Living in Rome, Roman food is my thing. Fusion dining interests me. I love the odd taco and ceviche too. But one cuisine I won’t ever tire of is Japanese. And thankfully in Rome there are a select few where I can get my fix. So when I received an invite to the private residence of the Japanese Ambassador to Italy – to eat! – you can guess I was pretty excited.
Today Japanese Restaurant Week begins (17-23 June 2016). The event marks the 150 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan and will see 16 restaurants across Rome, Florence and Milan showcase Japanese cuisine and in particular, the prized, Wagyu beef. 
Credit: Ufficio Stampa Laurenzi Consulting
Here is a list of participating restaurants:
ROME
Baccano
Via delle Muratte, 23 – 06.69941166
Bistrot 64
Via Guglielmo Calderini, 64 – 06.3235531
Plancha
Via Bergamo, 28 – 06.31072361
Queen Makeda Grand Pub
Via di San Saba, 11 – 06.5759608
Retrobottega
Via della Stelletta, 4 – 06.68136310
FLORENCE
Cucina Torcicoda
Via Torta, 5 – 05.52654329
Gurdulù
Via delle Caldaie, 12 – 05.5282223
Konnubio
Corso dei Tintori, 12 – 05.5242327
Ora d’Aria
Via dei Georgofili, 11 – 05.52001699
Palagio Four Seasons
Borgo Pinti, 99 – 05.526261
MILAN
10 Corso Como
Corso Como, 10 – 02.29002674
Berton
Via Mike Bongiorno, 13 – 02.67075801
Essenza
Via Marghera, 34 – 02.4986865
Meat Yazawa
Via San Fermo, 1 – 02.36799710
Sadler
Via Ascagno Sforza, 77 – 02.58104451
Tokuyoshi
Via Calocero, 3 – 02.84254626
Bookings are highly recommended to avoid disappointment.
Event organised by: MAFF – Japanese Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries.
For me, tonight’s dishes (some even by the Ambassador’s chef, Masatoshi Matsuda) were just a warm up. I can’t wait to get to one of the venues over the course of the next week and keep tasting.
If you’re in any of these cities, check out the list and get booking.
Signing off from Trastevere,
Baci, Maria
