■Chef Massimo Bottura Special Interview

My first image of Osaka was "a city of laughter and smiles.

I have been to Japan dozens of times, but this is actually my first visit to Osaka.

As you all know, I love Japan and have had Japanese staff on my team for decades.

Their image of Osaka is "a city of laughter and smiles.

When we talked to some of the people welcoming us this time, they told us, "Osaka is a city much like Naples. People like to laugh and they want to have fun.

That is why we will not only use ingredients from Osaka and the Setouchi area for this year's menu, but also offer dishes with humor and wit that will make you smile.

That is what I consider "Osaka.

Japanese and Italian Cuisine Have One Thing in Common: Ingredients Come First

I consider the four major cuisines of the world, current trends aside, to be Italian, French, Japanese, and Chinese.

However, while French and Chinese cuisines tend to give priority to technique and sauces, Italian and Japanese cuisines give priority to ingredients, and there is a similarity in their commitment to ingredients.

That is why there are so many Japanese who study Italian cuisine.

In fact, I believe that Japan is the second best country in the world for Italian food, after Italy.

My wife, Lara, and my son, Charlie, are with me this time in Osaka, and Charlie seems to be craving Japanese food.

Menu with signature dishes from history

For this event, my menu was revised from scratch.

It was very important for us to be very attuned to what is expected in Osaka and to the culture and ingredients of Osaka. Local ingredients were utilized, including Senshu eggplant and onions, fish from the Setouchi area, Sakai "hawk's claw" fresh and dried, and wine from Katashimo Wine Food.

I would like to introduce some of the dishes we will be serving in Osaka. The first is "The crunchy part of the Lasagna," which takes me back to my childhood, when I loved the burnt surface of lasagna.

Beautiful, psychedelic, spin painted veal charcoal grilled with glorious colors as a painting" is a fusion of contemporary art and Italian cuisine.

The dessert "Oops! I dropped the lemon tart," also known as "oops," was actually created from a failed attempt to break the tart dough.

But in a restaurant, a space that demands perfection in food and service, an imperfectly cracked tart is a moving experience. Japan is a country that expresses complex art through simplicity.

It is the same with my cooking. This time I will use ingredients from a specific region, Osaka, but the concept of my cuisine is global. The foundation of Italian cuisine is regional.

We want to convey excitement, not just deliciousness.

Modern cuisine is not limited to the excellence of ingredients and brilliant ideas.

If a dish is only delicious, it will be forgotten the next time you eat a different delicious dish. However, I want to convey emotion through cooking. My cuisine is a comprehensive art form, like a theater.

I believe that food should reach the heartstrings of people's memories, culture, and humor.

That is what makes Osteria Francescana different from any other restaurant in the world.

We hope that everyone who comes to this event will experience it.

Masakatsu Ikeda
Journalist Member of the National Association of Journalists, Italy
Author of "The World's Best Restaurant Osteria Francescana" (Kawade Shobo Shinsha)