Memorable latte art and Italian lunch at sfida in Temma, Osaka!

My first visit to “sfida” at long last!

“sfida” is located within short walking distance eastward of the Tenjinbashi shopping street, which is famous for being Japan’s longest shopping street and also the venue of Tenjin festival.
The location is by no means good; nonetheless, the restaurant is always filled with customers.
In order to know why, I made a reservation and finally paid a visit.

A chic, black-themed interior design coupled with an oversized chandelier creates a gorgeous atmosphere.

The glass-walled interior allows for a generous amount of natural light inside the restaurant, producing a comfortable environment.

There were several counter seats available, but I was seated by the window.

The lunch menu I ordered this time was this:
■Pranzo Prefix（2,500Yen）
– one dish of the season’s specialty, or a small glass of sparkling wine
– two dishes from the menu
– bread (Konamon Seisakusho) – Dolce Café
* any additional item is 800 Yen.

The great thing about this lunch is that you can choose any two dishes from a variety of 24 items (appetizer, entrée, meat dishes, fish dishes, pasta, risotto, other specialties). If two people share, they can choose a total of four dishes.
In other words, if three people were to share, they can pick six dishes. This is amazing.
Here are the four dishes I ordered.

First off, Minestrone.

Sooooooo gooooooood!!!
The vegetables were so fully packed with taste. The first dish was greatly satisfying.
I really look forward to the four main dishes.

They brought me freshly baked bread before the entrée.
I got some focaccia and Kurumi bread.

The bread comes with rich, aromatic olive oil.

Sooooooo gooooooood!!!
The aroma of wheat, and the smell of freshly baked bread spreads in my mouth.
Even their bread is of amazing quality. Now I’m really interested in their main dish.

From here are the main dishes.
The first dish I got was Kadaif-broiled scallops (with a side of apple and celery salad).
Sooooooo gooooooood!!!
The sourness of the apple, bitterness of celery, and the scent of corn really bring out the taste of scallop.

The second was a dish of juicy white prawns and pumpkin penne (lemon scent).
The springiness of the prawns and pasta bring out the flavor of the ingredients.
The acidity of the lemon adds a sour tint to the sweetness of the pumpkin sauce that resembles the taste of chestnut; it also does a splendid job of bringing out the taste of prawn and penne as the major part of the dish.
This too, is a dish that I would consider a work of art.

I finished the bread they gave me in the beginning. I got another bowl of it.
This time, they gave me a piece of baguette and some buckwheat flour bread.

While I was doing nothing but taking pictures of the dishes, the waiter brought me a bottle of olive oil for dinner.
He poured the oil for me, while suggesting that I try it.

This olive oil was exquisite.
Very clear, yet fruity in taste. The oil was so tasty, I almost wanted to drink it straight from the dish.

As a matter of fact, this oil is Dauro from Spain.

The third dish was sfida’s standard, ‘today’s grilled fish’.
This time, I got blackall. Chopped cabbage as its base, the dish boasts a luxurious flavor with taro-based sauce.
The thinly-sliced citrus adds to the splendour of the dish.
Truly impressive–the dish brings out the most exquisite taste of blackall.
This, too, was a dish I wanted to get seconds, if only I could.

And then, the last dish, for an additional 500 Yen, I got Ozaki beef (from Miyazaki).

Ozaki’s Ozaki beef is so decadently filled with taste.
Every bite into the meat releases the rich taste of the exquisite beef.
This Ozaki beef was a dish that every meat lover would growl at.

With this, I finished my fourth plate.
The food until now was already very satisfactory. What I had left was the drink and Dolce.

I asked the barrister (who claimed that he could draw anything on latte) to draw the mascot, “Sweets reporter Chihiro” on my latte.
I was really excited to see the end result.

After waiting for five minutes, here’s the result.
I was truly impressed at the details of the drawing.
I couldn’t help but watch it for a moment because of overflowing enjoyment.

While I was enraptured by the latte art, they brought me the dolce.
They brought me some Neapolitan sweets and milk sorbet from Miyama.

The balance between sweetness and sourness of the rum apple and Kurumi cake was truly exquisite.
Baked with Gorgonzola on top of it, the cake was rich in cheese smell.
Sooooooo gooooooood!!!

It was a cake that brought out the goodness of both apple and Kurumi very well.
It was very good. Thank you for the treat.

Even though I heard rumors, it was a lunch I truly enjoyed sfida’s exquisite dishes.
The atmosphere and the service were both exceptional, and the price of 2,500 Yen is very reasonable for all of this.
I could now understand why the Italian restaurant was so filled everyday even though it is located somewhat far away from the station.
– for those looking for a good Italian meal in Osaka
– for those looking for a luxurious place to celebrate special occasions
– for those trying to savor various delicacies in small amounts
– I recommend the Italian restaurant ”sfida” in Tenma!