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- A pasta specialty restaurant from Japan is gaining popularity in Little Tokyo!
Japanese Sake : All Japan News,Inc
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By All Japan News,Inc
Yuji Matsumoto
Master Sake Sommelier
Finalist of the 2nd World Sake Sommelier Competition. Graduated from Keio University Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science. Worked for Nomura Securities for 10 years. Former president of California Sushi Academy Former chief of planning dept. at Mutual Trading. Currently working for Kabuki Restaurant Corp. as a Beverage Manager of Sake.
Kosuke Kuji
Fifth Generation / Brewery Owner
Nanbu Bijin, Inc.
Born May 11, 1972. Entered Tokyo University of Agriculture's Department of Brewing and Fermentation. In 2005 became the youngest person ever to receive the Iwate Prefecture Young Distinguished Technician Award. In 2006 was selected to be a member of the board of trustees of his local alma mater, Fukuoka High School. Currently is featured in a number of media outlets including magazines, radio, and television.
*Positions of Public Service: Chairperson, Cassiopeia Corporation Youth Conference; School Board Member, Fukuoka High School, Iwate Prefecture, Vice-Chairman, Technology Committee, Iwate Prefecture Brewers and Distillers' Association.
Ayaka Ito
Owner of BESHOCK Ramen Sake Bar
Born in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture. Started going abroad including the US, Canada, and South Korea to study and deepen knowledge while still in high-school. Encountered with Japanese sake in Tohoku, while being involved in a long-term volunteering activity for the Great East Japan Earthquake. Sake of Miyagi, a famous region for sake making, was so impressive- ”I didn’t know such delicious domestic sake existed in Japan!” BESHOCK was opened in San Diego to let the world know the goodness of Japanese sake and Japanese cuisine for a responsibility as a specialist/Sake sommelier.
Ryuji Takahashi
Regional Sake Specialty Store "Ji Sakeya" Owner, Master Sake Sommelier, Shuto-Meijin, and the charismatic guru of ordinary sake.
Plans and manages events and seminars with his own unique flare to introduce the appeal of Japanese sake and cuisine, unaffected by the latest trends, while managing a jizake retail store.
David Kudo
Sake Sommelier
Master Sake Sommelier
President, All Japan News Inc.
Born Kita-Akita City, Akita Prefecture. Took over as Executive Officer of the Japanese Food Trend News founded in 1991, when the predecessor was assigned back to Japan. Currently distributed as Japan Restaurant News (20,000 issues published electronically) in North America, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
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A pasta specialty restaurant from Japan is gaining popularity in Little Tokyo!
By Keiko Fukuda
The guide map of Japanese food restaurants of Little Tokyo is becoming livelier and livelier every year featuring more and more ramen, sushi, okonomiyaki, izakaya places, etc. In addition to the groups such as Daikokuya and Shinsengumi, which have launched the business and have been expanding locally, there are many other restaurant businesses which came from Japan, and are flourishing successfully here. One such business is “PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO”, which is located in the Honda Plaza.
Their parent company is “Restaurant Bank”, which has developed and is running 16 locations mainly in the Kansai area of Japan including the current 2 in the US. Their business models are diversified, which include oden-izakayas, and standing room only drinking bars, soba-izakayas, Italian restaurants, and Italian dessert specialty restaurants. They even do consulting for curry and yakiniku restaurants. After their President, Mitsuhide Hayashi opened sushi izakaya “JINBEI” in Irvine in Orange County as their first overseas restaurant, he talked to Masaki Tsuzuki, who is currently managing PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO, and decided to open PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO in Little Tokyo. Mr. Tsuzuki’s title in the company is General Manager, Overseas Businesses Division.
This restaurant is about to enter the third year since its opening, and Mr. Tsuzuki says that he felt good responses early on in the second month. “Since the very first day the restaurant was introduced in an online medium called DineLA, people started to come, and we got really busy. Then, after getting an interview by LA Weekly, we got even busier!” He said that those 2 times they were featured in the media, is what really caused the sudden boost in the number of customers.
“ALLEGRO” in Japan, which is run by the parent company, serves pizza and pasta, taking advantage of the President’s experience of winning 6th place in the pizza chef competition in Naples, Italy. However, here at PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO, they concentrate on serving only pasta dishes. Tsuzuki explains the reason as follows; “First, I thought it was necessary to simplify the operation to efficiently run the restaurant. Also we disclose the pasta recipes openly within the company, so anybody can score at least 80 out of a perfect 100 points. In our system, absence of the chef would not disable the making of the pasta dishes.
