It was okay. But you can’t use cash here

The portion is very large.. The sauce was poured over noodles holding a lot of water, so I stirred several times to try to combine them with the sauce, but it was impossible. The moisture kept the noodles and sauce from coming together. Gave up eating halfway through.

I had lunch at ‘SABOU 溜池山王店,’ located just near Tameike-sanno Station. The restaurant is in a basement. Going down the stairs reveals sea-inspired decorations and a calm space with an overall warmth from the wood. It had the atmosphere of a stylish hideaway and was very comfortable. The lunch menu has a very wide selection, including pasta, rice, and salads, so honestly I had quite a hard time choosing. There are several pasta options alone, and all look appealing. It is a welcome selection for those who want a substantial meal. The menu stated ‘regular portion 300g’ and ‘＋250円 for a large portion 400g,’ so I switched to the large 400g portion without hesitation. It is very welcome to have this portion size available when eating pasta out. This time I ordered the ‘salmon cream pasta.’ The plate brought out with the soup held a substantial amount of pasta. The cream sauce was rich without being cloying, and the savory salmon and shimeji mushroom flavor combined into a very balanced taste. The pasta had a springy texture and was cooked al dente, making it very satisfying to eat. Even though it was cream-based, I enjoyed it to the end without getting tired of it. Lunch also comes with warm soup, a quietly welcome touch. Service was smooth too, so you can comfortably visit even when lunchtime is limited. The interior is not too large and has a calm atmosphere. There are counter seats as well as tables, making it approachable for solo diners. My impression was that many customers were nearby businesspeople, both men and women, but there were also groups of women enjoying leisurely meals.

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I did not have a very good impression, so I forgot to take photos. When I asked for another red wine, they tried to pour it even though more than 1/3 was still in the glass, and apparently that would be charged as 2 glasses, which left me a little dumbfounded. They also close early, and I cannot say the interior is particularly nice.. The staff were not friendly either. I gave it an appropriate rating, though a slightly generous one.

At lunchtime, you can enjoy pasta（with soup）for around 1,000円. The prices are not rock-bottom, but the pasta portions are generous＆come with soup full of ingredients, so it is good value. The flavor is not particularly remarkable, but I think it is quite tasty. Personally, I also like how the pasta is cooked. Lunch service runs until half past 16, which is very helpful for a late lunch. There are many pasta combinations（sauce×toppings）, so it seems easy to choose according to your mood that day. It would be nice to have different pasta shapes like fettuccine or penne, but their absence may be a weakness…. As mentioned above, the portions are large, so I thought it mainly catered to men, but with inexpensive lunch drinks and a relaxing retro café-style interior, it seems approachable for female customers too.

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