YUNiCO (Osaka, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

Renowned as "The Ginza of Osaka," Kitashinchi (北新地) is a bustling entertainment district in Umeda known for it abundance of bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants. Despite my frequent visit to Osaka, it was my first time stepping foot into Kitashinchi and I have one mission to accomplish today, to check out Michelin starred YUNiCO's Japanese Italian fare.

Situated on the 4th floor of a small and discreet commercial building, YUNiCO's name is a play on chef-owner Yamamoto's initial, and the word ‘unico’, Italian for ‘unique’.

Chef Yamamoto trained at Ristorante Hiro Aoyama for 10 years before making the move to Osaka. From what I have heard, he's best known for incorporating local produce into his Japanese Italian cuisine including vegetables from Kyoto, fresh fish from Awaji, among other ingredients sourced from all over Japan.

Meet our handsome server (forgot to jot down his name) who's half Japanese and half Chinese!

First off, we were given a visual tour of all the ingredients featured in today's omakase menu.

Our amuse bouche soon followed and it was turnip espuma with chunks of braised beef brisket topped by some light beef consommé jelly.

The first starter of the tasting menu was yellowtail carpaccio with two types of Japanese radish, topped by a small patch of caviar and shaved bottarga. Not bad.

Next, we had a beautifully executed deep-fried matsutake mushroom with a thin batter (like a tempura), finished off with a nice sprinkle of curry powder on top. Very delicious.

This guy was very impressive! 

Taro deep-fried to a crispy crust. A couple slices of rosemary focaccia were served up together with the deep-fried taro.

Mini burger made with homemade ham and brioche. There was no mayo in between, just a bit of mustard seeds for some extra flavor and bite.

Taking a page out of Hong Kong's cha chaan teng? The whole set of cutlery hidden inside a drawer under the table!

The burrata cheese came with very fresh creaminess, delicate texture and a rich, milky flavor. It was a very nice match with the juicy tomatoes and vinaigrette, and extra virgin olive oil.

Traditional Italian beef tripe soup was next. Everyone was surprised by the spicy kick from the fresh black peppers.

The soup was accompanied by some parsley (left) and chili (right) sauce but I didn't think I would need more extra kick.

A meal from an Italian restaurant won't be complete without a pasta dish. The homemade

spaghettini was nicely tossed with duck ragout and finished with a little shaving of parmesan cheese. I like the combination of flavors and textures but the pasta itself could have been slightly less cooked.

We have been waiting for some meat for a while and it finally arrived in the form of charcoal grilled pork. 

The black pork was really succulent and I love the way it was matched with the celebriac purée, Japanese miso and sea salt. The miso, in particular, surprised me with how its savory-sweet flavors elevated the taste of the pork. 

Dessert came in a cup with a pool of strawberry sauce topped with yoghurt ice cream, condensed milk espuma, strawberry sorbet and a fresh strawberry.

And a cup of hot tea to sooth our palate after the meal.

Visiting YUNiCO felt a lot like visiting a good friend's house for lunch. The atmosphere is very comfortable and homey, and all the dishes were impeccably prepared using some of the freshly sourced local ingredients. Needless to say, it was a fantastic way to kick off our trip in Osaka.

Food Rating: 6.8/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 4/F, 1-5-17 Sonezakishinchi, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-0002 Japan

Closest Metro Station: Kita-Shinchi

Tel: +81 (0)6 6225-8007

Website: https://y-unico.jp/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm (Sat), 5:30pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Sat)