Da Isa: Straight-up, no-nonsense Italian cooking

If you are serious about your pizza, Da Isa in Nakameguro is just the place for you. The credentials of its chef will send a shiver of anticipation up your spine, too – apparently he got into the top echelons of the Pizza World Cup in Naples for three years in a row (Metropolis review here). He was also cooking over at famed Italian joint Napule where Italian expats dine at.

But I’ve to warn you that this is definitely not a fancy place nor a restaurant you would plan a romantic date. It’s got fluorescent lighting and an open-air eatery feel to it and a feverish never-ending bustle.

It suited my Singaporean gal pal and I just fine because many of the eateries back home have this same “kopitiam” (coffee shop) style and it’s really all about the food. Singaporeans don’t care if they are eating in the dreariest, dirtiest of surroundings, as long as the nosh is fantastic.

Since my friend doesn’t like cheese, we ordered their cheese-less marinara pizza and it was simply amazing. It only had a light tomato sauce with fried garlic and fresh basil leaves as toppings, but it was very tasty. The texture of the base was more akin to a chewy naan than a crispy thin crust we often associate with Italian pizza which made it very interesting for me.

“Wow,” was what I thought when my seasonal veggie pasta dish landed in front of me. The portion was big, even for my standards, and would recommend sharing it if you are going with at least another person. I ran before dinner so I could totally put away this meal, but under normal circumstances, this would be too much.

With the generous use of garlic, olive oil, and fresh herbs, this humble dish made me take delight in every mouthful. There was a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top and that was enough to give it the savoury kick it needed. The spaghetti was wonderfully al dente and each slurp released a sigh of satisfaction in my heart. Yep, I love pasta and it’s one of my downfalls.

How could such a simple dish be so scrummy? My conclusion is that their decor may look cheap but they probably don’t skimp on their produce and ingredients – everything was fresh and of good quality.

My girlfriend had the vongole pasta and gave it two thumbs up. She also agreed the portions were very big and laughed, “Only us greedy Singaporean girls can eat this much!” Haha – yes, indeed!

I couldn’t resist trying a dessert even though I was full to the brim and chose the panna cotta as my poison. It didn’t come in your usual custard style bowl but slapped haphazardly on a plate with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top – careless, confident, and authentic would be the words to describe this delicious dessert.

The meal was very affordable and we each paid about 3,000JPY which is extremely cheap in Tokyo for dinner.

Would I return? Yes, only when I need an Italian fix. It’s also not a place you would try to wax and wane over a long chin wag with a friend. The feeling of the place is this: order, eat, and go.

Da Isa
1-28-9 Aobadai, Meguro-ku
Tel: 03-5768-3739
Website: here

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