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I want to share an amazing experience at an Italian tavern that uses Japanese ingredients, located directly connected to the station. It's called Rampada, on the 4th floor of the Toranomon Station Tower. With an open kitchen and counter seating, it’s a place where adults can casually enjoy themselves.
Here’s what we ordered:
- Two appetizers (440 yen each)
- A platter of prosciutto and salami (2,400 yen)
- Gnocchi fritti (fried dough) (300 yen)
- Meat oden with a soft-boiled egg topped with autumn truffle (980 yen)
- Beef tongue with wasabi (1,200 yen)
- Maitake mushrooms (480 yen)
- Daikon radish with foie gras in miso sauce (1,500 yen)
- Spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce, garlic from Aomori, and 'nduja' (1,300 yen)
We had a little bit of everything while toasting with beer and organic pomegranate soda. The appetizer was freshly shaved cheese, which was delicious on its own and even better when paired with the dishes.
The platter of prosciutto and salami included six varieties, and pairing them with the gnocchi fritti made it heavenly. The options were French pork, shoulder, fennel, spicy salami, smoked prosciutto from France, and Slovenian varieties, offering a delightful range of flavors that kept things interesting.
The hot gnocchi fritti were fluffy and lightly salted, making them perfect with the cheese from the appetizer. At 300 yen for four pieces, I nearly went for a second helping.
The meat oden, a twist on traditional Japanese oden, was distinctly Western and more to my liking. The half-boiled egg was fragrant with autumn truffle and delicious. The beef tongue complemented the wasabi well, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the Western flavoring.
As a maitake mushroom lover, I couldn’t skip that choice. The daikon and foie gras in miso sauce is apparently a popular dish, and it did not disappoint. The daikon was stunningly tender, almost melting in my mouth, requiring no effort to eat. The broth was rich, soaking into both the daikon and foie gras, which was light and not greasy, making it enjoyable even for those wary of foie gras.
To finish, I chose a dish featuring ‘nduja’ without really knowing what it was. It turned out to be a spicy, paste-like salami that paired wonderfully with both garlic and tomato sauce, adding a delightful kick. The thick, chewy noodles held onto the sauce perfectly, allowing me to savor the spicy flavor to the fullest.
If you love Italian cuisine or are tired of traditional oden, or if you're looking for something new to try, I highly recommend visiting this place!