Masquerade! Paper faces on parade!

It felt as though we had accidentally stepped inside the dress rehearsal of Phantom of the Opera or something, what with all the servers wearing black masks. Talk about intimidating! Little kids might start crying. But actualy, there was no reason to be alarmed because there was nothing hiding behind the masks other than very friendly waiters energetically bringing you great Italian food. Some waiters spoke so little Japanese (and English for that matter), we had a little difficulty understanding them while they explained the specials and seasonal entrees. But they meant it when they said, "itsa very very good," because we were not disappointed.

Ristorante e Pizzeria da IVO is all things Naples. Chef Ivo Virgilio's creations are Naples-themed Italian cuisine, including Naples' famous pizza and pasta, along with fish and meat. And to serve real Neapolitan style pizza, he brought one of the best craftsmen and materials to Tokyo to build an authentic oven. The tiles on the floor, the pictures on the walls, and even the door knobs were brought in from Naples.

IVO is a pretty highly rated Italian eatery within metropolian Tokyo. Located on Meiji Dori, it's a bit of a walk from both Hiroo and Ebisu stations, but that is probably the only drawback. The doors and windows are opened on warm days so as to create the feel of an open-terrace. We went for dinner the other night and enjoyed it immensely. We each paid around 7000 yen (including wine) so it was not terribly expensive. The appetizers, the pizzas, the desserts… are ALL very good. (photos here: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/rstdtlphoto/13005489/)

So what's with the black masks? Apparently they represent the Pulcinella which is the traditional clown costume of Naples. Despite the intimidating exterior, the characters are known for always having a positive approach to life. (Photo source: www.atelierdesarts.com)

Ristorante e Pizzeria da IVO
Shibuya-ku, Hiroo 1-6-10

Tel: 03.5793.3121

Open 11:30-14:00, 18:00-22:00 daily

http://www.eatpia.com/daivo/

Just Splendido

Osteria Splendido in Hiroo, is my second home. My friend lives across the street from this place so it's one of the reasons why we go so often. If she didn't live so close, I don't think I would have ever come here because it's so far from the train station.  The only way you'd make it here would be by taxi. There's a small recording studio also tucked away nearby, so a lot of celebrities and studio people swing by for drinks at night. I think the inconvenient location provides them with a nice, quiet place to hang out. Sometimes, they're obnoxious... bringing in their guitars or wildly laughing over scotch. But most days, it's quiet and homey. The sommelier (Miura-san) is always so gracious and comes by to chat all the time... sometimes he stays for a little too long, but he's such a lovely guy. Since I had cut back on my alcohol intake this past year due to some health issues (no, I'm not preggers and no, I'm not recovering at AA meetings), Miura-san gives me orange juice... THE BEST OJ on the planet! I swear to Tropicana, the orange juice served here is out of this world. When Splendido invited us to their 1 year anniversary party last year, I drank like 5 glasses of OJ. I told them they should just bring it to me in a bucket.

The food here is fantastic. The pate (pasticcio alla campagnola) and bistecca are exquisite. The carbonara is a must, and the ragu is dreamy. I usually judge an Italian place by their caprese, so if they don't serve real water buffalo mozzarella, there is no second visit. Osteria is definitely splendido about their cheeses. I've tagged my name on their anniversary magnum wine bottle so you know I've been there more than once. Their seasonal menu is great as well. Right now they have a lot of dishes based on sea urchin which I welcome any time of the year, but I'm looking forward to the porcini mushrooms come Autumn.

Splendido is actually the restaurant on B1, where there is also a cellar boasting hundreds of different wine. There is a spiral staircase leading from the first floor, which is the enoteca bar, Implicito. When we've already had dinner elsewhere, we just hang out at Implicito and have a cheese plate and wine, or some caffe and dessert. Miura-san comes running up the stairs from Splendido to greet us, but then is quickly shooed away because it's not "his turf" upstairs. 

Anyway, I had to dedicate one post to Splendido because they take care of me all the time. 

Osteria Splendido

Shibuya-ku, Higashi 4-6-3, Tokyo

Open 18:00-4:00, Closed Sundays

http://www.osteria-splendido.jp/index.html

bar & enoteca implicito

Open 18:00-4:00

http://www.implicito.com/