And: busy pasta specialty house

Area:  about 500m north of Kokusai Center station 国際センター駅
Restaurant:  And  アンド
Map:  http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23043581/dtlmap/
Website:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pasta-shop-and/340992079349658?ref=stream

Hours:  Lunch LO 1:30pm,  hours and times always changing, business hours listed weekly on website


I know I've been visiting a lot of pasta places lately, but I've recently have been able to take my break early and can visit the places that are last order 2pm (a lot of them serve pasta lunches).

Today was a day off so I wanted to visit this 1:30pm last order restaurant.  I'd recommend coming here early to get a seat;  this small restaurant consists of an 8-seater counter and that's all.  It's a pasta specialty restaurant, so of course it showcases house made pasta (both fresh and dry are available).  But why pick dry when there's fresh? There are only about 6 kinds on the menu, but if it's your first time it's recommend that you shouldn't order anything else but the meat sauce (¥950). I'm not a big fan of meat sauce but how could I not order it? The appetizer was a small salad topped with corn and rarely seen in Japan bacon bits.  Dressed with a light oil vinaigrette, the bacon bits were the flavor accent.

The meat sauce was nice, not as tomatoe-y as I had predicted.  I've read that this sauce is simmered for a long time, and it shows in the concentrated flavor.  Slightly sweet, a little bit too salty, but also somewhat creamy.  The flavor of mushrooms was lost from the concentration.   The pasta was al dente and clearly fresh, with a good bite.  Each plate is made upon order so it may take a while to order and receive your food when there are other patrons.

Peperoncino: why not do fresh pasta at lunch time too?

Area:  about 500m east of Kamejima Station 亀島駅 (Higashiyama line), a 10 min walk from Nagoya Station
Restaurant:  Peperoncino  ペペロンチーノ
Map and Info:  http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230113/23049321/

Hours:  Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm (LO 2pm),  Dinner 5:30-10pm (LO 9pm),  Closed Mondays


This restaurant's lunch only consists of mainly pasta.  There are a few dishes you can add to your meal such as soup, salads, bread and dessert (for an extra fee).  If you don't order pasta, the a la carte price is a bit higher for these dishes.  I opted to add the appetizer plate for an extra 400 yen.  It was pretty large with a simple olive oil dressed salad, a marinated carrot and suzuki (a type of white fish) salad, cold chicken, and a frirtata. The fish had been coated in flour, sautéed and marinated in a very light vinaigrette.  It was a bit salty, but with the carrots and plenty of olive oil, it was a nice cold fish appetizer.  The thinly sliced and chilled roast chicken had a nice meaty flavor and was light on the saltiness.  The frittata was standard, but at least it used a real tomato sauce and not ketchup.

I ordered the genovese pasta (700yen, 600 yen for the medium size) which was a simple pesto sauce spaghetti topped with grated real Parmesan cheese.  It would have been nicer if the pasta had been fresh pasta, and if the sauce was a little less salty, but the basil pesto had an overall nice flavor and the abundance of olive oil once again reigned.  Apparently the dinner menu features fresh handmade pasta, so it might be nice to try some day.   

Arancia: Italian, but go for the Japanese dessert!

Area:  about 500m north of Kokusai Center Station 　国際センター駅
Restaurant:  Arancia  アランチャ
Map and Info:  http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230109/23049718/dtlmap/

Hours:  Lunch 11:30am-3pm,  Dinner 5:30-12pm, closed Sundays


There are various lunch sets to choose from, but most include pasta.  I had the what used to be called the Ladie's lunch (I suppose they meant Lady's Lunch), but is now the "enmusu" lunch (because it's in the Endoji shopping area).

It included two of the restaurant's dishes advertised in the Endoji “enmusu” guide which showcases small enmusu dishes　(which are apparently little gifts of flavor that are given to make good relationships.  

The appetizer plate included a mini salad (Japanese style onion dressing), corn soup (or I'd rather call it corn milk), bread and salted olive oil for dipping, a ratatouille containing black olives, and fried mashed potato balls (one enmusu item).  The potato reminded me of the Japanese croquette, but drizzled with ketchup.  

The peperoncino pasta was an anchovy and olive flavor, but was a bit on the salty side.  The noodles were not fresh, so although al dente, they had a bit of stiffness, instead if chewiness to them.  

Until this point the meal was mediocre, nothing really standing out.  However the dessert, another enmusu specialty, was delicious.  It was a pudding made from toasted black bean tea.  With the right amount of sweetness, silky texture and ever so slight toasty flavor; it went perfectly with the fresh coffee. 

