RONIN 浪人 — Restaurant in Milan

Golden Gai, Tokyo, 1919, a veil of rain descends upon the city like a melancholic symphony. The narrow cobblestone alleys of the red lights district are glistening with the shimmering reflections of lanterns that flickered through the mist. You enter the “House of Ronin”. But it is not 1919 and we are not in Tokyo but in Milan’s Chinatown district! The sensations are really the same though: A four-story “Kill Bill” impressive building owned by “Salva tu Alma” (design by studio SC+) rimmed by red light with mirrors, lanterns, neon lights and hosting 4 charming bars/restaurants. Find on the ground floor “Piccolo Ronin”, an “Izakaya” tavern serving bao, gyoza, ramen and yakitori where vinyl collectors take turns curating listening sessions in the Listening Bar corner, equipped with a "Klipsch" hi-fi system. 1st Floor is dedicated to the star “Ronin Robata” led by chef Luigi Nastri. The "robata” is the traditional Japanese grill: your fine dishes will be cooking over an open fire with coals that come directly from Japan. 2nd floor is then hosting “Madame Cheng’s” cocktail bar with 4 Private Karaoke Rooms 1.5hrs each bookable where you can get dinner in Bento boxes and the boutique fine dining “Omakase Sushiyaki” restaurant where the worldwide renowned sushi chef Katsu Nakaji will cook for max 8 people per night. Top floor instead houses a private members-only club Arcade, an exclusive lounge designed by Marsica Fossati. The result is a captivating atmosphere that evokes the cinematic seductive style of Wong Kar Wai. Perfect for a romantic date tête-à-tête or for business. I went the first time for the latter and took Nigiri Mix (6pcs; 34€), Branzino con verdure e dashi al limone (Seabass with vegetables and lemon dashi; 28€) with Fried Potatoes (With takoyaki and togarashi sauces; 8€), Tonno rosso affumicato con piselli, pak-choi e kalamansi (Smoked red tuna with peas, pak-choi and kalamansi; 29€) and for desserts a super tasteful red beans ice cream. One of the most enchanting and mesmerizing...

HATSUNE omakase

La mia esperienza in questo ristorante è stata molto deludente. Il menu omakase comprendeva quasi 15 portate, ma a parte l’otoro di tonno e il manzo Wagyu (che sono ingredienti di alta qualità), gli altri ingredienti erano economici e poco impressionanti. Hanno servito branzino, gambero rosso, ricciola e chutoro, tutti ingredienti poco pregiati. Inoltre, il tonno è stato tritato insieme al ravanello sottaceto, una preparazione davvero poco raffinata.

Gli ingredienti non erano freschi: erano marinati nell’aceto e nella salsa di soia, coprendo completamente il loro sapore naturale. Il riso per il sushi aveva una quantità eccessiva di aceto, che sovrastava completamente il gusto complessivo. Questo è un errore tecnico inaccettabile per un ristorante di questo livello.

Uno degli aspetti peggiori è stato il sukiyaki di Wagyu. La carne doveva essere leggermente sbollentata, ma il fornello non era nemmeno acceso correttamente. Di conseguenza, il Wagyu era mezzo crudo e, una volta mescolato con il riso, aveva una consistenza davvero sgradevole.

Per un prezzo di 160 € a persona, ho trovato questo ristorante estremamente deludente. Iyo Omakase offre un’esperienza molto superiore, con una selezione di ingredienti di qualità e un equilibrio di sapori nettamente migliore. Il livello generale di questa cena non è nemmeno lontanamente paragonabile a quello di un vero ristorante omakase giapponese.

Viaggiamo a Tokyo ogni anno e abbiamo provato diversi omakase di alto livello, quindi sappiamo cosa aspettarci. Purtroppo, questa esperienza non si avvicina minimamente a ciò che dovrebbe essere un vero omakase. Non consiglio affatto questo ristorante.

I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. The omakase consisted of nearly 15 courses, but apart from the tuna otoro and Wagyu beef—both of which are high-quality ingredients—the rest of the ingredients were cheap and unimpressive. They served sea bass, red shrimp, yellowtail, and chutoro (medium-fatty tuna), all of which are relatively inexpensive. The tuna was minced with pickled radish, which is not a premium preparation.

Moreover, the ingredients were not fresh; they were marinated in vinegar and soy sauce, which masked their natural flavors. The sushi rice was also poorly balanced, with an excessive amount of vinegar, overpowering the overall taste. This is a very unprofessional execution.

One of the worst parts was the Wagyu sukiyaki. The beef needed to be lightly blanched, but the stove was not even turned on properly. As a result, the Wagyu was half-raw and unpleasant to eat when mixed with the rice. It had a very unpleasant texture and was not enjoyable at all.

For a price of €160 per person, I found this restaurant extremely disappointing. Iyo Omakase is far superior in terms of menu composition, ingredient selection, and flavor balance. The overall execution of this meal was nowhere near what you would find in a proper Japanese omakase restaurant.

We travel to Tokyo every year and have experienced high-quality omakase many times, so we have high standards. Unfortunately, this place does not come close to what a proper omakase experience should be. I do not recommend this restaurant.

I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. The omakase consisted of nearly 15 courses, but apart from the tuna otoro and Wagyu beef—both of which are high-quality ingredients—the rest of the ingredients were cheap and unimpressive. They served sea bass, red shrimp, yellowtail, and chutoro (medium-fatty tuna), all of which are relatively inexpensive. The tuna was minced with pickled radish, which is not a premium preparation.

Moreover, the ingredients were not fresh; they were marinated in vinegar and soy sauce, which masked their natural flavors. The sushi rice was also poorly balanced, with an excessive amount of vinegar, overpowering the overall taste. This is a very unprofessional execution. I go to Tokyo often and I really don’t think this level of the food quality should be presented here in...

Absolutely NOT worth the RIDICULOUS price. We booked a karaoke room for a slot as. Group of 4 people (the standard slot is 1h45min).

Karaoke: very nice interface but sub-par system. Very often the words on the screen were not in sync with the melody so we wasted precious time on damaged tracks.

Service: the service was very rushed. We asked for some nibbles (to pay) to be delivered to our room but were only offered bagged crisps (of mediocre quality). The markup on alcoholic beverages is the highest I have ever seen. The local retail price of the bottle of tequila that we consumed is approximately €40 - we were charged €220. Please see receipt attached.

However, the most astonishing aspect of the entire evening is that the SECOND our time slot was up, the lights were immediately turned on and the service staff BARGED into the room with a credit card machine. They demanded instant payment and literally made us leave the room. We also left a tip totalling €600 for 1h45min and two overpriced bottles.

I will never set foot in this building again as it really is not worth the experience, let alone the price tag. I have had previous experiences at the ground floor restaurant and at the omakase and again, mediocre quality for a severely...