Mr. Tsuzuki also insists on the principles of making the operation simple, and the authenticity of the recipes. “Our pasta is not a fusion. We do not jump to new things, and stick to the basics sincerely. Our recipes consist of 80 percent traditional Italian, and 20 percent Japanese flavored. We will never be diverted from the idea of sticking to the royal road of cooking.
As Mr. Tsuzuki explained, in addition to Japanese style pasta dishes such as uni cream pasta and mentaiko pasta, their pasta menu consists of authentic Italian pasta dishes such as beef ragu (bolognese), arrabbiata, etc. All those pasta recipes are copied from their restaurants in Japan rather than Americanizing them, but the volume is larger for here. I had the uni pasta on the interview day. The large-volume pasta was coated with rich uni cream sauce, and big pieces of uni on top. “Anybody can score at least 80%” isn’t a humble enough quote. It tasted so satisfying; however, I must say honestly that the American size volume was not easy to handle unless you are very hungry.
I asked about the customer ratio, which is 80% Americans, and 20% students and business people from overseas including Japanese. Although the entrance is narrow and small, the tables in the back are laid out spaciously. The back space looks well-suited for private parties.
The group already has 2 locations in the US, and Mr. Tsuzuki said that they are hoping to increase the number of restaurants in the future, regardless of the business models. “Many of our restaurants in Japan are located, not in busy city centers, but in remote areas. Rather than starting at locations where the property leasing is expensive, we try to draw people to us by the restaurant’s attractiveness.” I had a feeling that the day is near when we see one of this group’s wide variety of restaurant business models, which has been established in Japan, in a Los Angeles suburb in the near future.
日本から上陸したパスタ店リトルトーキョーで盛業中
ラーメン、寿司、お好み焼き、居酒屋と、リトルトーキョーの日本食マップは年々賑やかに彩られていくが、現地で立ち上げて店舗数を広げてきた大黒家や新撰組といったローカル組以外に、日本からの進出組の活躍も目覚ましい。その中の代表的な存在が、ホンダプラザ内に出店しているPASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROだ。
同店の親会社は、日本の関西を中心に、国内と現在のアメリカの２店舗を含め16店舗を展開しているレストランバンク。おでん居酒屋、立ち飲み、そば居酒屋、イタリアン、イタリアのデザート専門店を多様な業態な店を構え、さらにカレー店、焼肉店のコンサルティングも手がける。そして、社長の林秀光さんが海外１号店としてオレンジ・カウンティのアーバインに寿司居酒屋JINBEIを出店した後、現在PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROをマネージしている都築正記（つづきまさき）さんと話し合い、PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROをリトルトーキョーに開けた。ちなみに都築さんのタイトルは海外事業部統括マネージャーだ。
開店して３周年を迎えようとする同店だが、手応えを感じたのは２カ月目の時点、非常に早かったと都築さんは振り返る。「オンラインのメディア、DineLAに紹介された当日からお客さんが詰め掛けて急に忙しくなりました。その後、LA Weeklyから取材されると、さらにお客さんが増えました」。顧客が一気に増えた転機は、メディアに紹介された、その２回だったそうだ。
日本で親会社が経営しているALLEGROは、社長がナポリのピッツァ選手権で世界６位になった経歴を生かして、ピッツァとパスタを扱っている。しかし、ここアメリカのPASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROではパスタだけに絞っている。その理由について都築さんは次のように説明する。「まずは店を効率的に回すためにオペレーションをシンプルにする必要があると考えました。また、パスタのレシピに関しても社内で広く公開することで、誰が作っても80点は取れるようにしています。シェフがいないと作れないというシステムにはしていません」。
オペレーションをシンプルにすること、そして、レシピはあくまでオーセンティックにこだわるという姿勢も都築さんは強調した。「うちの店のパスタはフュージョンではありません。新しいことには飛びつかず、基本に忠実に取り組んでいます。イタリアの伝統レシピが８割、日本風なレシピが２割という構成です。料理は王道を行きたいという方針が揺らぐことはありません」。
パスタのメニューには、都築さんも説明したように、日本的なうにクリームパスタや明太子パスタと同様にビーフラグー（ボロネーゼ）やアラビアータなど本格的なイタリアンのパスタも並ぶ。それらのレシピはアメリカで味を変えることなく日本と同じにしているが、アメリカでは量を多くしているそうだ。取材当日はうにクリームパスタをいただいた。濃厚なうにのクリームソースがたっぷりのパスタに絡まり、さらに大きなうにのかたまりがトッピングされている。「誰が作っても80点以上」どころではなく味に対する満足度は非常に高かったが、アメリカンサイズの量のパスタには、空腹状態で訪れないと太刀打ちできないというのが正直な感想だった。
客層について聞くと、８割がアメリカ人、２割が日本人も含む他の国からの学生やビジネスマンだと答えた。内装は間口こそ狭いが、奥に進むとテーブル席がゆとりを持って配置されている。奥の空間は貸切パーティーにも活用できそうだ。
グループで２店舗、すでにアメリカで出店しているが、今後も業態にこだわらずに店の数を増やしていく方針だと都築さんは語る。「日本でも中心街ではなく、少し引っ込んだ場所に店を出しているケースが多いんです。最初からリース代が高い場所に出すより、店の魅力で顧客を引っ張ってくることを目指しています」。近い将来、日本ですでに実績がある多様な業態の中から、新たなグループ店がロサンゼルス近郊に誕生する可能性は高そうだ。
PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO
432 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles
(213)265-7003
