HOLLYWOOD PRESS CORPS – OSAKA, JAPAN – There’s an Italian restaurant in Osaka known as Osteria Leb that is getting a lot of buzz in Hollywood, California. Osteria Leb is the perfect place for an authentic Italian business lunch or a relaxed dinner with wine recommendations from the staff. There are dishes from Sicily and flavors from Firenze. It’s all in beautiful Osaka amongst the tall buildings and near the Dojima river.
Created in 2014 by Mr. Yamada and his wife Yuriko, Osteria Leb never disappoints when it comes to fresh and delicious dining. The restaurant is located in the upscale neighborhood of Nakanoshima, Japan. Its a cozy, welcoming atmosphere and can accommodate individual diners or they take reservations for groups. Osteria Leb is perfect for the locals who stop by and also ideal for visitors from other countries.
We began our foodies dream meal with a fresh salad. Known in Italy as antipasti or appetizer, this antipasti delivers in spades. I know it’s hard to make a salad sound like a tasty experience, but in a city like Osaka, where fried food is a local tradition, the salad that Mr. Yamada prepared was real fresh and full of flavor. There are different textures in the salad, a tiny fish to add a salty flavor, and just a little piece of bread.
The pasta dish that we had for lunch featured the authentic flavors of Italy. Known as a primi in Italy, its recommended to start your meal in Italy with a small “primi” pasta course. Mr. Yamada prepares the pasta himself while you munch on the salad. The portions at Osteria Leb are generous and I ate every morsel. The textures of the pasta and the subtle Italian spices combine to make an enjoyable dining experience. The smells that fill that cozy eatery are just so pure and familiar.
An osteria in Italy is a place where people gather to enjoy wine and eat simple food. The meat course at an Italian osteria is called a secondi. We chose the pork secondi and we weren’t disappointed. The smell of olive oil being warmed as Mr Yamada prepared our secondi was just so appealing. It made me so hungry. Mr Yamada purchases the freshest meat and fish for his restaurant.
For desert, we had the tiramisu. The desert course was presented with such a flourish. It looked like a work of art. The scoop of gelato was perfect on this hot sunny summer’s day.
Between preparing luxe fare for anyone who stopped by, I had a chance to speak with Mr Yamada. He told me about his recent trip to Italy to sample food and grappa in Verona, Firenze and Rome. He’s been preparing luxe offerings at Osteria Leb for about seven years. His goal is to see everyone smiling when they come in to dine at Osteria Leb.
The Experience Magazine highly recommends Osteria Leb to anyone living in Japan or visiting Osaka. This is a unique dining experience in the heart of Osaka.
Check out the website in Japanese here;
