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Showing posts with label italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italian. Show all posts

Friday, July 14, 2023

ITABASHI: Capricciosa Italian Restaurant for their 45th anniversary 450 yen Tomato Garlic Spaghetti! As good as it gets! (Sony RX100, AS300)


To celebrate Capricciosa`s 45th anniversary they are having a pasta special thru July.  Every Thursday from 5pm the 1150 yen Tomato Garlic Spaghetti is only 450 yen!  Oh in Japanese its pronounced CapriccioZa カプリチョー

Aeon Mall has a few restaurant choices.


501 boys!

Wasn`t expecting a line but walked to the waiting list sheet and there were more people seated across the restaurant! Since the dinner special started at 5pm I think my 5:35 arrival was a busy time.

Look at this list!! About 10+ groups ahead of me. 

Thats my name in Japanese: ステイーブ.  Interesting that all the Japanese names were written in Katagana.... no Kanji or Hiragana. 



Plastic food display. 


Manager would step out occasionally and call out a name.  I noticed EVERYONE was mostly ordering this pasta and the rotation was pretty quick. 

During my wait people were arriving to write their names on the wait list. 

Several Tomato Garlic sauce options on the menu.


Penne arabiatta always a fav for me.


Noooobody was ordering beer... just free water this day.

Ordering is done thru this QR Code.

Language Options: Japanese, English and Chinese.

495yen tax inclusive!

Order complete!

Only spotted 1 table drinking a glass of wine... everyone else was all water. 

100 yen glass of red wine... thats kinda fantastic.

I thought the world moved away from saying Spaghetti... its not Pasta now?

My pasta and view of 2 Covid Masked ladies.  There are so few foreigners in the suburbs that I do get those fearful covid looks. I haven`t been overseas since my 2019 trip to Hawaii. 

The sauce had a nice sweet spicy flavor much like Arrabbiata with slices of garlic.  130 grams of noodles was almost too much for me.  Later talked to the manager and he said over the years the volume of pasta noodles they use have gone down.  


130 grams of Noodles were perfectly Al`dente. 

In Japan our only Italian franchise alternatives are either incredibly cheap and mediocre Saizeriya or Capriocciosa thats at a higher price point but definitely waaaay better. 
So Viewers... do I need more wide angle photos in my blog?  Quick shot with the Sony AS300 actioncam.

Uber Eats delivery bags on the counter.




If you don`t mind spending 10 minutes on a survey you can get a free dish under 600 yen. Capricciosa was always my goto date place when I first came to Japan and had little money to spend. Very family oriented and one plate will definitely be enough.  Remember every Thursday thru July! Give it a try! 

Restaurant: Capricciosa -AEON Itabashi SC Branch
Restaurant J: カプリチョーザ イオン板橋SC店
Address J: 東京都板橋区徳丸2-6-1 イオン板橋ショッピングセンター 5F
Address E: Tokyo, Itabashi-ku, Tokumaru 2-6-1 AEON Itabashi Shopping Center 5F
イタリアン、パスタ、ピザ, 東武練馬駅, #カプリチョーザ45祭 , 東武東上線, Japan, Japanese, foodie, yelp, tokyobelly, italy, italian, Sony RX100, Sony AS300, lunch, dinner, family restaurant, cheap, budget, トマトとニンニクのスパゲティ

Thursday, September 17, 2020

IKEBUKURO: Osteria Sante for my birthday dinner... corona has really impacted restaurants in Tokyo (Canon g9x, Sony RX100)

Invited out by a good friend for dinner then later realized it was a belated birthday invite.
First time I went to Osteria Sante was way back in 2011... owner chef is still going.

If you spot Red Star Sapporo bottled beer... its a must!

Pickled shima-rakkyo. (Island Shallot)

Wide variety of appetizers.

Up to this point the food photos were taken with this little Canon G9 X... the photo`s are a bit soft and colors a bit muted.  

Now time for my trusty Sony RX100 Mark 1.   I have so many camera`s but this is such a great camera with a super sharp lens.  If you are in the market definitely buy this!


Grilled fish topped with fresh mini tomatoes. 

Sausage!

Warm soup with beans. 

Meat sauce with focaccia bread

Duck and Steak!

Super tender.

The owner chef!

We entered at 5:30pm... around 8pm a couple had a quick dinner and that was it.  Coronavirus has really hit these restaurants in a huge way.  With all the telework going on and companies asking employees not to go out together for dinner its really wiped out the clientele in business districts.

This was one cheesy pizza... Gorgonzola with honey topping.


Chilled pasta... a first for me. 


Then this came out!  Buon Compleanno Stebu.  This is just such a cozy restaurant with a great chef.  If you are in Ikebukuro definitely check it out!

Restaurant: 
Homepage: www.osteria-sante.com
Address J: 東京都豊島区池袋2-39-8
 Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Ikebukuro 2-39-8
オステリアサンテ, Osteria Sante, イタリアン, パスタ, 居酒屋, 池袋駅, Japan, Japanese, Tokyo, foodie, yelp, sony rx100, canon g9 x, tokyobelly, italian, wine, pasta, spaghetti, pizzeria, seafood,