Hyperlocal Tokyo

## May 2024 Visit This is just a note for myself. I wish I had read the reviews before visiting. I saw this place while walking by and thought it was an old-fashioned coffee shop, so I went in. The atmosphere was definitely old-school. As is common in old-fashioned coffee shops, smoking is allowed. This place was also smoking-allowed, so for a non-smoker like me, eating while smelling cigarette smoke was honestly tough. I checked the menu and ordered the "Special Napolitan" (¥850). There was a note saying "no parmesan cheese," so I wondered why and waited. The kitchen was right in front of me, so I watched for a while. They took already-seasoned pasta that had been microwaved and put it straight onto a plate. I've seen microwaved noodles before, but this was clearly just a pre-made product being served. Some parts weren't fully heated and were hard. I thought, "What's so special about this?" I could have just microwaved a ¥500 frozen pasta at home. This coffee shop is in a rough area, so the people there were also unique. I'll never go back. My stomach was full, but my heart wasn't satisfied, so I went to another place to get a second wind.

I visited for lunch on a weekday. I ended up taking a nap, which I haven't done in a while. I was short on time and went in on a whim, ordering the yakisoba lunch. To my surprise, it was microwaved. It came with miso soup, a boiled egg, yogurt, and a drink for 850 yen. That's way too expensive. It wasn't good. The interior is spacious and has a full-on Showa retro feel, like a classic coffee shop. Smoking is allowed. If you're just looking for coffee and a smoke, it might be okay, but I wouldn't recommend the food.

A place for horse racing enthusiasts. The Showa era atmosphere is nice, but it's smoky from cigarettes... The presence of arcade games adds to the nostalgic feel!

It has a strong Showa era vibe. The food is nothing special, but it's made by a Filipina lady.