KOENJI: Sempre Pizza da Giovanni for 280yen Marina Pizza!

Recently there have been a few random super low budget pizzeria's opening in Tokyo and I'm fairly certain it all started with Napoli's in early 2012.  

https://www.facebook.com/napolisjapan

But I somehow got wind of this spot serving 280yen Marinara Pizzas... just had to give it a try.

Menu starts from 280yen with no drink or salad... just Pizza and free water.  For more close-ups on the menu just click HERE. 

The seating area almost reminded me of a very basic cafeteria... not much money was spent on the interior bu then again this is probably the most fast-food pizzeria you will ever encounter.

Long counter for standing.

And there it was... my 280yen Marinara Pizza with a nice spinkle of garlic slices.

The size is 25cm's but its quite small compared to most 1,000yen lunch Pizzeria's (that usually include a drink, salad and espresso).  

The crust was decently chewy... garlic and red pepper infused olive oil helped it along.

Gas Oven.

Hmm... All I can say its a nice alternative to McD's, Yoshinoya or Taco Yaki... but it will definitely leave you craving a second lunch. I think I'd rather pay more for the comfy atmosphere of Frey's with salad/espresso vs a lonely 280yen Pizza on wooden seats. Oh! A big negative factor... no view of the pizza chef at work from the rear seating area...

Shop: Sempre Pizza da Giovanni:

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131904/13127308/

Address J: 東京都杉並区高円寺北3-25-25 天名家ビル1F

Address E:  Tokyo, Suginami-ku, Koenji Kita 3-25-25

MAP: 

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NERIMA: Pizza and Spirits "KamaZo" filled with housewives chattering about.

A very random craving for pizza and my check led me to the #3 ranked spot in Nerima.

Today's daily pizza special topped with mozzeralla, Grana Padano cheese, veggies, anchovies and tomato sauce for 880yen.

Opted for the 680yen Margherita Pizza "B set +300yen" with salad, drink and a dessert. 

Nice healthy variety of veggies but the dressing was extremely salty.

Apple Juice... 

And there it is! My Margherita Pizza~. 

A lot more tomato sauce topping... much more than most other spots.

The crust stayed soft and chewy til the end. 

When I saw this I thought... oh no more pizza bread?  I just finished a whole pizza and the thought of consuming more crust topped with whipped cream and a heavy layer of maple syrup made me regret ordering this small dessert special.  Don't get this people!

Overall the male Pizza owner&chef with smile-less service and had no charisma unlike several other shops I've visited from FREY's in Roppongi to FERMATA in Jiyugaoka.  But for 980yen it was a solid meal as I was engulfed in chatter from middle aged housewives enjoying the afternoon while their husband were hard at work.  This would probably be a nice little date spot with the subtle Italian BGM in the background.  Oh, the waitress was extremely quick and super polite never forgetting to smile.

And if you are a Mercedes fan just walk down a block to check out some modified S series at Y's http://www.ys-factory.com/

Shop: KamaZo Pizzeria

Foode Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1321/A132102/13138343/

Address J: 東京都練馬区豊玉北5-5-4
Address E:  Tokyo, Nerima-ku, Toyotama Kita 5-5-4
MAP:

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TOSHIMAEN: Tappost Ciaolo Pizzeria... Cute Interior, Overbearing service and lackluster small lunch pizzas.

Walking thru Toshimaen and decided to take a peek at a fairly highly foodie ranked 3.51 pizzeria... they were giving out small boiled potato dipped in bagna calda and their friendliness lured me in.

Only 2 offerings of Pizza... the Margherita and Marinara that comes with a choice of drink for 850yen.

Female Chef busy at work but seemed unusually clumsy and seemed too young and inexperienced... not like the many Chefs that actually worked at Pizzerias in Italy and bring over their skill.  The pizza oven is not a wood burning but a gas oven.

Mozzarella cheese used was unusually sliced...normally it in chunks and the chef will break it apart on top of the pizza.  

As I was waiting for my pizza one female lady (perhaps the manager) was overbearing... kept talking to me or should I say kept pestering me.

