Periodically I have seen "authentic" Italian pizza places. I use quotes around authentic because I know how broad that term can be used. Unless I eat there, I can't really vouch for how authentic it really is.
My husband saw an article about an authentic Italian wood oven pizza restaurant in a magazine about Nerima. We decided it was time to check it out. The photos showed beautiful wood fired neapolitan style pizzas. The pictures alone had my mouth watering.
The bike ride to the restaurant took approximately 10 minutes. I feel a little less guilty about a dietary indulgence when I bike or walk to the destination. That's one nice thing about living in Japan - things are close enough that you can bike or walk and cars are used to the bikes so it's safe to ride on the streets.
When we arrived at Navito, we walked into the tiny restaurant. Most of the 15 seats were occupied or had a reserved sign on it. Actually, there were only 3 seats available in the small dining area - just the number we needed. We sat at the counter that had a window into the kitchen.
After my husband perused and translated the menu, we ordered our pizzas and a salad. They also offer appetizers and pasta, but my heart and taste buds were set on the pizza.
The food took a while to make since there were only 2 people staffing the restaurant. The chef stayed in the kitchen and methodically worked to bring together each item ordered. The other person was a jack of all trades, serving as hostess, waitress, bartender, sous chef, server, and cashier.
Our salad was a very basic pile of lettuce with a delicious house made dressing. It was super simple, but very tasty.
My son loved watching the chef made our pizzas. He stretched out the dough, covered it in toppings and put it into the oven under the observation of two young eyes. We've made pizza at home several times, but he still enjoys watching to process.
We were so excited to dive into our veggie pizza and house-made bacon, olive, and corn pizza. The combinations were delightful. The addition of corn gave it a Japanese spin, but overall the pizza was similar to the pizza I ate in Italy many years ago. It was simple, flavorful, and the perfect saltiness. I would have happily eaten more, but if eaten slowly it really fills you up. Our family of 3 were filled with just two pizzas and the salad.
The pizzas filled a craving I have been having for quite some time. It is so rare to have such a divine foreign food experience here. I'm so grateful for each and every one we have.
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