Pontoiru

At Pontoiru, pasta is served with fine noodles to eat with chopsticks. Some repeat diners say the noodles are easy to mix with the toppings and comfortable to eat this way. The menu makes use of Japanese ingredients such as Kyoto mochi pork, Kujo spring onions, yuba (tofu skin) and Tanba shimeji mushrooms, offering plenty of options with a distinctly Japanese character.

If choosing just one pasta feels difficult, the half-and-half option lets you pick 2 varieties for one plate. A diner who tried the summer half-and-half enjoyed the fine noodles’ satisfying bite and the garlicky flavour. Menu options include “Kujo Spring Onions and Prawns with Mentaiko Butter” and “Kyoto Mochi Pork and Summer Vegetables with Hearty Soy Sauce Butter”; you can also pair a seafood pasta with one featuring meat and vegetables.

A Kyoto-style dessert makes a pleasant finish. One diner who tried the summer half-and-half particularly liked the combination of wasanbon sugar pudding, matcha ice cream and azuki beans. Lunch options also include combinations with a drink, salad and dessert, so you can choose between enjoying a single pasta dish or taking your time over a set meal.