Forget all the Japanese restaurants that you are used to visiting in Milan. Shiki – Japanese Taste is unlike the rest. This place manages to bring an authentic Japanese experience to the city, focusing on the quality and refinement of the menu, careful study of spaces and furnishings and a curated drink list.
Shiki has opened in via Nino Bonnet, a stone’s throw from Garibaldi, a hip and inspiring area. The venue is also cool, however managing to convey the idea behind the concept conceived by Andrea Botta, who besides being one of the founding members of the venue is an architect.
The space was organized to represent both sides of Japan: ancient and more recent history. Thus we find a wall facing east, the place from which everything is born, which represents tradition, recalled in colors, materials and in the Shou Sugi Ban, the ancient technique of carbonizing wood. The opposite wall instead faces west, where the light sets, and is completely glazed to crystallize that moment of maximum splendor, which represents the 80s and 90s. These different but complementary souls are placed in dialogue and coexist in a contemporary but at the same time welcoming environment, where nothing, from lighting to seats, is left to chance.
The authentic soul of Japan is also found in the menu, entirely entrusted to chefs from the prefectures of Hiroshima, Tokyo and Osaka. On the menu we find great classics such as nigiri and sashimi, as well as maki and temaki, offered both in traditional combinations and in other more particular ones such as Umekyu, with sour plum, or the one with eel and cucumber. To these is added a special selection of uramaki created exclusively by chef Yoji Iga. We loved the one with shrimp tempura, suzuki aburi, nikiri sauce and crispy chili.
In addition to the various udon and ramen, you can taste a wide selection of appetizers such as the shrimp breaded in panko or vegetarian dishes such as marinated eggplant served with katsuobushi, spring onion and daikon. It’s delicious! You absolutely cannot miss the tribute to Japanese street food par excellence. Taste the takoyaki, the typical Osaka octopus meatballs, and the okonomiyaki, the Japanese omelette, cooked with meat, fish or vegetables.
Whatever you decide to order, Shiki will amaze you with their combination of flavors and quality ingredients, always fresh and impeccably presented.
What are you waiting for? Go to discover true and high-quality Japan, not found elsewhere in Milan!