Alter Ego is an Italian restaurant located in the Jimbocho neighborhood of Tokyo. It was opened by Yoji Tokuyoshi, the owner-chef of Ristorante TOKUYOSHI in Milan, Italy. The restaurant's name refers to Tokuyoshi's desire to showcase his culinary vision in his 'other-self'. The restaurant's theme is 'equilibrio' or 'balance' and the ingredients used are primarily sourced from Japan, with domestic products like eggs and sea salt from Tokuyoshi's hometown of Tottori Prefecture being used simply to present a vision of Italy in Japan.
The restaurant's Head Chef is Hidehito Hirayama, a former Sous-Chef at Ristorante Tokuyoshi. The full-course menu changes monthly and features creative specialties like delivery pizza-style bite-sized snacks and gyotaku. Alter Ego also takes a unique approach to wine pairing and soup pairing, with the wine list prominently featuring Champagne and Italian natural wines. The restaurant has only 8 counter seating on the first floor and private rooms on the second floor that can accommodate children aged 10 and up. The exterior of the restaurant is decorated with sugitama and the walls have the same green color as Ristorante TOKUYOSHI in Milan.
The restaurant's theme of 'Japanese food with Italian ingredients' at the Milan location is inverted at the Tokyo location, which specializes in 'Italian food with Japanese ingredients'. The specialty of the house is the 'Milkmaid Pasta', which was created after an encounter with a mozzarella craftsman who raises water buffalo in Chiba Prefecture. Tokuyoshi's vision is to carry on a variety of traditions that convey a sense of nostalgia. The chefs perform various tasks like kneading pasta dough, making noodles, and slicing culatello cured ham with a Berkel slicer in front of the guests. Alter Ego provides a great atmosphere to enjoy a meal with family and friends.
Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line
Toei Subway Mita Line
Toei Subway Shinjuku Line
