Osawa

Italian food with a Japanese twist served in a space that used to be a traditional Japanese house. The main dinning area overlooks a small Japanese garden. Food wise, all I can say is that it is excellent. Mainly ordering a full course menu, the food uses produce in season and you can taste the Japa...nese - perhaps geared to the Japanese pallet. In any case, great place to go if you want something different - yet familiar!

Visited August 2016

My husband and I go here once a year for Valentine's Day and they always remember us and thank me for our patronage when I call to make the reservation. I give Ristorante Osawa my highest recommendation for a delicious and romantic evening. It never lets us down! The setting is a lovely, old wo...oden house with a large cement kura (safe house) closest to the road (that and the Italian flag are your landmarks) and a pretty Japanese garden between the two buildings. There is plenty of parking and it's close to the road, but you don't see the road from the dining room. The entire wall of the dining room is glassed and faces the garden. The food is all fresh and locally sourced and the waiter explains the source of the key ingredients as he serves each course. As for the menu: the drinks menu contains several non-alcoholic options, including beer, wine, and cocktails, which I think is unusual for Japan. We always get the house red wine (800 yen per glass) and it never disappoints. This is not your usual house plonk. The wine has been different each time we've gone, but it's always a good, quality, Italian wine. Their buyer or sommelier seems to know what he's doing. From the food menu, we always get the "Cena" course which is about 7,000 yen per person and consists of: amuse bouche, breads, appetizer, a pasta dish, fish or meat, dessert, and coffee (even decaf!) or tea and biscuit cookies. You select the items of your liking off the menu for all courses, except the amuse bouche which is determined by the chef. The menu is in Japanese and Italian but the wait staff speaks some English, if you need help. On our recent visit, I got the bagna cauda, gnocchi, fish, and chocolate tarte. My husband got the pate', spicy basil fettuccine, duck, and a strawberry/pastry/ice cream choux creme. It's a big meal, even by Western standards, and I was quite stuffed at the end. Even their coffee and decaf are so perfect and rich and delicious. I can't figure out how they make it so good, and it's just coffee! The food truly is top notch: both the preparation and their presentation. In my opinion, it's some of the best food I've ever eaten! The wait staff is on top of things and they pace the meal perfectly, which is unusual here in the Japan. They give you time between courses, do not rush you, and everyone in the party gets their food at the same time -- even the big parties, we've noticed - and that, too, is unusual in Japan! The servers are well trained in how to present food and place the plates, and how to lay utensils mid-service, and they refill your water discreetly, without being asked. It all adds up to a truly, wonderful, relaxing, pleasant, and special dining experience. A "Cena" course meal for two takes two hours, so allow yourself time to enjoy the experience and don't try to get out for a movie or something else afterwards! Please know, though, that the restaurant does not feel pretentious, snobby, or too fancy. It just comes across as good! You will feel fine wearing smart casual clothing, but you will also see people in suits after work and some ladies in dresses. I wear a nicer work skirt and sweater and my husband usually wears khakis and a button-front shirt. I've seen guys in jeans and tee shirts there, but I think a nicer shirt is in order, even if not required. We love this restaurant so much, we want the owners and staff to know how much we appreciate the treasure they've created!

Visited February 2013