Over the years, Itameshi has been popularized in high-end restaurants around Tokyo, and has been making its way to the states. In New York City, the restaurant Kimika opened in 2020, and has become a prominent iteration of this style of cuisine. Their menu includes crispy panko-crusted eggplant katsu; uni spaghetti with tobiko and shiso; and fried Italian doughnuts with mochi, Nutella, and toasted sesame.
The A5 wagyu special hand roll at Miso Mozza.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
While Itameshi is prevalent in Tokyo and among new spots in New York, few restaurants around New England highlight this fusion explicitly. Before it closed, Itadaki in Boston did not have a full Itameshi menu, but had dishes that flirted with the category, like sushi pizza and a Japanese mac and cheese with lobster, mushrooms, and white sauce. Coppa, a long-celebrated restaurant in Boston’s South End, prepares their carbonara with Maine uni.
Unlike the anything-goes “fusion” label, Itameshi has a more rigorous definition in terms of ingredient quality and technique. Expect soy- or miso-butter pastas, or a matcha tiramisu, for example.
This same spirit has finally reached Rhode Island. Enter Miso Mozza, the new Itameshi-style restaurant on Federal Hill in Providence.
Joy Soponpunyawat, co-owner of Miso Mozza, in the dining room of the new Federal Hill restaurant.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
The backstory: Prior to opening Miso Mozza, chef-owner Wanchai “Tom” Intawong previously worked as the executive chef of the Needham Golf Club. Joy Soponpunyawat, his wife and Miso Mozza’s co-owner, said she’s never worked in the restaurant business before, but acts as a warm maître d’, greeting you instantly at the door, hanging your coat, bringing you to a table, and checking on you throughout your meal.
Prior to opening Miso Mozza in early October, the restaurant space sat empty since the Federal Taphouse & Kitchen, known for its wide selection of craft beer, abruptly closed in September 2024. While the Federal Taphouse was casual and served items like a buffalo chicken dip and sliders, Soponpunyawat and Intawong renovated the space to make it more upscale. The dimly-lit restaurant’s walls have been drenched in a dark sage green paint and lined with rounded balconettes, while the bar is now filled with green velvet stools.
Sushi chef Sam Inthaphone prepares the butter crab hand roll at Miso Mozza in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, R.I.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
What to eat: Pasta is one of Intawong’s specialties – he makes it fresh throughout the week. Order the pappardelle al ragu, which leans meatier than most traditional Bolognese sauces. It’s got braised beef, veal, lamb, and pork with foie gras butter. If you want to explore the Itameshi category, order the spaghetti uni cream carbonara with uni butter, ikura, and nori flakes. The American wagyu picanha is served with a parsnip purée with wasabi salsa verde.
The toro truffle crispy rice with avocado, truffle kabayaki and spicy mayo at Miso Mozza.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Also split some small plates with the table, such as the toro truffle crispy rice with avocado, truffle kabayaki and spicy mayo. It’s one of their best sellers. The handroll set is also a deal: Get two classic and one signature handrolls for $25, or three classic and two signatures for $42. Compared to other handrolls in the city, these are about double the size. Their signature rolls include a miso cod butter cream roll, an ikura roll with marinated salmon roll and lemon, and a truffle scallop roll with ikura, yuzu kosho, truffle mayo, and sakura shiozuke (which are salt-pickled and preserved cherry blossoms).
The miso matcha strawberry margarita at Miso Mozza in Providence.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
What to drink: On their cocktail list, Miso Mozza serves a mix of classics, like the French 75 and Old Fashioned. But their Norigoroni speaks to Itameshi cuisine. Think of it as a classic negroni, but using seaweed-infused gin. Their margarita is essentially a strawberry matcha with tequila and Aperol.
Final say: In New England, Itameshi cuisine is hard to come by. Let go of what your expectations are for simple Italian dishes like carbonara or bolognese and leave a little room for uni and miso.
279 Atwells Ave, Providence, R.I. Rolls $7-$18; raw bar: $9-$21; small plates: $12-$27; pastas: $24-$32; entrees: $32-$42; desserts: $7-$9.
The interior of Miso Mozza.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
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Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
Dining and Cooking