10 minutes of dithering about which place to visit on Thursday led us past a succession of mediocre-looking washoku places and eventually to Puck’s. I think everyone has been to a Puck’s outlet once; the notable one is surely the cafe right at the top of Takeshita Dori in Harajuku (also known as ‘cosplay street’, and if you get one of the few window tables you have a ringside seat for girls coming from the station and beginning their strolls.). I’ve just remembered that I actually went to the Spago in Roppongi in 2004 before it closed / moved / whatever, good riddance. Even with a Y10,000 discount coupon, I wasn’t that happy with it. All this must be a far cry from what made Wolfgang famous back in the day in LA.
These places are best described as ‘upscale fast food’, and I guess the Express in the name should lead one to expect such things. You have your burgers, you have your pastas, you have your salads, and it’s all tolerable. I had a honey-mustard chicken burger (extremely sweet, “It’s honey mustard” as Wolf pointed out); Ponkan had a regular burger, while Wolf and Choco both went the daily pasta (green; pesto-ish), which I think came with free oomori. I need to say, lest I sound too negative, that the fries are quite good. When Puck used to have a regular Cafe, non-Express, in Roppongi Hillz, the fries were fresh and came in a paper cone; here not so much but still good, with their dusting of green herbs.
I won’t tell you now to go; consider yourself warned and know what you’ll get. Within those bounds, nothing wrong with it. Oh, except that it’s kinda expensive, with the burgers around Y1250.
In bocca al lupo!
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