Saizeriya: Japan’s Best Kept Secret for Delicious and Affordable Eats

We just finished buying stuff in Ameyokocho and strolling around the Ueno area when we came across this unassuming door. It's Saizeriya, a Japanese chain of Italian restaurant.

My curiosity was piqued by a Japanese Italian restaurant and also in keeping with our mission to try local foods, we headed upstairs.

The restaurant was packed and there was a long queue for seats. We noticed that most of the customers were young people and students.

The reason is the restaurant's delicious food at budget -friendly price. Being tired from our long walks around the Ueno area, we ordered a lot of food.

For appetizers, we had creamy corn soup and some chicken wings.

We also had some pasta, spaghetti and carbonara. The nori on top of the carbonara is a nice touch, giving it a Japanese flavor.

For the main course, I had a heavy meal of burger steak, chicken wings, shrimp, corn and potatoes. I also had an extra order of rice and spinach.

It only cost five hundred ninety one (591) yen or around four ($4) dollars.

For dessert, we had tiramisu and custard.

The ambiance in Saizeriya is cafeteria-like and it has a modest decor. This didn't disappoint me though. The food is absolutely delicious and inexpensive. Somehow, Saizeriya managed to strike a balance between delicious food at reasonably low prices. The menu is Italian with pasta and pizza but there are also burger steak meal like the one I ordered. Of course, since this is a Japanese restaurant, rice is also served.

All of which only cost us three thousand six hundred forty yen (3,640) or around twenty six dollars ($26).

In a country where dining can get pricey and convenience stores like Seven Eleven (image below), Lawson and Family Mart offer gastronomic experience, Saizeriya can hold its own by offering affordable and delicious meals. If you visit Japan and looking for a delicious and wallet-friendly meal, be sure to try Saizeriya, I highly recommend it. お勧めします!

Checkout the food in Seven Eleven in Japan.

Posted Using INLEO