Tag: Japanese Food

Whenever someone suggests going out for Itameshi, I always get quite excited. I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps it’s because the concept of Itameshi—the genius fusion of two of my favourite cuisines, Japanese and Italian—fills my brain with dopamine. Or maybe it just reminds me of the time I tried Spaghetti con Uova di Pesce for the first time at Basta Pasta in New York a few years back: al dente spaghetti tossed with flying fish roe (tobiko) and perilla herbs. Gosh, I’m salivating just thinking about it.

Sadly, on a side note, Basta Pasta has closed its doors for good. However, after a little digging, there is still hope. They wrote on their socials that, “…this is not the end. The spirit of Basta Pasta will live on, and we are already dreaming of what comes next in a new era.” Fingers crossed they decide to cross the pond and open up in London!

The first time I tried Angelina was back in 2022. We had some old friends visiting from Malaysia, and we had booked weeks in advance for the Dalston branch. The vibe was easygoing yet stylish, and we had a brilliant time. I remember the tasting menu being a little hit and miss, with a few more misses towards the end, which was a slight shame. Nonetheless, the company was great, and we enjoyed every minute.

The theme continued with Osteria Angelina. I was super excited to find out they had opened a sister restaurant in Shoreditch. Everyone on socials had been talking about it, so I thought I’d better find out what all the hype was about. We had friends visiting from Singapore this time, so it felt like the perfect occasion. They are super organised and wanted to get dates in the diary as soon as possible, so I made the reservation about a month in advance.

Now, eating out can get quite expensive, especially in London. So, when there’s an opportunity to eat for less, I’m all over it. The app I use is called CODE, which is specifically for people working in the hospitality industry. If you’re interested in signing up, I’ve popped more details at the end of this post.

The space at Osteria Angelina is expansive, with tall ceilings and plenty of natural light. It was all very lovely. The service was friendly and welcoming, and we were seated at the back, away from the entrance, right by the huge windows.

Onto the food.

We were absolutely starving, having just come straight from the gym, and our friends were running a little late. We decided to order some drinks and bread whilst we waited. My goodness, was the bread tasty! We ordered both options on the menu to share between the two of us: the Roasted Plum & Nori Focaccia and the Hokkaido Milk Bread with jam and burnt honey butter. They were unbelievably good. Embarrassingly, our friends arrived exactly as I bit into the last piece of the Hokkaido Milk Bread, leaving nothing but a couple of empty plates and a few crumbs. We just had to order another round.

The crudos arrived first. The Hamachi (yellowtail) with truffle soy and furikake crudo was an absolute delight. The truffle wasn’t overwhelming; it just added a beautiful depth and umami. We could have easily ordered another plate of this. The Tuna with house ponzu and wasabi crudo was nice and clean, though the ponzu and wasabi flavours were perhaps a little overpowering for the delicate, sweet profile of the tuna.

Next came Usman’s Magic Tomato Salad. We just had to try this one—if only to find out the story behind the name! The dish consists of sliced heirloom and heritage tomatoes drizzled with a savoury umami dressing, topped with a salsa verde granita, and garnished with finely shredded nori seaweed, shiso leaves, and a sprinkle of toasted white sesame seeds. The refreshing contrast in temperatures, textures, and rich umami flavours truly was magic. I would absolutely order this again.

For the pasta course, the menu recommended we order a couple to share as it’s their speciality, and it was a good job we did. We opted for the Tagliolini with Tuna, Mentaiko, and Kombu Cured Caviar, alongside the Tortellini with Truffle & Kombu. The Tagliolini was easily my favourite. The savoury mentaiko, the delicate melt-in-the-mouth tuna tartare, and the sharp, salty pop of the caviar, all wrapped up in perfectly cooked pasta, was comforting, satisfying, and genuinely exciting. If you love truffle, you will probably adore the Tortellini. For me, the truffle was a bit too intense—when it comes to truffle, I prefer a more subtle profile—but I can completely see why so many people praise this dish as a standout.

Other dishes worth mentioning from the sides are Ikuko’s Aubergine, the Miso Braised Onion & Fontina, the Namayasai Greens, and the Burrata, Miyagawa and Plum Ponzu. They were all delicious.

We also tried the Church Hill Chicken; Delice Pumpkin, Sage & Wakame; Ox Tongue with Kizami Wasabi; and the Spring Onion Tempura & Black Garlic. Honestly, I would probably only order these as fillers, and even then, I might just pick one and try another pasta dish instead. While they were nice, they simply weren’t as special as the other plates we ordered.

Osteria Angelina has a lot of exciting and satisfying dishes on the menu, though much like its sister restaurant, it can be a little inconsistent in places.

Would I go again? Yes, but I would skip the Grill and the Fritti sections entirely. Instead, I’d focus just on the Insalate, Crudo, and Pasta options, alongside a few of the Sides. And next time, I’d definitely leave room to try a few things from the Dolce menu.

A Quick Note on the CODE App

As mentioned earlier, I used the CODE app to save 50% off on our food at Osteria Angelina. If you work in hospitality or F&B and eat out a lot, it is well worth joining. There is a huge variety of restaurants on the app offering up to 50% off the total bill (though sometimes this excludes drinks). You simply find a participating restaurant, check their offer, make a reservation, and mention you are using the CODE app when booking.

There are a few restrictions to keep in mind, such as the specific times and days the offers are valid. For example, at Osteria Angelina, the offer is only valid on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 12:00 and 14:30. Over at Angelina Restaurant in Dalston, you get 50% off the tasting menu, but only between 18:00 and 23:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays.

Offers range from 25% off the total bill in places like Hoppers and Humble Grape, to 30% off at Bubala, Allpress Coffee, and Haidilao, right up to 50% off at Bancone, Hawksmoor, and Som Saa. At the moment, most venues seem to be located in London with only a few outside the central area, but they seem to be adding more restaurants every week.

Signing up is pretty straightforward. You just need to use your work email as proof of employment. If you don’t have one, you can upload alternative proof, such as a letter from your manager or HR, or a copy of your contract. The membership costs £39.99 a year, but you easily make that back after just a couple of meals out with friends.

If you use my referral link below, you get a one-year membership for just £20, and I get a month for free!

Osteria Angelina is located in Spitalfields / Shoreditch.

Closest stations: Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street Station.

Booking is recommended.

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