A refined tribute to Japanese culture. In a spectacular four-storey Art Nouveau building, different
formats are developed, in terms of style, design and atmosphere. .And the food and beverage proposals
are well characterized
Necessary premise: I don’t usually “choose” for this section restaurants where the trendy and fashionable
aspect goes beyond or surpasses the quality of the cuisine, relegating it to a secondary role. Let me explain:
to restaurants that are frequented above all by customers who like to “get noticed” I prefer those where
the dishes get noticed, for their goodness and for their beauty. Well, Ronin represents both of these values,
because it’s a successful establishment (book at least a month in advance) but also a place of well-
structured cuisine, more than remarkable, in some cases excellent. Yes, because the Milanese Ronin
expresses the combination of different aspects in an extraordinary way: taste & trendy one might say. In
other words, at Ronin the attention to the extreme and refined quality of the raw materials and cooking
and serving techniques goes hand in hand with the “hot” trend, in a sort of eclectic, versatile and
revolutionary offer in terms of tones, flavours, in the colours, in the music, in the artistic expression. To this
must be added a particularly kind and personalized service, an aspect which really does not hurt in these
times of general worsening of the quality of the dining room, linked to the well-known problems of
qualified personnel.
Let’s say that, this time, our “Choice” therefore fell on a place whose “flagship dish” is called atmosphere:
an atmosphere made even more important by a particularly interesting line of cuisine. And that is well
suited to many occasions, from an intimate dinner to a convivial evening with friends, to an individual
gastronomic experience, to a business dinner.
In a certain sense, Ronin is the “electric moon that shines in the sky of Milan”, as can be read in a
presentation of the restaurant, made at the opening, at the beginning of the year. It all starts from the
observation of an evidence that, even before being gastronomic, is social. In the steel city there seems to
no longer be any distinction between gaikokujin (or foreigners, using a Japanese slang) and natives. From
this basis, Ronin’s transversal proposal develops. Japanese and Italian culture therefore proceed in sync: no
one in Ronin can consider himself a foreigner, nor does he feel like one. “A sort of temple where a. Ero is
really a post-modern pastiche, the new Futurama, the brightest window on the world of tomorrow…” says
our colleague Guido Bernardi who has made Ronin his benchmark in contemporary catering.
Five years of study and research have given life to four levels of this building in the dynamic district of
Chinatown, in the Sempione-Paolo Sarpi area.
“An awakening in Tokyo in one of the most popular areas of Milan created by three entrepreneurs, real
gaijin-san. A space-time gap that unites East and West, translated into a journey in Retro Futurism style
that looks to the future and to the past, but is strongly rooted in the present” adds Guido.
Only by entering the building illuminated with the shocking shades of pink do you realize a reality that is
completely atypical for Milan. Too far ahead? Too bold? Too extreme? Try to understand, to believe, to
share. Without mistrust or preconceived thoughts.
The Salva Tu Alma group also oversaw the restyling of the square between via Alfieri and via Canonica on
which the four levels develop, authentic and multiform, each of them a symbol of a different and shiny
Milan/Tokyo.
On the ground floor, the Izakaya of Piccolo Ronin: a place of rapid passage, where you can eat small
delicacies of Japanese gastronomic culture and drink quick alcoholic drinks in the loud vibes atmosphere of
the Listening Bar “curated by Ultimo Tango”.
Going up to the first floor, you enter Ronin’s Robatayaki: with shabu shabu strokes, where the Roman chef
Gigi Nastri communicates with his hands, with fire (Robata is the name of the Japanese grill) and with the
raw material of the Raw bar. Here you have the experience of a real kitchen, complete with a Chef’s table,
in a sort of fine dining that manages to transform itself (on the edge of the extreme) into a permanent
cooking show. The gourmet soul of the food proposals lies in an orderly menu that starts from the rich and
intriguing Sashimi Ronin, to arrive at Uramaki of smoked aubergines, Uramaki of bluefin tuna and foie gras,
Nigiri of blue prawns passing then to a formidable Gyoza (with artichokes , Yakiitori chicken, smoked eel)
and then reaches the meat chapter: the ash-flavoured beef steak is excellent, as is the legendary Wagyu,
offered in various variations. We preferred the Ribeye ago 250 grams but the sirloin was also juicy and
flamboyant. Robata is the warm heart of Ronin, the living fire that warms the souls of the patrons. And it
manages to satisfy even the expectations of the most demanding seekers of true flavors on the plate.
On the second floor, on 200 square meters, four private karaoke rooms to abandon body and mind and
rediscover them in full-throated singing and food & beverage proposals based on premium spirits, cocktails
& sake bars. In all the rooms it is possible to order the best of late night drinks and mixology creations in
pure “nights in Shinjuku” style, curated by the bar manager Riccardo Speranza. On the same level, the other
face of Japanese ultra-traditionalism: the Omakase, a real boutique dinner experience that started in the
second phase of the project, with the remote suggestions of Maestro Katsu Nakaji, the legendary chef of
Tokyo, and which sees today the alternative of Italian chefs at the helm of the kitchen. Omakase roulette
saw, in October, Italian chefs take turns in the kitchen, with the presence of kitchen professionals now
whimsical now bizarre now
But Ronin is also a Member’s Club, a private club in perfect British style. A muffled, reserved and exclusive
space, in line with the new trends in progress (see the Cipriani in via Palestro, access to which is reserved
for members).
“Ronin is the new imaginative bridge between here and elsewhere, a road where you can get lost, get
drunk and find yourself”, I continue to read and, in a certain sense, I feel like confirming, after the first and
second visits. Ronin is the vibrant memory of a trip from which you come back with different ideas about
catering. “You walk through the door and for a few hours you feel distant, very distant, as if you had moved
to another world,” says a girl who, since discovering Ronin, has made it her point of reference in the city . A
distant world, of course: we don’t know if it is necessarily better than others, but different, very different,
bright, alive, phantasmagorical. Far from homologations and, at the same time, at least until now,
“completely” immune from imitations and apes. It already seems like a good result.
Box
Ronin, melting pot
multisensory
The vision of the owners, three Italian boys in love with Japan, is that of a future without clear distinctions
between local cultures and traditions: it is no coincidence that chef Luigi Nastri, who is Roman, offers
risotto and udon, pure tea and wagyu, uramaki and oysters, apple and pigeon gyoza with carrots. At a time
when the concept of “cultural appropriation” is driving the world of fashion, music and beauty crazy, Ronin
is already thinking about the aftermath. To a Chinatown of 2150, where “Japanese and Italian culture
proceed in sync”, where “no one can consider themselves a foreigner”. In which roasted tongue is eaten
after sushi, with a decisive overcoming of what, until now, we have defined as identity lines.
But the reason why this new restaurant is literally driving the Milanese crazy is not only linked to its cuisine,
but also to the strongly characterized proposals. From the ground floor with the Piccolo Ronin, the informal
bar-restaurant where you can eat and drink in company up to the real Ronin Robata restaurant, up to the
third floor with the surprise of the private karaoke rooms. The Madame Cheng bar, then, recalls the elegant
atmosphere depicted by the Chinese director Wong Kar Wai and evokes romantic oriental sessions based
on exotic and international drinks. Finally, on the fourth floor, surprise upon surprises, only for a few
members, and by invitation only, you can access the private club.
The numbers
Kitchen 8
Wines 7
Room service 9
Location 10
Atmosphere 10
44/50
