Pietro Migliore

Pietro Migliore (jp. ピエトロミリオーレが) is also known as Miora ミオラさん was an Italian man from Turin the capital city of Piedmont of Northern Italy. He was a Italian Chef, but he would move into more general European food cooking and adapt Western inspired dishes with the ingredients that he would have in the prefecture to begin Niigata Yoshoku style of cooking. When he was abandoned for ill-ness and injurt he was nursed back to health by Gonsuke and Osui, who would later become his business-partner. She owned a Beef Hot Pot Shop and worked closely with Migliore where he would end up becoming his Wife. Pietro Migliores cooking was able to overcome the challenging task of working with local tastes of customers to survive in the bustling area of teahouses, red-light districts, and portside traders, by adapting his cooking style to Niigata taste palette.

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In 1858, Treaty of Amity (Japan-US Commerce), allowed five Japan Ports to open including: Hakodate, Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, and Niigata where foreign ships began to enter. Cultures took root in different prefectures, but do to the cold weather that was similar to Europe and the United States the Niigata people would take interest much earlier than other prefectures in Western Food. In 1874, Pietro Migliore an Italian Cook had come to Niigata with the French Sueri Horse Troupe where he was later on treated for a leg injury and was left stranded by Soulier the head of the Troupe to remain at the ports of Niigata. The story of the abandonment of the troupe reached Masataka Kusumoto (Niigata Governor) at the time and provided Migliore with support to open a "Japan's First Italian Store" in hopes to incorporate western culture and promote modernization in Niigata. 

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Masataka Kusumoto who was impressed by the stories the three Osui, Migliore, and Gosuke had would end up having him encourage Moira to start also start a beef pot restaurant and offered to fund it and established a bond between those sympathetic to the stories. Migliore would go on to open as Meiji 7 (1874) in Ichibancho Eishodori that specialized in Beef, while working with Osui who would run the restaurant of Beef Hot Pot. He would go on to marry Osui and the store flourished to add a Milk Delivery Service. Migliore opened the Italia-ken Store shortly after Niigata Port opened in early Meiji era and was liked by the local people and affectionately called "Miora-san" by Niigata Citizens, but it would be lost to the Great Niigata Fire in 1880 [Meiji 13] that burned everything down. He wondered whether he should return to his homeland of Italy, but the Niigata people around him encouraged him to stay, so he stayed and established a restaurant. It was in Nishibori where a grand western building would be built called “Hotel Italiaken” Japan's first authentic Western restaurant as a historic location of “Yoshoku Cuisine” and “Japanese Italian Cuisine”.

 

Origins of Meat Sauce in Japan had come from Migliore making use of Japanese Ingredients to make a Italian Bolognese and is the core recipe for "Niigata Bolognese". The standard recipe in Yoshoku Cuisine is: yellow onion, carrot, celery, garlic, butter, minced meat, parmesan, parsley, tomatoes, red wine, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, sugar, oregano, nutmeg, cinnamon powder, and bay leaf. In 1959, Harumi Mikazuki would be credited with making Italian Yakisoba with Meat Sauce and was friends with Masao Kimura who spread a different variation to Nagaoka City. It is likely, but no documents explaining it, but with the long-established meat sauce in Niigata from Italian Restaurants that are rooted from being introduced from Italia-ken the history can not be ignored. 

 

Retort Kare, the origins of Niigata Bifu Kare (Beef Curry) comes from the first place to offer curry in Niigata and that was Itaria-ken. It was a popular menu item that was sold throughout the prefecture as "Retort Curry" at events and was referred to as the "Curry Prefecture". Much credit goes to Italia-ken for the popularity of curry as it had on its menu that was made from Migliore's passion for enlightenment policies and made his menu based on Niigata Ingredients. 

The Three Western Restaurants, were Seiyoken Ueno Tokyo, and Hakodate Gotoken, but in Niigata they had the third western restaurant that was renown fame in Japan, the Legendary"Italia-ken Restaurant", 1873 (Meiji 7), Nishibori Niigata City. Italia-ken was originally going to be named "Ristorante de Miola", however an Italian name would be hard to pronounce, so Migliore's wife named it "Italia-ken" and would make a legacy second to Marco Polo and thus the restaurant would be based on that legacy at Italia-ken called "Marco Polo Restaurante". Migliore would end up having Italia-ken become a cooperative organization in 1914 and was the birthplace of the Niigata Rotary Club. Near Nishibori area around Italia-ken had established as the Italia Alley and has had many people around Japan going there seeking out Itameshi that showed the Japan-Italian connection where a poem is known called "Bride Doll" from Koji Fukiya (1898-1979) that is in front of the Italian Annex.