The open concept makes for a nice place to visit when the weather warms up a bit.  

Cafe de Maru Udo: Quiet cafe in a quiet area (updated)

Area: Kamejima Station (Higashiyama Line), close to the north exit

Restaurant: Maru-udo まるうど

This little cafe with table and stylish counter seating was a nice place to have a quiet, relaxing lunch.  The owner/cook is very friendly and she was a pleasure to chat with.  

The lunch itself (for under 1000 yen), was simple and filled with healthy veggies.  The meat was just pan-fried ham (it was like kielbasa sausage, which I haven't eaten in a while so it was kind of nice to have).  The salad had a sesame dressing, and the chilled tofu with bonito flakes was seasoned with a bit of soy sauce (hiya-yakko).  The miso soup was a bit unique in that it had eggplant in it.  

There aren't many food choices around this station aside from izakayas, so this cafe is a good choice if you're looking for an afternoon jolt in a quiet place.  

It's a modern looking cafe but it's full of obasans (older women) during morning service hours.  It could be because young people need to go to work, and don't eat breakfast, or because the person behind the counter was also an obasan.  Morning includes bowl of various typical breakfast foods, and toast, along with drink of choice.

The bowl included a salad of shredded cabbage, sprouts, and carrot drizzled with a sesame dressing.  Blueberry yogurt, half a hard boiled egg, a slice of banana, and a slice of grilled sweet potato were also alongside.  

The coffee was fresh and for that price, this healthy but filling breakfast was a great deal.

Bistrot Dauphin D'or: Melt in your mouth pork

Area:  about a 5 min walk east of Nagoya Station, exit 11 of Unimall  ユニーモール
Restaurant:  Bistrot Dauphin D'or  ビストロ　ドファンドール
Website:  http://www.castle.co.jp/plaza/restaurant/dauphindor/index.html
Map:  http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000015841/map/

Hours:  Lunch 11am-2pm, Dinner 5-9:30pm



I came across this bistro on a search for a newly opened restaurant on the basement floor of the castle plaza hotel.  Although that restaurant's website said last order was 2pm, it seemed they had already closed.  But that may have worked in my favor.

This bistrot's last order for lunch was indeed 2pm.  Being a weekend, the business lunch wasn't available, but the bistrot lunch (¥1300) and the monthly lunch were (¥1800).  The only difference between the two are that one comes with an hors d'oeuvres plate.  I normally would like that, but upon reading and seeing the sample, it didn't look all that interesting, just smoked salmon and cheese.  

The salad consisted of mizuna (a green leaf veggie), romaine lettuce and pretty flower shaped carrots.  It was dressed with a Japanese style dressing.  The bread was a warm baguette, soft and stretchy on the interior and crispy on the outside.  

There were 3 mains to choose from; a sautéed fish, a clam chowder soup, and pork.  The most interesting was the pork.  It was so soft that it pulled apart without the need of a knife.  It had a tomato, onion and nut mild vinaigrette toppping.  It came garnished with bak choy, cabbage, baby carrot and potato chunks all each lightly but well seasoned with butter or salt.  The potato had a nice chewy outer layer, and was maybe fried before being stewed in a broth.  The flavor of pork was strong, which I wonder if that's a characteristic of this "mochi" pork (the name of the meat was labelled on the menu so it must be kind of well known).  It was fairly fatty so that might also be the reason it's well known, since Japanese like fat-laden meat.  

The dessert creme brûlée was silky with a milky flavor and a nicely burnt topping, tasting like a slighty burnt roasted marshmallow.  There were a lot of flavorful vanilla bean black specks throughout the pudding.  Unfortunately the coffee tasted as if it were sitting out and then warmed on top of the stove (but I did come a little late in the lunch hour).  It was a strong blend that might have been nice if fresh.  Having said that, I admit I accepted an offer of a refill.  

They do put on an air of fine dining, but I didn't quite care for the jewelry box music. 

Bistro Yokocho: Always something new

Area:  about 350m south of Kokusai Center Station 国際センター駅
Restaurant:  Bistro Yokocho  ビストロ　横丁
Website and Map:  http://ameblo.jp/bistro-yokocho/

Hours:  Weedays Lunch 11:30am-2pm, Dinner 5-11pm (12pm on Fri), Sat 3-11pm, closed Sun and Holidays


This wine bar is open on weekends from 3pm so I was able to come during my break hours.  The menu is extensive with interesting sounding items.

The otoshi, or sitting fee appetizer, was takenoko and edamame simmered in tomato sauce.  Otoshi is usually charged at Japanese izakayas or bars and is around ¥300.  I ordered the lamb jaga (¥480).  Normally, this is a home cooking dish called niku jaga.  It comprises of stewed meat and potatoes in a soy sauce based broth.  This one ended up being a tomato sauce stewed lamb and potato combo.  It had a lot of olive oil and a mild flavor similar to ratatouille.  The lamb went nicely with this sauce, and the potatos were not mushy nor hard, a good texture.  However it had a similar flavor to the otoshi.  I noticed a lot of their menu items included tomato base sauces, and I wanted something a bit different.

Thus I asked for recommendations and ended up ordering a coriander coleslaw (¥480).  It was written as a mountain of coriander on the menu, and it came as just that. Underneath, shredded cabbage and onion carrot sprouts, were sitting in a soup of fish sauce based dressing.  I'm not so sure I'd call it a dressing, given the  amount it was siting in.  

I was also recommended the housemade pork ham (¥680).  It was too salty, masking the flavor of the meat itself; I couldn't finish it all.  The drizzling of olive oil was nice, but I think they need to redo their ham recipe.  

Although I didn't have a great impression the first time, I did come back to give it another try.  The thing that pulled me back was the variety.  In addition to the regular menu there is also an osusume or recommendation menu that is constantly changing.  This time I ordered an octopus terrine (¥580).  It was served with chives drizzled with olive oil and minced pickled veggies (tasted like coleslaw), both good accompaniments.  The octopus had a nice soft and chewy texture (not tough like the octopus I grew up eating at home).    The consommé jelly was had the perfect seasoning, not too salty.  The black olives were mild and added an extra level, as did the braised beef.  Small pieces of cauliflower added a bit of crunch.  

This time I asked to omit the otoshi.  I asked if doing this was rude, but he said it was ok,  I'm betting he just said that to be nice though.  It's probably looked down upon, and seen as being cheap or frugal, but while I was working at an izakaya, customers would request not to be charged the otoshi fee and it was allowed. 

I also ordered something from the regular menu that seemed interesting (¥880).  It was a fritter of gobo wrapped anago (an eel-like sea creature).  The only problem was that I had to rush eating it since it took a while for them to prepare and I had to get back to work.  From what I remember, it didn't have much flavor, only the flavor of being fried; it had a nice crunch though.

I came back once more (this time I accepted the otoshi).  I ordered the carrot salad, which was nothing too special.  The thing that impressed me this time was the roasted zucchini with a beef tendon sauce.  The Zucchini was so soft and juicy, but still had a good texture and was not at all mushy.  The beef tendon sauce had a deep flavor that made it seem like it had been stewing for quite a long time.  It was only accented by salt, but that's all the seasoning it needed.

This is a bistro that knows food, and experimentation of cooking techniques and flavors.  It would be a great place to relax with a glass of wine (or several glasses).

Moriva Coffee: Cheap and fast, but that's all. Go for the MORNING (updated)

Area:  about 500m south east of Nagoya station
Restaurant:  Moriva Coffee モリバコーヒー
Website:  http://www.morivacoffee.com/
Map:  http://tabelog.com/aichi/A2301/A230101/23044823/dtlmap/

Hours:  Weekdays 6:30am-10:30pm, Weekends 7am-10:30pm

The one good thing about this cafe is that they use Fair Trade coffee beans.  Other than that, my food experience was kind of plain here.  It's cheap, but perhaps so are the ingredients.  Here, you order fast food style, at the counter then carry your tray to your seat of choice.  I had the salmon gratin sandwich set (500円 for drink and sandwich), plus a salad (280円).

The sandwich's bun looks like a baguette, but it's a soft and light bun.  I'm not such a fan of this softness especially when the heavy cream gratin would go better with a crispier or even toasted bread.  The dill was a nice addition, but may go better with smoked salmon rather than grilled, and less processed cheese.  There was actually no bread crumbs or crunchiness which is the fun part of eating gratin, isn't it?

The salad had avocado, prosciutto, spinach, and a couple leaves of arugula and came with an Italian dressing: standard, but fresh and a good combination of ingredients.

I didn't quite care for this cafe's atmosphere.  The tables are small, about the size of the small tray, and although the walls weren't completely bare, the lack of windows made this space remind me an unfinished basement.  It is however quiet as most people come alone, and you can enjoy the quiet jazz music cd playing.

