Saizeriya Niigata Aoyama Branch

Saizeriya at 6 pm on a weekday was not super busy. Their menu has a good balance of different types of pastas, pizzas, gratins, dorias, and hamburgs to suit just about anyone’s tastes. Love the Japanese spin the restaurant puts on traditional Italian dishes. Tried the Penne Arrabbiata because I like a little spice, and I was pleasantly surprised at the texture of the rigatoni and heartiness of the arrabbiata sauce. The appetizers include soups and salads, of which I tried the creamy corn soup. It was lovely if just a hint bland, but again, this menu is created with the mild Japanese palate in mind. I shared a shrimp salad with my dining partner in crime, and since I’m veggie, gave her all the shrimp off my salad, but there is a seaweed salad on the menu if you don’t want to have to pick over your salad before eating it. My partner tried the squid ink pasta, ‘Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia’ and commented that it was mild and flavorful. We also ordered ‘puchi focaccia’ to sop up all the extra sauce from our pasta plates and savor just a little more of the delicious flavors, and I would recommend that for anyone who wants to really clean their plate when they eat. Wine is also affordable and plentiful. Is it of the finest vintage money can buy? No, but it paired exceedingly well with the pasta dishes, and it was medium bodied, tasty, and left us wanting to have a little more, precisely what wine should do. For around ¥2,000, two people can have appetizers, pasta dishes, and wine. If you want to add in a dessert, check the menu. Their tiramisu is rich and delicious. Next time, I’m saving space for it. The payment system has been updated to completely self-service, and most folks zip through in less than a few minutes. It gets busy as it gets later in the evening, so if you want to sit right away for dinner, I recommend getting there around 6:30 pm or earlier. The food comes out at a pretty good clip even when it was getting busier and busier, so if you’re in a rush, you can still make it for a quick lunch if you’re pinched on time.