Have you been to any of the Naporitan restaurants in Japan that have a crazy amount of toppings to put on your pasta? If you haven't, you should. I used to go to a place in Kashiwa, Chiba called Pancho. I would play Archery Tag in the early afternoon, work up an appetite, and then go to Pancho and get spaghetti with a fried egg, melted cheese and bacon. It was bliss.
Then corona come along and messed everything up. I was downtrodden for a while. I thought I would never find a Pancho in Ibaraki, and there aren't any. But there is a Banzai Naporitan, and it is amazing.
Banzai Naporitan
Banzai Naporitan is located in the Sakura area of Tsukuba. It is right next to M.S.B Burger, which I have talked about before on this blog. Parking is a bit limited at Banzai Naporitan, so be aware of that.
My wife and I went for dinner during an unusually cool Tuesday in July.
Inside
When I walked inside Banzai Naporitan, I immediately liked it. It was simple and stylish. You can choose to sit at the counter or the tables. We chose the tables. I believe there are four tables in total, but there are a lot of seats at the counter.
The Menu
Sorry my non-Japanese speakers, I didn't see an English menu. The menu isn't too complicated though. The first part of the menu is about the size of your Naporitan spaghetti. You can order small, somewhat small, medium, the infamous omori, and finally the 1kg option which is a bit insane.
Once you pick your size, the second option is toppings. You have a lot of different toppings to chose from. Melted cheese, mozzarella balls, jalapenos, garlic chips, potato salad, meatballs, bacon, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, and more.
Finally, the last part of the menu deals with sets. You can order a drink set or a drink and salad set.
My wife and I ordered our Naporitan spaghetti and waited with anticipation.
Melted Cheese, Scrambled Eggs, and Meatballs
This was my wife's spaghetti. She ordered the somewhat small size, but it didn't look small to me. The scrambled eggs on top of the spaghetti were a master piece and the blowtorched melted cheese held it all together. She let me try a bit of her pasta and it was heavenly. The scrambled eggs went perfect with the thick Naporitan pasta. She also ordered the meatballs, which are made at Banzai. She let me try a ball or two, and they were meaty and fantastic. Mix those meatballs with melted cheese and it is a party of endless deliciousness.
Fried Eggs, Mozzarella Balls, and Bacon
This was my spaghetti. I ordered the medium size, and it brought a lot of pasta. I got my spaghetti with mozzarella balls, which were very tasty, but I wished my spaghetti was covered with melted cheese like my wife's spaghetti. The fried egg was a welcome addition to my spaghetti, but the MVP was the bacon. I know, I know, it isn't crispy bacon like it should be, but this bacon was cooked to perfection. Cutting a piece off that bacon and mixing it with my pasta was the highlight of my night.
I should also mention, I am not a fan of drowning my pasta in tomato sauce. Banzai Naporitan doesn't do that and I am thankful for that. There is just enough tomato sauce to not take away flavor from the rest of the toppings. I also really admired how the spaghetti is served on a hot skillet so the spaghetti is always pipping hot.
After I finished my Naporitan spaghetti, I couldn't get up. I was so full. After a few tries, I finally got up and paid at the counter. The Ibaraki Eats Duo really enjoyed our meal at Banzai Naporitan. My wife hopes to go back soon and try the rest of the toppings. I am just happy I was finally able to find a Naporitan spaghetti place close to me, and it is fantastic.
So if you are in the Sakura area of Tsukuba and have a craving for some spaghetti, why not give Banzai Naporitan a chance. Who knows, you might see me there, wondering what new toppings I will select for my spaghetti.
Enjoy!
For more information on Banzai Naporitan, check out their website:
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