"Unico-co" is an Italian restaurant that specializes in "uni", or sea urchin, established in an area of the capital where there is fierce competition between unique restaurants. Their sea urchin variety course, which includes an appetizer, pasta, and main dish, has created quite a stir, and the restaurant is now visited by fans from both Japan and abroad.
Chef Hironobu Tsujita entered Tsuji Culinary Institute at the age of 31, and after graduation, he studied cuisine and wine at Tokyo's "Osteria Vincero" and also became a qualified sommelier. Later, after training at a restaurant in Perugia, Italy, he opened Osteria T in Tokyo in 2012 at the age of 35. As a result of holding a "Sea Urchin Matsuri" summer event at the restaurant, he began to look more into sea urchins and opened Unico-co in 2016. Unico-co was relocated with new interior on November, 2018.
"What led me to open the restaurant was the feeling that while there are people who like sea urchins, not many people know about them," says Mr. Tsujita. Consequently, at "unico-co" he offers a course made using seasonal sea urchins purchased from trusted suppliers all over Japan, so you can enjoy new ways of eating sea urchin and the different flavors of various production areas. More than 12 kinds of sea urchins are used, and in the third dish of the course, he prepares all of them on a single plate for comparison. Other popular specialties are the rich sea urchin pasta and "Unico-co Tournedos Rossini," a sublime intermingling of beef tenderloin, foie gras, truffles, caviar, and sea urchin.
To drink, there is about 380 Italian wine carefully selected by Mr. Tsujita. There is also a pairing menu in accordance with the food. And when comparing the different varieties of sea urchin, an original label of "unico-co" sake is on offer so you can enjoy the marriage of sea urchins and sake.
The interior of "Unico-co" is a Mediterranean-style design based on white and blue, and has 6 seats at the counter and table seating for 9. In addition to people visiting to celebrate anniversaries, it brings together lovers of inimitable sea urchins from not only Japan but also overseas, and it is bustling every day. "My aim is to be the best in the world for sea urchin," says Mr. Tsujita. He would like you to experience new delicious flavors at a restaurant with an insatiable passion for sea urchin.
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*The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
【Access】
A 3-minute walk from Yotsuya 3chome, Exit 4(Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line)
※From 2018/11/8, the restaurant will relocate to the following address:
3F, actworld building, 1-7-18, Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo