The Opera: a good use of banquet space on the weekdays

Area:  about 500m northeast of Nagoya station
Restaurant:  The Opera  オペラ
Map and Info:  http://r.gnavi.co.jp/n103101/

Hours:  Lunch 11:30am-2pm (LO), Dinner 5:30-10:30 (LO 9pm), closed Tues and weekends



This restaurant caters to weddings and parties on the weekends, so you can maybe tell what the atmosphere is like.  It looks like a small banquet hall but with an open kitchen.  There was jazz music playing softly, and the waiters wore suits or white jackets.

The daily lunch (¥1000) included soup, bread, main and a drink.  The soup of the day was a cold carrot soup. It was smooth and thick, and tasted of plain cooked carrot with a bit of natural sweetness.  The drizzling of olive oil gave a extra level of deliciousness to this soup.  The baguette came warm, crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.   

Today's main was a white bean and braised pork tomato sauce.  The pork was so tender it pulled apart with just a fork.  However there were parts that were still a bit chewy and tougher.  The tomato sauce had a bit too many white beans but the flavor came from the pork fat only, a bit of olive oil and salt, so it was still enjoyable.  Broccoli was cooked in a lot if butter.  The pasta was al dente and seasoned with salt only, probably meant to mix with the tomato sauce.

Overall it was nice casual dining with an upscale feel.