What distinguishes a trattoria from a full-blown, self-styled ristorante? It's not the decor, the size of the dining room or the proximity of your neighbors' table. Nor is it necessarily the quality of the cooking. We always know we're in trattoria territory when the staff seem to be enjoying themselves as much as the customers. And that's the case at Don Ciccio.

There's been a buzz about this place from the moment it opened late last year. Unlike so many restaurants that take time to settle in, Don Ciccio (pronounced "Chitcho") hit the ground running. And despite the less than obvious location on a narrow street on the fringe of Shibuya that curves like an arc along the edge of Aoyama Gakuin University, there's rarely a free seat in the house.

You understand why as soon as you arrive. The welcome is warm, the waiters work like a team and understand the meals they serve. More importantly, the kitchen produces food of great assurance. This kind of chemistry doesn't come together overnight.