Just didn't feel it.  Lunch pizza's were all Small... first bit... second bite... this pizza really had no life to it.  I had no breakfast this day and anything decent would have made me light up and smile... but not here.

Better off buying a 200yen pizza at the supermarket.

After my first bit of the first slice I really regretted adding carbs to my waist on such poorly made pizza.  The only nice aspect of this spot was the immaculately clean interior and a small deli section to buy sliced meats.  I assume the high foodie ranking is due to the local's that rarely go out to the amazing shops in Roppongi or Azabu Juban. 

Shop: Tappost Ciaola EnoGastronomia

Foodie Website:  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1321/A132102/13117452/

Address J: 東京都練馬区練馬4-15-18
Address E: Tokyo, Nerima-ku, Nerima 4-15-18

MAP:

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EBISU: Voco 500yen Pizzeria! Sister to my favorite Ura-Cona in Shibuya

Just an FYI entry as I was there for a wine and cheese tasting event sponsored by Andy Planning

https://www.facebook.com/AndyPlanning

I've been here a few times before for their great 500yen pizza's but I'd have to say that the atmosphere at Ura-Cona is a bit more my style.  

http://tokyobelly.blogspot.jp/2011/11/shibuya-ura-cona-500yen-pizzas-and.html

The pizza chef.

The counter is shaped like a U and I think its a mix of standing and sitting on stools. 

For food pics click here 

http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130302/13046327/dtlphotolst/1/

Well if you are ever in Ebisu and in need of a pizza that won't break the bank like most Japanese pizzeria's this is the spot for you.  

Shop: VOCO Pizzeria Ebisu

Foodie website: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130302/13046327/

Hotpepper: http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ000724947/

Address J: 東京都渋谷区恵比寿1-6-1 グリーンハイツ高橋 １Ｆ

Address E: Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Ebisu 1-6-1

MAP:

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ROPPONGI: Frey's Famous Pizzeria for Sunny Side Up aka Bismarck! (REVISITED)

Randomly checking Japan's top foodie review site to see Frey's has jumped into the top 3 Best Pizzerias in Tokyo!  Wow... http://r.tabelog.com/pizza/tokyo/rank/.  So I was off to visit Chef Yamaguchi-san!

I was hoping to try the Margherita pizza for lunch this day as I had the Marinara for my last visit but Yamaguchi-san suggested the...

(Side orders for lunch)

...Sunny Side Up!  Most commonly known as the Bismarck Pizza but he wanted the name to bring up images  of egg rather than wondering why Bismarck to those customers who are mainly familiar with Margherita and Marinara (Japan's top 2 offerings for lunch at most Pizzeria's).  

The Sunny Side Up Pizza lunch comes with a small salad, pizza and espresso for 1,300yen. 

Chef Yamaguchi at work making two Sunny Side Up's... another person ordered the same when he said that I had to try this.  

This pizza is very interesting... He started off to what looks a Marinara pizza creation.... then begins to add Mozzarella cheese as if a Margherita Pizza... then closes by adding one raw egg in the middle, parmigiana cheese and then ends with olive oil topping.  You really get a little bit of everything...

Instructions were to mix the yellow egg yolk slowly into the other ingredients...

And there it is!  The egg added a nice creamy texture, mozzerella a kind chewy texture, hint of fresh garlic gave it a kick and of course the crust was perfectly chewy to the end.  A solid meal for sure.

He will make only 5-10 servings of the Sunny Side Up so get there a little early if you can... I arrived at 1:30pm and got lucky. 

No Smoking!  Excellent....

FREY's pizza boxes are all hand written...

He has now been open for 1 year and he said word has gotten out... shop is very busy and sometimes serves up to 80 pizza's during lunch.  Cozy friendly pizzeria... give it a try, you can't go wrong!

My Previous Entry:  http://tokyobelly.blogspot.jp/2011/10/roppongi-freys-famous-pizzeria-and.html

Shop: FREY' Famous Pizzeria

Foodie Website: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130701/13124749/

Review in Japanese: http://roppongi.keizai.biz/headline/2324/ 

Address J: 東京都港区六本木4-5-15

Address E: Tokyo, Minato-ku, Roppongi 4-5-15

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