Trattoria dei Paesani

One should not be surprised to read “sfugliatelle nghe la crema” on the menu of Giuseppe Sabatino’s restaurant, which he started when he was very young to take his Italian flavours abroad. Since 2014 the owner has been based in Shinjuku, the most lively district of Tokyo, with his Japanese wife. Defining his Dai Paesani an Italian restaurant is too limiting. His is rather an Abruzzo restaurant, as evident by the bilingual Abruzzo/Japanese menu. Everything here speaks of Giuseppe’s native region, which is present in the furniture, knick-knacks, books and above all in the flavours. The vegetables grown in his private garden are not generic. The garlic is from the variety of Sulmona, the asparagus comes from Castelguidone, the sweet peppers from Altino, not to mention the cured meats, which a lot is owed to, since the meeting with Davide Fabiano, chef and partner, took place thanks to the ventricina made in Japan. Do not forgo the liver sausage, the Callara style lamb, the pasta and, of course, the cured meats. The service is warm and the wine list speaks of the owner’s passion for quality and research.