Al Solito Posto

This Aoyama pizzeria is anything but ordinary

Photo by Tsutomu Fujita

Hanging prominently in the entrance of Al Solito Posto is “License 190,” issued by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. According to its bylaws, a “true” traditional pizza must be cooked in a wood-fired oven, use only San Marzano plum tomatoes, all-natural fior-di-latte, or bufala mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, salt and yeast. It must be made with doppio zero flour, the high-protein Italian flour as fine as talcum powder, and the dough should be worked by hand on a marble slab.

Meeting the requirements of this coveted license takes dedication, a commitment to traditional techniques and a respect for local ingredients. And maintaining these standards does not come cheap, but the tangy, smoke-tinged pizzas that come out of that brick oven are definitely worth it. This is some of the best pizza in town.

The ten pizzas on the menu are priced from ¥1,900 to ¥2,600. In addition to classics like the margherita, marinara, Napoletana, or quattro formaggio, the lineup includes a daily special or two with toppings like spinach and fresh porcini mushrooms, or rucola and Parma ham.
But Al Solito Posto is not just a pizza joint. The menu includes a wide choice of antipasti, pastas, carne, pesce and a very popular dessert selection. All their produce comes from small, family-run farms such as the Kawada farm in Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture. They grew the lettuce and vegetables for a recent insalata verde (¥1,200) including zucchini, trevise, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and the pleasantly bitter white goya. The salad was subtly flavored with a dressing that stubbornly remains a secret. The chef will not reveal it.

Autumn is fresh porcini season, and sometimes on weekends, depending on deliveries from Italy, you’ll be lucky enough to have them served freshly grilled. But you’ll also find them in pasta. The porcini impart an earthy, meaty flavor and aroma that’s irresistible. Seasoned with parsley and a hint of peperoncini, this spaghetti dish should not be missed (¥2,000). The chef is also a deft hand at fresh pasta. A recent menu featured the winning combination of house-made linguine with Taraba crab, garlic and plum tomatoes (¥2,100).

Emiko Sabashi, the owner-manager, makes sure that something special is going on almost every night at Al Solito Posto. On Tuesdays, a singer of Napoli canzone strolls table to table, accompanying himself on the guitar. And Thursday night is gnocchi night: ethereal dumplings of pumpkin, chestnut, potato, or black sesame.

Her wine list offers four reds and four whites by the glass, from ¥1,000 to ¥1,500. Bottles are ¥4,000-¥15,000. The Sicilian rosso, Cerasuolo di Vittoria (¥6,300) is very fine. A few beers are available, including the reliable Moretti, plus a fine lager, Birra Messina from Sicily.

Al Solito Posto is slightly upscale. And very popular with women who appreciate Sabashi’s attention to detail, the white interior and the clean, spare design. They also like the array of luscious, eye-catching tarts and cakes filling the display case in the entrance. For dessert, you’ll wander downstairs and choose two (or three) thin slices of tart: pumpkin, chestnut, Macedonia fruit, tiramisu, blueberry, fig, chocolate or pannacotta.

Al Solito Posto roughly translates as “the usual place.” Perhaps, like me, it will become yours.

3-5-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5770-7088. Open Tue-Sun, 11:30am-3pm. (L.O. 2pm), 6-10:30pm. (L.O. 9:30pm), closed Mon. Menu in Japanese and Italian (Pio, the Italian waiter, speaks English). Non-smoking section available. Nearest stn: Gaienmae. Reservations recommended. www.alsolitoposto.com

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