Another year of eating our way around Tokyo draws to its well-fed conclusion. We have dined well in 2008 — we invariably do, of course — with many memorable evenings and lunches spent at the table. Among the highlights was finally making our way to Volo Cosi.

From the moment chef Daisuke Nishiguchi set up this excellent little ristorante a couple of years back, there was a powerful buzz among the cognoscenti. Who was this little-known chef who had appeared on the scene with such a flourish? Why an Italian restaurant decorated in French Art Nouveau style? How come he chose such an out of the way location, in nether Hakusan? Where the heck is Hakusan anyway?

Like any chef starting from scratch, Nishiguchi faced a hard choice when he returned to Tokyo, having spent a total of over eight years working around Italy. Either he had to try to elbow into an established area already saturated with Italian restaurants or move to a neighborhood little known for dining out, but where there was no competition.