True traditional Japanese cuisine comes to Rome with Ie Koji, a new izakaya located in the Cyprus area. This eatery welcomes customers as if in a Rising Sun home, offering homemade recipes, many of them vegetarian, and a selection of sake for an authentic and immersive experience.
Where you can eat chef Nakai’s grandmother’s dishes.
Ie Koji wants to bring to the table the more traditional soul of Japanese cuisine, the kind you can breathe in the homes of Japan. Chef Koji Nakai, together with Roberto Salvati, opened this restaurant on June 29. The name “Ie Koji,” which means “Koji’s House,” reflects the intent to recreate an izakaya, the traditional Japanese tavern, in a home-like setting where chef Nakai’s grandmother’s dishes can be enjoyed.
The space design was supervised by Valeria Vecellio, who created a distinctive and authentic ambiance. Natural wood and typical elements of Japanese culture such as Noren curtains and Chochin lanterns dominate. The goal was to recreate an interior setting that would welcome customers with an intimate and refined atmosphere.
What to eat.
Ie Koji offers 38 covers in a single room. The kitchen offers raw dishes such as sashimi, but it is the cooked preparations that take center stage. Chef Nakai uses mainly local produce, creating quality express dishes. Specialties include the Japanese omelet Mentai dashimaki tamago and Fuwa fuwa omu rice.
A feature of the menu is the wide variety of vegetarian dishes, which account for about one-third of the offerings. Prominent among these are fresh homemade tofu and kinpira.
Useful information about the Japanese tavern in the Cipro area (Rome).
📍 Via Marcantonio Bragadin, 13 – Rome
🕛Open daily for dinner from 7 to 11 p.m.; from September also for lunch.