This is a down-to-earth Italian place inside the Palace Side Building. At lunchtime there’s always a line out the door, and on top of that, the smell of garlic from the Korean restaurant across the way fills the corridor (though of course that’s hardly this restaurant’s fault). For those reasons, I’d been avoiding it until now. But after eight months at this post, I thought I should give it a try at least once—so I finally went in around 2 p.m., when the crowds had thinned out.
The menu offers a wide range of choices—tomato-based pastas, seafood varieties, meat sauces, and even Japanese-style options like soy sauce or cod roe. Prices run from about 900 yen upward, with most dishes around the 1,000 yen mark. Just be aware that the listed prices are before tax.
I ordered the mentaiko and sea urchin pasta (¥900). It looks simple and plain at first, but the noodles are cooked perfectly, and the flavors are rich and delicious. The portion is generous as well. It’s easy to see why this place often has a long line. I used to avoid it out of prejudice, but from now on, I’ll add it to my late-lunch rotation and try some of the other types of pasta. Note that they only accept cash, so be sure to bring some.