IKEBUKURO: Cona Pizzeria 1F Standing Counter (REVISITED)

I think we've been monthly regulars at Ikebukuro Cona... my previous entry was table seating on the 2nd floor: http://tokyobelly.blogspot.jp/2012/10/ikebukuro-500yen-pizzeria-cona-has.html

Otoshi (comes out automatically)...

Kenta and Scotts favorite pizza... Gorgonzola with Maple Syrup topping. 500yen

Can't resist this: Hanjuku tamago (half boiled egg?) with proscuitto ham.

And of course! Mexican Pizza with Jalapeno's and Pepperoni! 500yen

The Pizza Chef.  I think everyone working here are a mix of university students and staff in their 20's.

Guy in the black is probably the Manager...

Overall its just 5-Stars all-around with so many 500yen pizza's to choose from.  The staff is cool, the pizza's are larger than any other Cona each perfectly made, interior is new/clean... Great place for a date or just to hang out with friends.  

Shop: Cona Pizzeria - South Ikebukuro Branch

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13147825/

Gnavi: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/gcgf000/

Hotpepper Coupons: http://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ001017063/map/

Address J: 東京都豊島区南池袋3-14-12

Address E: Tokyo, Toshima-ku, Minami Ikebukuro 3-14-12
MAP:

View Larger Map

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: 

View Larger Map

SHIBUYA: (REVISITED) UraCona Pizzeria your female staff has gone downhill... how can this be?

Since my very first visit to Ura-Cona I have always raved about it to my friends and even taken a few dates there... I mean the service and quality of pizza WAS dead on the best of all the Cona's in Tokyo.  So on this day my buddy Yas (Japanese guy) had some special guests from Hawaii and he wanted to hit the place up. 

We entered about 6:45pm and picked out a bottle of wine... If you enter before 7pm you can get the 1,000yen special (drink, appetizer, pizza and no entrance charge). Yas and I went with this deal and the...

Pâté arrived within minutes of our order... 

... and so 20 30 40 minutes pass and the pizza we ordered failed to arrive.  At the time there were only 2 couples in the shop and it normally takes about 2-3 minutes to make one of these thin crust pizza's.

So asked one of the waitresses if she could check on the pizza for us... no smile, no confirmation with the chef, just full of attitude responding that we had to wait our turn... hold up... then another 10 minutes pass and we ask again... more attitude.  This type of girl is someone you rarely find in any Japanese restaurant... just extremely negative.  Her hands were badly dry with cracks covered in band-aids.  I can only assume things have not gone well for her in general.  OK! Thats my honest rant!

Yas ordered the Tuna salad... avoid this... who wants to eat canned tuna on a bed of salad?

Overall the female staff this night was just not good... the Pizza's lacked any kind of volume on their topping and the appearance/quality vs my other visits was mediocre at best.

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

I can no longer say that this is my Favorite branch of the Cona Pizzeria franchise... the new champ goes to Ikebukuro Cona with amazing service and top notch pizza's that once resided at UraCona.  Ooohhh... as I write this I am so sad... the current female staff just gets me down...  Anyways!  Perhaps in few months time the part-timer's will rotate out and this review will change.  Aloha!

Shop: Ura Cona Shibuya

Foodie Website: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13110653/

Address J: 東京都渋谷区円山町7-7 川路ビル 1F

Address E:  Tokyo, Shibuya-lu, Maruyama-Cho 7-7
MAP:

View Larger Map

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:

View Larger Map