The first is from Shakey's Pizza in Tokyo. I think I took this photo in the Shinjuku restaurant. There are Shakey's in Ikebukuro (a pretty large one) and Shibuya (smaller so it feels more frantic). I believe there are other Shakey's around Tokyo, too. The all-you-eat pizza buffet at whatever Shakey's you visit is a Tokyo bargain, but get there early. Lunchtime tends to be crowded. Very crowded, with long lines at the pizza bar. If your heart is set on pepperoni, be prepared for disappointment. There have been a few times I've had to settle for similar-looking sausage pizza or even hamburger.
This is a sausage pizza and a classic Coca-Cola from Hedge, a small, American-style restaurant in the basement of Zaza City in Hamamatsu. The pizza actually came from a pizza bakery called Popeye's Pizza in Food World, the adjacent supermarket. I haven't been there in a good long while, but I believe both Hedge and Popeye's have closed. That's tragic, because this was a tasty lunch option for lunch downtown, especially combined with a Coke from one of those little curvy bottles.
These last two are Happy Valley's "Pepperonia" pizza, #37 in their menu. The soft crust has a dusting of flour, which I like, and the pepper adds a little spice to the taste. This is the pizza I eat most often because Happy Valley is within easy walking distance of where we live now. They also have plenty of other pizzas to choose from, plus some delicious pasta dishes. We enjoy their salad and drink bar, too. Pepperonia scratches my pizza itch better than just about any of the others, but I have distinctly American taste in pizza and from southwest Georgia as well, home of... well... nothing.
There are other pizza restaurants in Hamamatsu. One closed down a while back, but it was a small place that could only acommodate maybe two or three small dining parties at a time. It was run by a very nice guy into mixed martial arts, though, and featured excellent homemade desserts.
Another is Pizza Garlic, out in the suburbs. That's another one I haven't been to in some time, but they baked some outstanding pies and they once invited my bosses, my coworker and me to a summer barbecue where we had a ball trying to catch noodles running down a stream of water in some bamboo half-pipes. You know that game. Pizza Garlic (or Garlic Pizza) features a home-style atmosphere, too. It literally feels as if a friendly family has opened their home to you. I seriously recommend you find this place and try it. The desserts are first class, too.
There's one more that has actually won awards, but I've sadly only been there once and I've completely forgotten the name. I won't forget the delicious four-cheese pizza smothered in gorgonzola so easily, though.
Wow, I'm pizza hungry!
1 comment:
Loove this
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