Iyo
via Piero della Francesca, 74 - Milano
Nowadays, even movies seem to think that sushi has become a variation of the typical milanese cuisine.
During the past few years, so many japanese restaurants have opened in Milan, that I’ve begun to believe that the quality and careful research that made sushi such a special food has somewhat vanished.
Fortunately, however, Milano can also boast the presence of Iyo, which allows us to live the sushi culinary experience to its fullest thanks to its “floating world” (the meaning of the restaurant’s name), offering a service of excellence to its clients in its products and its hospitality.
This temple of fusion cuisine arrived in Milan in 2007, when Claudio Liu decided to place a bet on himself by opening a japanese restaurant that would immediately set its quality and service standards to the highest level; a venue which grew steadily during the years to the point where it has now been awarded various prestigious cooking prizes, starting from il Gambero Rosso to the first-star Michelin 2015 award. Claudio is the owner and the very soul of the restaurant, and he exudes passion for his job, which he always tries to improve and enrich. He always focuses on “grounding” his chefs (Haruo Ichikawa and Lorenzo Lavezzari) through his simplicity.
A continuous research for excellent prime materials, the exploration of new combinations of flavors, and the inspiration found even in the smallest details, are part of a work mission that carries on day by day: Iyo’s uncanny taste is born from the quality of its prime resources, carefully selected by Claudio Liu.
The same goes for the wine: the restaurant’s list contains more than 100 labels, and it has been created with the help of sommelier Savio Bina. At the moment, there’s already an excellent Riesling selection (Claudio’s favorite), and the choices are set to be expanded in the future.
Iyo has, in fact, been able to transform a simple cuisine in an actual culinary experimental laboratory, with a new addition in 2014: the introduction of a pastry and bakery area, where chef Lorenzo Lavezzari experiments with new desserts together with pastry chefs Paolo and Viviana. All of these elements are brought together by the store’s simplicity, set along eleven shop windows that will encourage you to enter and enjoy THE sushi, in a venue which has by now entered the sphere of high profile italian dining restaurants.