There are surprisingly few delicious Neapolitans.
Here are the 3 best selections in Tokyo!

This time, in order to choose three restaurants, I went to a restaurant that is famous for Neapolitan and tried every one of them, but surprisingly, most of the restaurants were disappointing. It all comes down to how you handle the ketchup. If you use a lot of ketchup and don't stir-fry it well, the taste will be too salty and sour.

You won't get a sweet and delicious Neapolitan unless you chop the ingredients into thin strips, stir-fry them, add the right amount of ketchup, and stir-fry until they're slightly burnt to remove the acidity. Neapolitan is actually quite difficult. Amid these difficulties, the following three companies came together.

(Incidentally, I will list the restaurants that were not selected. △Gotanda ``Printemps'', △Jinbocho ``Coffee & Snack L'', △Jinbocho ``Luncheon'', △Azabu Juban ``Grill Mantenboshi'',×Ikebukuro "Spaghetti Pancho",×Ginza "Japonais",×Jimbocho "Sabouru 2",×Nihonbashi "Taimeiken")

Little Koiwai, a sacred place for office workers in Otemachi
The only flaw is the huge crowds at meal times.

Let's start with the king of junk. Office workers working in Otemachi are happy. Because "Little Koiwai" is there.

The author is10I got hooked on it about a year ago and have been there many times. This time, I went there for the first time in a while, but nothing had changed. The only thing that has changed is the addition of items like ``Kimchi Cream Spaghetti'' and ``Demi Hormone Spicy Spaghetti.'' Oh, and the price too.2023Years11It has changed since the moon. Until then570It was yen! various types of spaghetti100The yen increased. Still in this day and age670It's yen (recommended spaghetti is720circle). What a great store.

Little Koiwai was founded in the Showa era.33Year. It has no relation to Koiwai Dairy Products. In Tokyo, "Japonais" in Ginza and Romespa (roadside+It is ranked alongside the two giants of the spaghetti world. By the way, Japonais was founded in the Showa era.55According to one theory, Japonais was created later in 2005 by a chef who had trained at Little Koiwai (by the way, I didn't find Japonais very good. Overall, I wish it was a little more beautiful).

The golden rule is to skip when it's time to eat.11 : 30When I went there, the store was full.15It was number one. Everyone can't help but respect the chefs here. After all, he had been shaking the frying pan non-stop for about three hours, including noon. There are three cooks, but I guess they take turns in shaking the pot. If you don't do that,10It becomes like lifting weights for hours on end. Even if that's not the case, I'm sure his arm muscles are pretty good.

First comes a small bowl of diced cabbage salad. I feel like it doesn't matter whether I have this or not (bitter smile). That's what I thought10Same as a year ago. I don't plan on changing it. I guess the parents are telling the office workers to eat salad for their health, but the portions are too small (lol).

Then, eat some food. Well, it's still delicious. Tamaran tastes like junk! Above all, the thick, soft noodles like this udon are amazing. It becomes addictive. Al dente noodles? You don't need that kind of food, after all, it's Japanese cuisine. And the taste is really mild. Among the spaghetti in Tokyo that is called Neapolitan, it may have the mildest taste.

Maybe you're using margarine instead of butter. The ingredients are bacon, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. There's also some cheap grated cheese and Tabasco, but you might be able to leave it as is. While I was eating, I heard quite a few customers asking for less oil. I didn't care about Abra though.

Since it's a pasta and sandwich shop, there is always a steady flow of customers at the takeout counter. The ratio of take-out pasta and sandwich orders is something like 6:4. Teri mayo hamburger sandwich, gapao style sandwich, tuna cheese sandwich, massive fruit sandwich……Everything looks really delicious. This is a store that I would like to commend.

Speaking of Western food in Asakusa, "Yoshikami"
Enjoy your meal in the most relaxing atmosphere

Next is the king of moderation. This is a Western restaurant in Asakusa that is known for its copy of ``Usugi de sai ni Su!''. Founded in the Showa era261999 and shortly after the end of the war. Long-established restaurants have a good atmosphere, especially at dinner time because they have familiar local customers. The same goes for Yoshikami, the lively and cheerful customers are all good men and women, and I'm the only one with bad eyes (lol). The casual conversation between the floor staff and the regular customers calms down the other customers. The chefs in the open kitchen are serious, but the atmosphere on the floor is calm. I like that the waitstaff ladies are also in casual clothes.

