Jan. 21, 2020 UPDATE
Alloro Mio
Traveler Friendly
Service in Italian available
Menu
Japanese
Languages spoken
Italian
Story & Recommendation
Alloro Mio – Authentic Italian Tuscan dishes with exquisite ingredients in Nijo, Kyoto
Alloro Mio is an Italian restaurant in the Kyoto neighborhood of Nijo specialing in cuisine from Tuscany.
Tuscan cuisine has two main things that set it apart from the Italian food often seen in Japan; its hearty use of meat and simple dressing that draw out the natural flavors of ingredients. Compared to the sauce heavy dishes of northern Italy, Tuscan dishes are often much more straightforward. At Alloro Mio, you'll also find a recurring theme of poultry in their dishes.
Originally a chef of western cuisine, owner and chef Kato opened Alloro Mio in October, 2019.
Around the age of 30, Kato discovered a newfound interest in Italian cuisine and ever since has been chasing that curiosity down the rabbit hole. Making multiple trips over to Italy, Chef Kato trained in the motherland itself and now back in Kyoto, serves up dishes that are nothing if not the real deal.
Alloro Mio means “My laurel” in Italian. The name represents the taste of Chef Kato’s cooking – which like the bay leaf of a laurel shrub that can be used in everything from entrees and mains to desserts – is like the helping hand of a friend.
Also, as it is the restaurant’s namesake, you’ll find many bay leaves in many of the dishes here too.
With its mild, whispering aroma, Alloro Mio has made the bay leaf its symbol.
We recommend this restaurant for special occasions or when you want to treat yourself.
Whether you’re searching for genuinely good food made with incredible ingredients, or just some authentic Tuscan cuisine, then you can't pass up Alloro Mio.
1Recommended
Galantine with Peperonata
/ ￥1,300 (excl. tax)
Galantine is a dish made from a splayed out chicken stuffed with mince then rolled. The dish is packed with a meaty umami and the gentle aroma of bay leaves. The galantine contains pieces of boiled eggs in addition to the minced meat, giving it a world of different textures.
Also, with its robust meaty flavors and simple seasonings, this dish immaculately captures the essence of Tuscan cuisine. So if you’ve never tired Tuscan cuisine before, then we recommend this dish as a good starting point.
2Recommended
Duck Polpette
/ ￥2,000 (excl. tax)
Alloro Mio's Duck Polpette is a crumbed, then baked duck meat patty. First grilled until golden brown, the duck patty is then cooked in the oven to trap the meat's umami inside. Sitting atop a moat of duck stock-based sauce, this duck polpette transports you to a world of flavor where you can indulge in the umami of duck until your heart's content. Underneath the polpette, you'll also discover a gratin made with mille-feuille like layers of thinly sliced potatoes. The contrast that's created between the duck sauce and the white sauce of the gratin is simply one of the things that makes this dish so good.
3Let's Try!
Potato Gnocchi with a Guineafowl Ragu Sauce
/ ￥1,700 (excl. tax)
Alloro Mio’s Potato Gnocchi with a Guineafowl Ragu Sauce uses Chef Kato’s handmade gnocchi and a simple guineafowl ragu sauce. Opting to not use a mincer, Chef Kato hand slices the tiny pieces of guineafowl himself.
The crunchy texture of the nanohana and simple array of root vegetables, including carrot and onion, also contrasts incredibly with the chewy texture of the gnocchi.
If you’re looking for a satisfying pasta dish, then this is it.
4Let's Try!
Bay Leaf Flavored Panna Cotta
/ ￥600 (excl. tax)
Panna cotta – a staple Italian dessert. Alloro Mio’s panna cotta features the pleasing aroma of bay leaves, which runs itself across your palate the moment it touches down on your tongue. With a cloud-like light texture that disappears on your tongue like a whisper to the wind, this dessert leaves you befuddled at every turn.
While a rich cream flavor takes center stage, this panna cotta features a pleasantly clean after taste.
With surprises around every corner, this panna cotta might be the best way you could end a meal.
How to Order
Food and drinks from outside are not allowed.
Please order at least one drink per person.