Italia-ken Meiji era Menu Design: Oteishoku: Pine Type, Bamboo Type, Ume Type, Pan (bread), Consomme (konsome), Soup, Potage, Fish Dishes: Fried Fish (Furai-fueshi), (Meiro fueshi), Baked Fish (Beekido-fueshi), Egg Dishes: Omelette (Omeretsu), Eggs (Meiru Egusu), (Furai Egusu), Scrambled Eggs (Sukanburu Egusu), Ham and Eggs (Hamu Egusu), Bacon Egusu (Bekun Egusu), Beef Dishes: Katsuretsu Cutlet, Bifushichu Beef Stew, Hoiru Bifu Foil Wrapped Beef, Bifu Suteki (beef steak), Rosu Bifu (Roast Beef), Marinated Meat Dishes: Menchi Katsu, royasen Bifu?, Menchi Boru (minced ball), Roru Kyabetsu (rolled cabbage), Korotsuke Korokke, Chicken Dishes: Chikin Katsu, Chikin Shichu (Chicken Stew), Chikin Pai (Chicken Pot Pie), Chikin Kokiru (Chicken Coquille チキンコキール), Chikin Marinda, Furikatsuse Chikin (Chicken Fricassee), Chikin Gurie (Chicken Grilled), Chikin Rosu (Chicken Roast). Pork Dishes: Poku Katsuretsu (Katsu), Poku Chiyabu, Poku Rosu, Poku Shichu. Cold Dishes: Koru Bifu (Cold Beef), Koru Ham (Cold Ham), Koru Chikin (Cold Chicken), Garanden (Galantina. eng- gelatin), Rice Dishes: Kare Raisu (Curry Rice), Chikin Raisu (Chicken Rice), Hamu Raisu (Ham Rice), Hayashi Raisu (Bifu Stew Rice), Gyuniku Kayaku with Shironegi (Beef Seasoned Rice), Gyuniku Nabe (beef nabe). 

 

Drinks: Masagiku, Biru, Kuro Biru (guiness. roasted barly beer), Shitoron (Citron), Rasuberi, Saida (Apple Cider), Hiranomizu, Budoeki (Grape Liquid), Cohi (Coffee), Kocha (Black Tea), Chocoletto (Cold or Hot Chocolate), Cocoa, Ice Cream, Whiskey, Brandy, Vermouth, Pepaminto (peppermint), Budozake (Grape Sake. Wine?), Kakuteru (Cocktail), Bordieu Wine. 

 

Niigata Repo: https://niigata-repo.com/fooddrink/post-9757/     
Local is Fun: https://tjniigata.jp/gourmet/202002italia_ken/ 
Niigata Life: https://ng-life.jp/food/26688/2/                                              

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Niigata Bolognese made from Italia-ken (Takuo Sekimoto) uses minced meat, salad oil, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, olive oil, tomato, red wine.

Pia-ken ピーア軒, 1923, founder Matsutaro Aida made the first Authentic Western Restaurant in Hakusanura, Niigata City. The store's name ``Pia'' comes from the Italian word ``pere,'' meaning pear, and the reason for it being a pear is that it was the nickname of Matsutaro Aida who owned a pear business when training as a chef. Pia Ken's food had evolved with the history of Niigata City aimed to be widely loved by the people of Niigata. Menu items that have been around historically is the "gratin" which is more of a chicken gratin that doesn't have macaroni and is known as the first "Niigata Gratin" as it uses onions with chicken and shiitake. The sauce for the gratin uses milk, fresh cream, cheese, wheat flour and butter. The most famous dish is the "Tan stew" gyutan for beef tongue that is often ordered as double set with slow simmered beef with the Demi sauce (beef tendon, chicken bones, carrots, potatoes, onions, wheat, butter, oil). Lastly they are known for their Beef curry (onions, carrots, flour, Curry powder, beef tallow, lard, chutney, bouillon, garlic, ginger, banana, fond de veau, milk, apple). 

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