Now, I was given a seat at the counter right in front of the gas stove. It is rare to be able to see the entire process of making Neapolitan right in front of your eyes. First, put the ham, onions, and mushrooms in a frying pan with oil, stir-fry for a while, then grab the noodles and throw them in. Shake the frying pan, add salt and pepper, then add white wine, a little Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup. Add the boiled green beans and stir well to complete. I like this live feeling.

Of course the noodles are soft. It's thoroughly stir-fried, so the sour and sweet seasoning is just right. There's a little sprinkle of grated cheese, so there's no need to add anything. If anything, it has a bland taste. If I had to point out one thing, it's definitely better to stir-fry the green beans when adding them at the end. This is because boiled green beans are watery. Everything else is perfect. In short, Neapolitan is somewhere between a la carte and junk.

There was a flyer posted outside the restaurant that said, ``When you think of Yoshikami, it's either stew or steak,'' so I ordered a steak as well. The fillet was generously drizzled with garlic soy sauce and was very tender and delicious. The price is really reasonable. This is a restaurant loved by the people of Asakusa.

``Komiya'' boasts the highest level of formality in Western cuisine.
Neapolitan is the best

Lastly, a high-quality a la carte dish. Once upon a time omelet riceNo.1This is a store that appeared as a. Whenever I come to this store, I always feel refreshed. I guess it's the cleanliness of the entire store that makes people feel that way. The service is also kind and spotless. He happily responds to the idle talk of regular customers Jii and Baa. There's a sense of humanity. I think that's why there are so many regular customers, such as Mr. Jii and elderly couples.

After ordering and while waiting for the food, he would say, ``If you'd like, please go ahead,'' and place the ``Aji no Techo'' on the table. Overall, it's not cheap, but it makes sense when you consider that these services are included in the price.

If anything, Neapolitan may be junk and vulgar food. However, when it's in the hands of a ``flavor shop'', it becomes really elegant.

The ingredients are onions, green peppers, mushrooms, chopped roast ham, and tender shrimp, all topped with Parmesan cheese. You can tell by the color, and even more by tasting it, but it's definitely homemade ketchup. It has low acidity and is very refreshing. Unlike the so-called commercially available ketchup, you could call it a unique Neapolitan.

It has a taste like no other. Well, this kind of elegance is also a good thing. It has the appearance of a la carte dish rather than the junky feel of a coffee shop. Do you feel like a slightly innocent young lady? Even when it's not al dente, I get the feeling that they're trying to defend themselves by saying, ``This isn't Italian, it's Western food from Japan, so there's nothing wrong with that.''

It's expensive too. After all, it's the best Western restaurant in Tokyo. Somehow Neapolitan=1200It feels like it's around yen, but this is2200It's a yen. That's how confident we are in the quality.

This time, in addition to Neapolitan, I also ordered "Minced cutlet". Probably the most beautiful thing to see in Tokyo. Of course, it's definitely the best in Tokyo! Putting a knife into a cutlet so beautiful that you don't want to break it. The meat juices are hot and overflowing, making a sound of "jubu, jubu, jubu, jubu~". This is amazing. Demigra sauce gets diluted by the meat juices, so it is eaten with Worcestershire sauce and Japanese mustard. Ume~ (be careful not to burn your mouth). The pinnacle of minced meat cutlet is here!

What does "If you don't eat this, your life is ruined" mean?
Bassey, an editor with over 40 years of food-loving experience, is rumored to be a Reiwa-era Brillat-Savarin, or even the return of Furukawa Roppa, who rushes west and east to eat every time he hears there's something delicious to eat. A heart-wrenching gourmet essay.

Author profile

Bassey is a foodie who has been eating around for over 40 years. In addition to Japan, he regularly goes to Hong Kong to eat Chinese food at his own expense, and also travels to Taiwan, Singapore, Bangkok, and Seoul for delicious food. During his time as the editor-in-chief of a travel magazine, he visited many Michelin-rated restaurants around the world, especially in Europe, and later on in the World's Best 50 restaurants. We want everyone who loves food to try ``Crab Miso Bean Paste Noodles'' from ``Tenkorou'' (Hong Kong). Actually, I like the Chinese food at this restaurant the best in the world. Another example of the best Western food is "El Seger de Can Roca" from Girona, Spain, which was ranked number one on the World's Best 50 list. Ah, I want to go there again.