Il Cucciolo temporarily closed its doors at the end of December 2019.
Chef Uehara is serving food at the adjacent "Nomidokoro Cucciolo".
Please contact the store for more details.
Drinking spot Cucciolo 053-570-3513
An Italian restaurant located at the corner of the intersection near the Shijimitsuka Ruins on White Street.IL CUCCIOLO"Mr. Miss.March 14, 2008Since opening, the restaurant has become a popular spot for lunch dates among stylish ladies and couples in the Sanarudai area. Thanks to a high rating from a famous Nagoya blogger, it has become a popular destination with a constant stream of customers coming from far away.CUCCIOLOIn Italian,puppyIt means... If you imagine the name, you'll see two miniature dachshunds happily running around on the beach as you sit in the waiting area right after entering the shop.UjiharaThe chef's black-and-white photographs are striking, and the fact that the cutlery rests on the tables are designed like miniature dachshunds suggests he's an avid dog lover. It's a small but charming restaurant with a warm and inviting atmosphere. It's always crowded, so reservations are highly recommended!
The interior is a pleasant space filled with sunlight, and the window seats are bench seats with cushions in calming colors, creating a relaxing and gentle atmosphere with warm pendant lighting. There are 14 seats. Cucciolo is usually full and bustling even during weekday lunch hours, but I called just in case and was lucky to find that they had just enough room for two people! The lunch menu is,PranzoA 2,200 yenとPranzoB 3,400 yenThey offer two courses, so this time I ordered Pranzo B, which comes with a main dish. Normally, the main dish for Pranzo B is either the fresh fish of the day or the standard Ryujin pork, but on this day they had Challans duck and Icelandic lamb, so I asked for both! I was very lucky!
"Assortment of appetizers"
An appetizer platter featuring nine elaborate dishes, each available in small portions.NanaChan carefully explains each dish one by one. From the top right, there's a frittata made with Nagoya Cochin eggs, polpettine (small meatballs in Italian home cooking) made with Miyazaki beef, Ryujin pork, quail, and quail cartilage, mackerel rillettes and bread with the aroma of dill, broccoli gratin, white corn polenta with a sauce of stewed minced red squid tentacles, buffalo milk mozzarella cheese bocconcini with black figs from Ishikawa Prefecture (a rare domestic variety), fresh baby bell peppers with less bitterness and anchovy sauce, roasted Hokkaido Ezo deer leg with Pecorino Sardo from Sardinia, and octopus from Lake Hamana with green beans and basil sauce. This assortment is filled with the chef's passion for carefully selected ingredients, and everything is truly delicious♪
"Homemade bread"Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.
"Spaghettini with homemade bottarga and anchovies"
This oil-based pasta, infused with the rich flavor and umami of anchovies, is beautifully garnished with plenty of homemade bottarga and Italian parsley. Oil-based pasta is simple, but its simplicity is what truly reveals the chef's skill. There aren't many Italian restaurants in Hamamatsu that serve pasta this delicious!
"Carbonara made with homemade bacon from Ryujin pork and eggs from Nagoya Cochin chickens."
The homemade bacon made with Ryujin pork, a testament to the chef's dedication, is smoked with hickory, creating an appetizing aroma that lingers in your mouth. Apparently, cherry wood chips would have been too strong. Indeed, the smoky aroma is not overpowering; it's mild yet has just the right amount of presence, perfectly complementing the carbonara as a whole. Above all, it's not just a carbonara that relies solely on its richness; it's a delicious pasta with a perfect balance of richness and smoothness that leaves you wanting more!
"Roasted Challans duck breast and tenderloin with French wild grape and balsamic sauce"
The Challans duck breast is cooked to perfection, with a crispy skin and moist interior, and served with a rich sauce of wild grapes and balsamic vinegar. The tender, springy texture of the tenderloin is also delicious. The accompanying vegetables include Jerusalem artichoke (known as jellyfish in Japan), kohlrabi (a type of cabbage), baby carrots, brown mushrooms, and snap peas.
"Grilled Icelandic lamb with Miyazaki Prefecture-produced Heibei vinegar sauce"
Hebesu is a citrus fruit with thin skin, few seeds, and abundant juice. It's popular alongside yuzu, kabosu, and sudachi, and its refreshing, mild acidity and mellow flavor make it a great accompaniment to various dishes. Its aroma is reminiscent of fresh green mandarins. Icelandic lambs, raised in a seaside environment, feed on grasses and herbs that thrive in the sea breeze, as well as a type of moss called lichen, which is also used in traditional Chinese medicine. This diet, rich in salt, gives the meat a deep flavor, and the cold climate results in perfectly balanced fat content, making it renowned as a well-rounded lamb. With expert cooking techniques, it's moist and tender, with a hint of sweetness from the fat, and deliciously refreshing with hebesu. Served with vegetables such as jerusalem artichoke (known as Jerusalem artichoke in Japan), kohlrabi (a type of cabbage), baby carrots, small onions, and snap peas.
"Monte Bianco"
In ItalianMonte BiancoThis refers to what is known as Mont Blanc in France. This dessert, meaning "mountain," is made to resemble a snow-covered mountain when covered in whipped cream. In this season when chestnuts are in season, I often find Mont Blancs to be a little too sweet, but Chef Uehara has done it right! He has created an elegant Mont Blanc with just the right amount of sweetness! From within the cream, you'll find a chestnut paste infused with the aroma of liqueur. The chestnut paste is not too smooth, retaining a nice texture, and is mixed with sponge cake to give it a light feel. The crunchy texture of the rocks on the surface and base can also be enjoyed, making this a delicious course to savor to the very last bite♪
"coffee"
ARABIAThe coffee served in this cup stays piping hot and never cools down, and it pairs perfectly with the Monte Bianco dessert. To be able to enjoy such a high-quality lunch at this price point is truly a moment of bliss. After finishing our meal, my husband and I, being the last customers, were greeted by the wife.NanaProperlyUjiharaWe had a wonderful conversation about food with the chef. Because it's a small restaurant, you can see the chef's face, feel the meticulous attention to detail of his wife who supports him, and enjoy communicating with the two of them. It's a lovely place, Cucciolo. I'll definitely come back again soon!
IL CUCCIOLO
4710-2 Tomizuka-cho, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu City TEL: 053-456-4073
Opening hours: Lunch 11:30-13:30 (last order), Dinner 18:00-21:00 (last order). Closed on Wednesdays.
