It is no secret anymore that Italian cuisine and sake go well together, but to see a restaurant in Osaka fully embrace that marriage somehow still feels a little special. So being introduced to Ritmicita Nihonshu & Italian located in Osaka's Chuo neighborhood, I was very excited to check it out, especially as the recommendation came from a well-known sake brewery, so this had to be great!
Ritmicita - The Concept
Not located center stage in one of Osaka's trendy neighborhoods, this small restaurant like many other little gems is just a tiny bit off these well-visited streets, and maybe for a good reason. And certainly, after having eaten here this restaurant is worth going the extra few steps.
As the name "Ritmicita Nihonshu & Italian" suggest, the concept is very simple, Italian food prepared with seasonal ingredients and focusing on a course, rather than a la carte menu. The food is then expertly paired either with a set flight or by the glass with amazing sake from all over Japan.
The space, intimate, yet not too small with 1 table of 4 and about 12 counter seats, elegant, not overpowering, new, with attention to detail and although it has this very clean Italian bistro feeling, as you look up from the counter, there is a small shrine, as you would find in any sake brewery. And as you look at the space in front of you on the counter, there is a tiny sake display. Miniature bottles, crates, a tiny kettle, and atsukan station. All form a gatchapon machine, playful, yet still appropriate for the setting we are in.
What's on the Menu
I would highly recommend one of their course menus and I really love that they have options. Depending on how hungry you feel you can choose accordingly. Go for the full 7-dish course or if you are not feeling like it, aim for a smaller, more compressed (but no less exciting) version of it.
You can choose between a few courses, the "Syoku" a seven-dish course coming in at 6600 yen (that can be paired with a 7 luxury sake pairing for an additional 8800 yen).
Or you can opt for a Lunch only mini-course (3500Yen), with the main dish being meat (this is limited to reservation only) and includes an assorted Appetizer Plate, Pasta of the Day, Main Meat Dish and Mini Dessert with Chinese Tea.
Then there is an even smaller version, the pasta lunch set (2800Yen), which is what we came for, which consisted of and assorted Appetizer Plate, the Pasta of the Day, and a Mini Dessert served with Chinese Tea.
As we came for lunch we chose the smallest course, which was a plate of starters, olive oil and bread, pasta, and a dessert. Does not sound like much? Think again and have a look at the starter and you might change your mind. A plate of beautifully arranged seasonal dishes, including a tiny mini pizza - what a treat!
As for the main course, the pasta was perfectly cooked with a white sauce, loose herb and pork meatballs, charred corn, and fried onion. To be honest for 1. I am very picky with my pasta and for 2. not a huge fan of corn, but this was so delicious. And then with every bite from the meatball, there was a slight aroma of rosemary and other herbs, which blended in so beautifully with the creamy sauce...
Not to mention, that we asked for a sake pairing and the Junmai Daiginjo selected (磐城壽 純米吟醸 クロスシリーズ 鈴木賢二 ) was just exquisite and matched the dish perfectly.
An amazing lunch and definately a restaurant to have in the back of your head if you are heding to Osaksa. A really great sake and italian food experience, especially if you are looking for somewhere to grab lunch, that is special without a massive price tag.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ritmicita20/
Location: Google Maps
And if you are looking for more great places to try sake, shops or breweries check out Sake Tourism Japan, where I continue to upload more great places to discover and enjoy Japanese Sake!