of this restaurant is to make the customer feel at home, through the dishes of my memories, the ones that both my grandmother and my mother used to cook for me when I was a child,” says the chef originally from Kobe, who at Ie Koji has built a menu centered precisely on his family's recipes: a comfortable cuisine, as well as the atmosphere and decor of the restaurant, entrusted to Valeria Vecellio, a Roman interior designer who won a David di Donatello 2024 award for her set design in the film Rapito.
“Precisely because of the importance of the intimist key that this project required, I chose a cinematic cut that would keep the sought-after soul intact ,” explains Valeria Vecellio, ”Taking inspiration from the typical izakaya and architectural features of Japanese interiors, we chose to recreate a box, almost precisely an interior set design that welcomes the client in a bright red colorblock mitigated by the verticality of the natural wood inserts to mark out zones and experiences and the warm lights of Japanese lanterns. The scenic cut is amplified by the numerous Japanese decorative elements recovered by one of the owners between Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto."
The sign is thus among the few in Rome to offer traditional Japanese cuisine, with a menu where, in addition to sashimi, preparations such as ramen, katsu sando, Japanese-style omelet, soba (ramen without broth) and an interesting variety of vegetable dishes based on tofu, an ingredient prepared homemade by Koji Nakai, find their place. “There are still few in Rome who offer true traditional Japanese cuisine. Even today when people talk about a Japanese restaurant, most people immediately think of sushi, “ the chef points out. The wine offerings are also entirely sake-based, with a dozen labels featured, as are the beer and cocktails, which are 100 percent Japanese.
Dishes
We begin with the dish the chef's welcome: eggplant and okra (a vegetable native to the African continent) floured in dashi and flavored with katsuobushi. A pleasant start that reminds the diner that umami notes will be central to the experience. Also inviting is the Fresh tofu, homemade with soy milk and topped with a sauce of white sesame, okra and togarashi, the typical Japanese chili. It continues with Poteto sarada - Nakai's mom's recipe - a potato salad that both in appearance and taste is reminiscent of classic Russian salad, served with cucumbers, carrots, crispy bacon, and hard-boiled egg. Here the game is played between the crispiness of the bacon and the sweetness of the ingredients-a trip to the East for the palate.
At an izakaya, one cannot leave without tasting gyoza, the classic Japanese ravioli among the culinary trends of the moment. Nakai offers them either with wagyu meat or completely vegetarian filled with stewed vegetables, whose careful grilling gives the dough a pleasant smoky hint.
In quick sequence we also taste the Nikuya gyu korokke - a potato croquette with chopped wagyu meat and sweet and sour sauce - and the Katsu Sando with wagyu, this time in a “cutlet” version with mustard topping and sweet and sour red cabbage. Two recipes that underscore how Japanese street food is in the chef's wheelhouse. Special mention for the katsu sando, from the excellent bread texture to the crunch note of the schnitzel.
It is a triumph of flavors from the Rising Sun the Ramen without broth with braised pork belly, hard-boiled egg, spinach, and togarashi, while it is the perfect example of “sharing” the Onion and Vegetable Stew with beef strips freshly cooked in broth, served together with tofu and spinach.
Contact
Ie Koji
Via Marcantonio Bragadin, 13, 00136 Rome RM
https://www.instagram.com/iekoji_japaneseizakaya/
Phone: 348 430 2368
