Surrounded by elegant Milanese design, at Odachi you can discover ancient oriental techniques with just a brush in your hand and a blind menu.
In a quiet corner of Piazzetta Bossi, amid the elegant geometry of the luxury Milanese hotel Casa Brera, there is a place where Japan is not just an apparent suggestion but an immersive experience. We are talking about Odachi – “big sword” in Japanese – and the name says it all: rigor, discipline, essentiality. But also sharp elegance, ritual precision, and deep respect for the raw ingredients.
Odachi, an elegant Milanese ryōtei
Leaving behind the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele and La Scala, there is a restaurant with just 48 seats, located on the ground floor of Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Milan—a new addition to the Marriott International hotel group. It might seem like just another exclusive restaurant, but at Odachi, it's not about trends, it's about culture. Japanese culture, first and foremost, which manifests itself here with disarming rigor, and Italian culture, which enters on tiptoe through the use of local raw materials.
The gastronomic consultant is Haruo Ichikawa, the undisputed master of Japanese cuisine in Italy—already awarded a Michelin star by Iyo, the first Japanese chef to receive one in Milan—with his rigorously traditional approach. The carefully selected ingredients come from the best Italian seafood and agricultural heritage. Sea urchins, red prawns from Mazara del Vallo, and clams: local delicacies that interpret centuries-old techniques.
Odachi is an authentic Japanese restaurant with a distinctly Milanese soul: a subtle synergy between two cultures that meet, listen to each other, and enhance each other. Hidden on the ground floor of the building, the space designed by Patricia Urquiola welcomes guests into a cozy, intimate setting, decorated with natural wood, minimalist furnishings, and warm lighting from ceiling lamps reminiscent of traditional lanterns. The idea is to find yourself in the discreet interiors of Japanese ryōtei, but with touches of mustard color and a few contemporary design touches, almost evoking a 1960s style. Everything is calibrated and designed to create a slow, intimate, meditative experience.
The Omakase journey and the art of surrender
For those who want to dive even deeper, even at the table, Odachi offers the Omakase experience (literally “I trust you”): a tasting menu (five or seven courses) available only by reservation, served at the counter, where each dish is decided on the spot by Resident Chef Mario Jim Shizukuishi. It is a gesture of trust, almost a ceremony: the customer entrusts themselves, the chef guides them. The result is a narrative made up of cuts, vapors, carefully brushed sauces, and bites that tell the story of the sea, balancing nuances of umami. The menu is a refined array of textures and balanced notes. It starts with crispy rice, a crunchy base topped with sesame-scented amberjack tartare and a skewer of eggplant glazed with sweet, delicately smoked miso.
Then comes the chef's signature dish: wagyu sarada, which combines wagyu (in its highest A5 quality) with the sweetness of seared shrimp, the salty pearls of salmon roe, wakame seaweed, and a balanced acidity from rice vinegar. Tradition and creativity also come together in a dish inspired by an ancient Japanese cooking method that involved immersing eggs in hot springs. Here, it translates into a poached egg wrapped in a thin crust of panko, then placed on a bed of sweet dashi flavored with truffles: definitely sophisticated comfort food.
The sushi and sashimi section is a tribute to purity: clean cuts, measured proportions, deep flavors. Bluefin tuna, chutoro marinated in soy sauce, amberjack, but also turbot, salmon marinated in miso, and flamed mackerel. Among the nigiri, the sea bass with shiso leaf, ventresca, cooked shrimp, anchovy, and bluefin tuna stand out. All are to be delicately sprinkled with soy sauce using the special brush, just as tradition dictates. Among the hot dishes, a low-temperature cooked sole is served with a cream of turnip greens, clams, and a rich sauce made from miso and shellfish: a dish that combines land and sea in a surprising balance. The sweet finale is no less impressive:the chocolate ganache hides a light caramel and miso mousse, closing the circle with a touch of umami.
The dishes are accompanied by a well-designed cocktail menu that blends spirituality and the seasons: the drink list is divided into themed chapters revolving around concepts such as Shintoism, nature, and the passing of the seasons. Each drink is designed to pair with dishes in a balanced and evocative way, thanks to a rich selection of sake, Japanese gin, tea, and whiskey. Odachi is an aesthetic, gastronomic, and spiritual experience. A place where time expands between typical Italian hospitality and Eastern charm, an elegant story of how to enjoy food between Japan and Milan.
CONTACTS
Piazzetta M. Bossi, 2, 20121 - Milan MI
Phone: 02 305430