This chain cafe's morning service is listed on a website's best list.  There were 3 sets to choose from, all ¥520.  The first was the usual toast, sausage and scrambled egg.  Another was a canned tuna salad and egg salad salad (mayo based salads on top of green leaves) with corn soup.  I had the calzone set which came with scrambled eggs and a salad.  All included a banana chunk and a drink.

The salad was dressed with a caesar dressing (a little too much).  The scrambled egg was cooked nicely; I like my eggs runny, so it was perfect for me.  

The calzone's pizza dough was so magnificent, and kind of a new experience. It was probably made with rice flour making it soft, but chewy, and stretchy.  I'm not sure if the word stretchy is an appropriate word because it probably doesn't get the appetite going, but there's no other way to describe it.  Inside were thick lardons of bacon, cheese and a plain tomato sauce, almost like a frozen pizza pop.  

The banana and the garnish lettuce were a bit brown and seemed kind of old, but for this cheap price, it's forgivable.  The coffee is a big mug of a mild blend, good enough to deserve to call itself a coffee shop. 

La Foglietta: Worth the extra for the soup

Area:  200m east of Kokusai Center Station 国際センター駅
Restaurant:  La Foglietta  　ラ　フォッリエッタ
Website and Map:  http://www.la-foglietta.com/

Hours:  Lunch 11:30am-3pm (LO 2pm), Dinner 5:30-12pm, Closed Sundays

There's a bar at the front decorated with jars and cans filled with Italian import ingredients, and by a line of wine bottles.  The opera music, deep brown wooden tables and counter and the dim lighting gave it a kind of fine dining feel.  

The business lunch (¥900) includes an appetizer plate, all you can eat bread and a choice of one of two daily pastas. For ¥100 extra you can add a soup or coffee.

The soup of the day seemed interesting; it was an endomame (pea) soup.  The seasoning was mild, making the flavor of the beans shine, with a milky aftertaste.  I actually ordered a second cup!

On the appetizer plate was a salad with a creamy dressing, strong on the olive oil flavor.  The egg  fritatta had tuna mixed throughout.  The potato gratin was delicious, with slighty chewy browned edges and cheese.  

The bread was apparently housemade.  There were two types; a sourdough and a regular baguette.  The flavors were nice, but it seemed as if it were sitting out for a bit; slighty dry and cold. 

Today's pasta choices were a pork ragu or a mushroom and spinach cream sauce.  I chose the latter;  it was a simple and light cream sauce, but was nicely seasoned (perhaps using only a small amount of butter in the roux, a slight sprinkling of salt and a drizzle of olive oil).  The menu said tomato was there, but I could only see tiny bits of tomato skin.  Perhaps the juices were used.  Overall a nice flavor, but I'm a fresh pasta snob and I like my pastas with lots of veggies or meat, so to me this one was kind of lacking.  However, it's a good deal for a quick lunch, and it seems to be a popular place according to the star reviews on the internet.  

Bar Dufi: Spain Bar? If you say so....

Area:  about a 10 min. walk north of Kokusai Center Station 　国際センター駅
Restaurant:  Bar Dufi  バル　ドゥフィ
Website and Map:  http://cafedufi.com/#bardufi

Hours:  Lunch 11:30am-2pm, Dinner 6-11pm (10pm on Sundays and Holidays), Closed Tuesdays


This is supposed to be a Spanish restaurant, but the buffet lunch didn't really reflect this.  I tried a bit of everything available on the table;  the kara-age (fried chicken) tasted like KFC, with western seasoning.  The ma po tofu was spicy, with hints of ginger, and was a bit too salty.  The stir fried pork was even saltier.  I think it was meant to be shoga yaki (ginger stir-fry), but it was just salty. The mini hamburger was kind of a mushy texture, strong on the onions, but nice in seasoning of tomato.  The lentils, soft but still with a nice bite, were Indian in flavor with lots if cumin.  The egg salad chicken banbanji (steamed and shredded) had a good balance of mustard and mayonnaise.  The panko crusted and fried aji  (a type of fish) was moist  The chicken ball was moist but nothing special and needed some sort of sauce. The crab cream croquette was nice as is without tartare sauce, with a thick pasty filling.  Curry was mild with tomatoes or tomato sauce mixed in.  Daikon and cucumber salad was a Japanese flavor with sesame oil.  The chicken was a teriyaki stir fry gone cold with jelly that forms when fat cools down.  Soup was a light fare with tomatoes and some ground meat for flavor.   Fried rice was mediocre with the flavor of sausage prominent.

I went over everything pretty quickly, but I was just overall disappointed that I didn't see any Spain in this lunch.