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Japanese-Restaurant/PASTA-e-PASTA-by-ALLEGRO-736154563229529/
11:30am-2:00pm
5:30pm-9:30pm
Monday Closed
The guide map of Japanese food restaurants of Little Tokyo is becoming livelier and livelier every year featuring more and more ramen, sushi, okonomiyaki, izakaya places, etc. In addition to the groups such as Daikokuya and Shinsengumi, which have launched the business and have been expanding locally, there are many other restaurant businesses which came from Japan, and are flourishing successfully here. One such business is “PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO”, which is located in the Honda Plaza.
Their parent company is “Restaurant Bank”, which has developed and is running 16 locations mainly in the Kansai area of Japan including the current 2 in the US. Their business models are diversified, which include oden-izakayas, and standing room only drinking bars, soba-izakayas, Italian restaurants, and Italian dessert specialty restaurants. They even do consulting for curry and yakiniku restaurants. After their President, Mitsuhide Hayashi opened sushi izakaya “JINBEI” in Irvine in Orange County as their first overseas restaurant, he talked to Masaki Tsuzuki, who is currently managing PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO, and decided to open PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO in Little Tokyo. Mr. Tsuzuki’s title in the company is General Manager, Overseas Businesses Division.
This restaurant is about to enter the third year since its opening, and Mr. Tsuzuki says that he felt good responses early on in the second month. “Since the very first day the restaurant was introduced in an online medium called DineLA, people started to come, and we got really busy. Then, after getting an interview by LA Weekly, we got even busier!” He said that those 2 times they were featured in the media, is what really caused the sudden boost in the number of customers.
“ALLEGRO” in Japan, which is run by the parent company, serves pizza and pasta, taking advantage of the President’s experience of winning 6th place in the pizza chef competition in Naples, Italy. However, here at PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO, they concentrate on serving only pasta dishes. Tsuzuki explains the reason as follows; “First, I thought it was necessary to simplify the operation to efficiently run the restaurant. Also we disclose the pasta recipes openly within the company, so anybody can score at least 80 out of a perfect 100 points. In our system, absence of the chef would not disable the making of the pasta dishes.
Mr. Tsuzuki also insists on the principles of making the operation simple, and the authenticity of the recipes. “Our pasta is not a fusion. We do not jump to new things, and stick to the basics sincerely. Our recipes consist of 80 percent traditional Italian, and 20 percent Japanese flavored. We will never be diverted from the idea of sticking to the royal road of cooking.
As Mr. Tsuzuki explained, in addition to Japanese style pasta dishes such as uni cream pasta and mentaiko pasta, their pasta menu consists of authentic Italian pasta dishes such as beef ragu (bolognese), arrabbiata, etc. All those pasta recipes are copied from their restaurants in Japan rather than Americanizing them, but the volume is larger for here. I had the uni pasta on the interview day. The large-volume pasta was coated with rich uni cream sauce, and big pieces of uni on top. “Anybody can score at least 80%” isn’t a humble enough quote. It tasted so satisfying; however, I must say honestly that the American size volume was not easy to handle unless you are very hungry.
I asked about the customer ratio, which is 80% Americans, and 20% students and business people from overseas including Japanese. Although the entrance is narrow and small, the tables in the back are laid out spaciously. The back space looks well-suited for private parties.
