A new project by Japanese chef Koji Nakai, whose technique makes the Italy-Japan dialogue increasingly interesting.
The chef and the restaurant
In the shadow of St. Peter's dome in 2022, chef Koji Nakai - together with Luca Salari and Cristina Longobucco - opened the restaurant that bears his name. A sign of sushi and Japanese cuisine but with several forays on the menu of dishes dedicated to the Capital, the city the chef has fallen in love with since his arrival in 2008.

“I lived half my life in Rome, where I came for the love of Italian cuisine,” Nakai says. ” Even in Japan I worked in an Italian restaurant, I was a pizza maker, and I learned the white art from a Neapolitan master who taught me all about the culinary culture of this country.

The opening of Nakai marked a new beginning for the Kobe-born chef, who duplicated his success in 2024 with the opening of Ie Kojii (izakaya we discussed here) and undertook several consultancies, including one with Terrazza Mirador at the Hotel Villa Agrippina Gran Meliá. His excellent culinary skills and deep knowledge of Italian gastronomy prompted him to embark on another adventure, Kiwami, “a restaurant within a restaurant.”

In fact, the entrance is still the same as at Nakai, at 14 Via di Santa Maria alle Fornaci, but once you get to the main room there is a hidden door that leads into a space dominated by a single social table of 14 seats, enclosed in a total black setting (curated by architect Susan Berardo), where a dense forest of plants descends from the ceiling.


“Nakai's philosophy can be summed up in the concepts of harmony and fusion. With this intimate room I wanted to create a place away from the hustle and bustle, a place to relax and disconnect from the hectic pace of the city, “ says the chef. At a cost of 85 euros per person, one can thus savor Koji Nakai's omakase-style cuisine, a journey of at least 6 courses where exclusivity and elegance distinguish the experience. At Kiwami 's, moreover, ample space is given to sake-a Japanese alcoholic beverage that is increasingly appreciated by the Italian public-available in 20 different labels.

The dishes
With the Kiwami project, the chef insists on offering a cuisine in which Japan and Italy coexist, where techniques intersect and taste benefits. Examples are the Octopus Takoyaki, fried meatballs filled with ragu from the mollusk with which Nakai pays homage to one of Osaka's most popular street foods; or one can enjoy the Tempura Pumpkin Flower that hides a mouthwatering filling of cacio e pepe sauce, one of the mantras of Roman cuisine that the chef interprets without delay.

We break the relentless pace of fried food with the sweetness of the Purple Shrimp Carpaccio with cilantro salad, mint and sesame oil, while admiring the perfect Italy-Japan marriage with the Tagliolini alle vongole mantecati con brodo dashi, alga kombu, porcini mushrooms and katsuobushi, a beautiful reinterpretation of one of the cornerstones of our seafood cuisine.

Nakai does not miss the appointment with sushi, prepared in front of guests as the tradition of the Rising Sun demands: a trio of Sashimi flavored with amberjack, akami bluefin tuna (the leaner part) and Otoro (the fattier part) that express the freshness of the catch and highlight the chef's good technique. The savory course concludes with the Grilled Amberjack Tataki, smoked eggplant cream, basil oil, chicory and roe, a course marked by the timely cooking of the fish and the crispness of the vegetables.


For dessert, a lovable Tortino with a warm pistachio and matcha tea heart is served accompanied by green tea and berry ice cream, a worthy conclusion that once again travels on the seductive Italy-Japan binary.
Contact
Kiwami Nakai
Via di Santa Maria alle Fornaci 14, Rome
t. 065133215