Cappriciosa カプリチョーザ 022-304-2601

Website:  http://www.capricciosa.com/index.html

Margherita (their spelling) Pizza

Address:  Located on the 3^rd floor of The Mall Part 2 in Nagamachi-minami.  You can take the subway to the Nagamachi-minami Station which is under The Mall.

Map:  Click “Location” link below.

Cappriciosa has always been a good, safe bet.  Is it the best Italian food that I’ve had?  No, not by a long shot.  But it’s good enough.  Sometimes it’s really, really good, but even on their off nights it’s not that bad.

Caesar Salad

We like the ペアセット for 3324 円.  As the name suggests this is for two people to share, and for this price you get your choice of salad, pizza, spaghetti, beverage (which includes alcohol), and coffee or tea.  The servings are neither overly generous nor skimpy, but just enough to stuff your bellies.  There is also a ファミリーセット for 5124円 which states that it can feed three to four people.

Meat Sauce Spaghetti

Like many restaurants in The Mall, Cappriciosa offers something for free if you show them a MOVIX ticket stub from that day.  I think it's a free drink, but I'm not sure.  They also have a stamp card, but it seems to take a while to receive a reward.  That being said, on our last visit we received a free gelato as a loyalty present.  Since I’m picky I asked what kind of gelato would be served.  They said the night’s special was orange sherbet, which I’m not crazy about.  The waitress, seeing my look of dissatisfaction, surprised me by asking if there was another flavor I’d prefer.  I said I was fond of chocolate, and voila, that’s what I got!  That’s good customer service!

There’s also a Cappriciosa on Chuo-dori that’s just as good.  If you happen to give either location a try, let me know if they are still playing Spanish music (I guess they can't tell the difference between Italian and Spanish).

UPDATE: Billy's Sandwich

UPDATE: MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015.

IT IS WITH GREAT REGRET TO ANNOUNCE THAT BILLY'S IS NO LONGER.

I DROVE HERE LAST FRIDAY TO DINE ON YET ANOTHER FILLING AND FLAVORFUL SANDWICH ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE BUILDING WAS BEING DEMOLISHED.

I WISH THE OWNER, IIBUCHI-SAN, THE BEST, AND AM GRATEFUL FOR THE WONDERFUL LUNCHES SHE PROVIDED OVER HER FIFTEEN YEAR RUN.

Website:  http://www.billys.jp/

Clubhouse Sandwich with Avocado Topping

Address: 仙台市青葉区上杉1-7-23.  Near Kita-Yobancho Subway Station.  Across from Grand Central Sports Gym.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Hours:  11:00 – 5:00 everyday.  But … you should call to check.  Sometimes they are not open.

UPDATED: November 5, 2011

Carrot Soup

Went to Billy’s for another delicious lunch today and again Iibuchi-san’s creations didn’t fail to please.  I, of course, went with my standard clubhouse sandwich with avocado topping.  I don’t know why but today’s sandwich seemed a bit more filling than usual, which I had no objection to.  My wife ordered the half sandwich set and chose the BLT.  The soup of the day was carrot soup and my wife just raved about it!

Here’s a current list of the sandwiches they offer which run from 480 円 to 525円:

BLT

Club House

Spanish Omelet

Cole Slaw

Meatloaf

Potato Salad

Tuna & Anchovy

Tuna & Egg

Avocado Dip

Pork Katsu

Shrimp & Avocado

Smoked Salmon

Original post here: Billy's

Half BLT Set

View Larger Map

Namaskar ナマスカ 022-222-7701

Website:  http://r.tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4000025/

Address:   宮城県仙台市青葉区一番町2-2-11 ＴＫビル　Ｂ１Ｆ.

There are actually two locations.  The other one is on the 4^th floor of the BIVI Building behind Sendai Station.  This review is for the Minami-machi dori location.

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Lunch: 11:30 – 2:30 Dinner: 5:30 – 9:30

I feel real bad about this one because I have fond memories of good food and good times with good friends here, and the staff has always (and still remains) nothing short of welcoming.  But I have to admit that I was greatly disappointed on my last visit to Namaskar, which only confirmed my feelings from the last couple of times I’ve visited within the last year or two.

Let me start out with the good:  Saturday lunch tabehoudai for 1500円!  For that price, you really can’t go wrong.  This includes your choice of the following:

green salad (lots of the cheap iceberg lettuce, dressing is good),

kelp salad (I don’t eat seafood),

vegetable pakoda (kind of bland),

saffron rice (bland),

choice of curries:  chicken (tasty but definitely not spicy), vegetable (pretty good, except for the beans), mutton (don’t know), and seafood (again, I don’t eat seafood),

tandoori chicken (dry, tasted more like spiced chicken rather than spicy chicken),

naan (big sized but nothing special),

choice of beverages: orange juice (good!), oolong tea, jasmine tea, coffee (good!), and chai.

dessert was banana palwat (kind of like a thick banana gelatin with a hint of cinnamon that was tasty.

So let me reiterate that for the price there is plenty to choose from so I think this is a positive.

However, I’m comparing the Namaskar of now to the Namaskar of old.  Way back when in the olden days (about three or four years ago) Namaskar had spectacular Indian food!  I’m no connoisseur of Indian delicacies but I know what I like, and at that time I loved Namaskar.  

I remember in the olden days the chicken curry and tandoori chicken being so spicy that I’d be sweating up a storm after only a few minutes of savoring these succulent spices.  The naan was so flavorful that its flavors rested on its own laurels and didn’t need dipping into a curry to be enjoyed. 

But the restaurant was sold to new owners some time ago and things have changed.  After eating the tandoori chicken or curries my body temperature didn’t change at all.  The naan wasn’t bad but could no longer stand on its own.

Since the restaurant was crowded with seemingly satisfied customers, it could just be me and my pickiness that are wrong in these evaluations, but for my own taste I stand by them.  If you are in the mood for something different I do suggest you try this restaurant and I truly hope you enjoy your meal here.  Like I said, I do like this place, I’m just disappointed in their food.

View Larger Map