The group already has 2 locations in the US, and Mr. Tsuzuki said that they are hoping to increase the number of restaurants in the future, regardless of the business models. “Many of our restaurants in Japan are located, not in busy city centers, but in remote areas. Rather than starting at locations where the property leasing is expensive, we try to draw people to us by the restaurant’s attractiveness.” I had a feeling that the day is near when we see one of this group’s wide variety of restaurant business models, which has been established in Japan, in a Los Angeles suburb in the near future.
日本から上陸したパスタ店リトルトーキョーで盛業中
ラーメン、寿司、お好み焼き、居酒屋と、リトルトーキョーの日本食マップは年々賑やかに彩られていくが、現地で立ち上げて店舗数を広げてきた大黒家や新撰組といったローカル組以外に、日本からの進出組の活躍も目覚ましい。その中の代表的な存在が、ホンダプラザ内に出店しているPASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROだ。
同店の親会社は、日本の関西を中心に、国内と現在のアメリカの２店舗を含め16店舗を展開しているレストランバンク。おでん居酒屋、立ち飲み、そば居酒屋、イタリアン、イタリアのデザート専門店を多様な業態な店を構え、さらにカレー店、焼肉店のコンサルティングも手がける。そして、社長の林秀光さんが海外１号店としてオレンジ・カウンティのアーバインに寿司居酒屋JINBEIを出店した後、現在PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROをマネージしている都築正記（つづきまさき）さんと話し合い、PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROをリトルトーキョーに開けた。ちなみに都築さんのタイトルは海外事業部統括マネージャーだ。
開店して３周年を迎えようとする同店だが、手応えを感じたのは２カ月目の時点、非常に早かったと都築さんは振り返る。「オンラインのメディア、DineLAに紹介された当日からお客さんが詰め掛けて急に忙しくなりました。その後、LA Weeklyから取材されると、さらにお客さんが増えました」。顧客が一気に増えた転機は、メディアに紹介された、その２回だったそうだ。
日本で親会社が経営しているALLEGROは、社長がナポリのピッツァ選手権で世界６位になった経歴を生かして、ピッツァとパスタを扱っている。しかし、ここアメリカのPASTA e PASTA by ALLEGROではパスタだけに絞っている。その理由について都築さんは次のように説明する。「まずは店を効率的に回すためにオペレーションをシンプルにする必要があると考えました。また、パスタのレシピに関しても社内で広く公開することで、誰が作っても80点は取れるようにしています。シェフがいないと作れないというシステムにはしていません」。
オペレーションをシンプルにすること、そして、レシピはあくまでオーセンティックにこだわるという姿勢も都築さんは強調した。「うちの店のパスタはフュージョンではありません。新しいことには飛びつかず、基本に忠実に取り組んでいます。イタリアの伝統レシピが８割、日本風なレシピが２割という構成です。料理は王道を行きたいという方針が揺らぐことはありません」。
パスタのメニューには、都築さんも説明したように、日本的なうにクリームパスタや明太子パスタと同様にビーフラグー（ボロネーゼ）やアラビアータなど本格的なイタリアンのパスタも並ぶ。それらのレシピはアメリカで味を変えることなく日本と同じにしているが、アメリカでは量を多くしているそうだ。取材当日はうにクリームパスタをいただいた。濃厚なうにのクリームソースがたっぷりのパスタに絡まり、さらに大きなうにのかたまりがトッピングされている。「誰が作っても80点以上」どころではなく味に対する満足度は非常に高かったが、アメリカンサイズの量のパスタには、空腹状態で訪れないと太刀打ちできないというのが正直な感想だった。
客層について聞くと、８割がアメリカ人、２割が日本人も含む他の国からの学生やビジネスマンだと答えた。内装は間口こそ狭いが、奥に進むとテーブル席がゆとりを持って配置されている。奥の空間は貸切パーティーにも活用できそうだ。
グループで２店舗、すでにアメリカで出店しているが、今後も業態にこだわらずに店の数を増やしていく方針だと都築さんは語る。「日本でも中心街ではなく、少し引っ込んだ場所に店を出しているケースが多いんです。最初からリース代が高い場所に出すより、店の魅力で顧客を引っ張ってくることを目指しています」。近い将来、日本ですでに実績がある多様な業態の中から、新たなグループ店がロサンゼルス近郊に誕生する可能性は高そうだ。
PASTA e PASTA by ALLEGRO
432 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles
(213)265-7003
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Japanese-Restaurant/PASTA-e-PASTA-by-ALLEGRO-736154563229529/
11:30am-2:00pm
5:30pm-9:30pm
Monday Closed
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