"Japanese-Italian fusion is in full force at Kissa Tanto. Go past the nudge-and-wink ground-floor sign that admonishes you to “Please Fix Your Hair, and Remove the Mud From Your Boots,” climb the stairs to the second-floor reception. The restaurant, which takes its name from kissas, '60s Tokyo jazz bars, is stylish and sophisticated, with just a touch of irony. For chef Joël Watanabe, this approach is written into his DNA; his roots are half Japanese and half Corsican-Italian and Quebecois. The restaurant makes this concept its own; for instance, pasta dishes like Tajarin (Piedmont-style egg noodles) are dressed with butter, roasted mushrooms, and miso-cured egg yolk. It's simple, surprising, and utterly perfect. This is a stylish restaurant with a highly creative kitchen. It's also a great addition to Chinatown, a neighborhood that's still in the process of rebounding." - Guy Saddy, Nicole Schnitzler
