Mentaiko pasta (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi / Stripes Japan)
After a full day of walking around the Osaka Expo, my family and I were exhausted… and very hungry.
We searched for a restaurant around JR Osaka Station for over 30 minutes. It was around 10 p.m. and many of the family-oriented restaurants were closing for the night.
Our only option was looking like it might end up being an izakaya pub, until we found Cucina e Vino Lavagna, an Italian bistro, open until 11 p.m. on the 10th floor of Lucua Osaka building.
(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi / Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi / Stripes Japan)
We were lucky enough to snag a table before the restaurant’s last order deadline.
Cucina e Vino Lavagna’s menu has many seasonal dishes and lots of delicious options on the regular menu, along with varieties of quality wines, beers and soft drinks.
The staff were very friendly, and from our seats we could see the chefs baking fresh pizza thanks to the open-kitchen concept of the restaurant.
I chose mentaiko pasta from the shop’s seasonal menu for 1,480 yen, while my wife ordered roasted chicken thigh with diabolo sauce for 1,000 yen and my daughter went with a pork cutlet plate with herbs and cheese for 1,380 yen, both from the regular menu.
Garlic toast (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi / Stripes Japan)
Mentaiko pasta (Photo by Takahiro Takiguchi / Stripes Japan)
While waiting for our entrees, the restaurant staff brought us complementary salad and garlic toast in a basket. The salad size was generous with a flavorful Italian dressing. The fresh toasted garlic bread with basil and olive oil hit the spot.
Within 10 minutes, our very late dinner was served.
My mentaiko pasta was blessed with plenty of spicy cod roe and tomato-based, vinegar sauce topped with sliced onions, lime juice and a perilla leaf. The rather thinner noodles made from select Italian durum Semolina flour were served at a perfect al dente. The meal was a delicious and refreshing way to end a hot summer night.
My wife and daughter’s carefully cooked roasted and deep-fried meat dishes had savory, refreshing Italian flavors, which matched well with the garlic toast.
With hot meals in our bellies we were ready to head to our hotel and call it a night!
Whether to curb some late-night hunger pangs or for a nice meal at a reasonable hour in Osaka, Cucina e Vino Lavagna is a delicious option.
Cucina e Vino Lavagna
Address: 3-1-3 Lucua Osaka 10F, Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
Hours: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Web
Tel: 06-6347-0806
AloJapan.com