Angelo Pietro

It has been a long time since my last visit to Angelo Pietro.  In fact, now that I think about it, the last time I was here was when the restaurant's location on Kapahulu Avenue was still open.  Back then, I think that Pietro's was probably the only Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant around. 

When I arrived for a late afternoon lunch, there were quite a number of people inside the restaurant.  As I was escorted to my table, I happened to glance at the other tables around me to see what everyone else was eating -- looked like a wide variety of dishes.

There was an open view to the kitchen and from where I was seated, I could view all of the action.

After glancing over the menu, I had a difficult time deciding what I would order to start with.  In the end, the fried calamari fritti (US$6.95) won out over the raw potato salad.

A couple dozen calamari rings were lightly seasoned, then breaded and deep fried until they were a gorgeous golden brown.  The crunchy coating contrasted wonderfully with the tender and slightly chewy calamari.  Creamy mayonaisse that had been spiked with lemon juice was served on the side and made an excellent accompaniment to the calamari.

For lunch, I decided to throw all caution to the wind and ordered the natto & bacon spaghetti (US$8.25).

For those of you who don't know, natto is a Japanese food consisting of sticky fermented soybeans.  It has an unmistakable odor, texture and flavor.  I have tried natto only once before, and really have to say that I did not really care for it at all.  However, since so many people recommended this dish to me, I decided that I just had to order it.

When the plate arrived, I saw that the noodles were topped by a mound of chopped bacon and garnished with a mound of kizami nori (thinly sliced dried seaweed) in the center.  As I glanced around the dining room, I saw four others indulging in the same dish.  That made me feel a whole lot better.  Holding my breath, I took the first bite -- noodles, bacon and nori.  The noodles were perfectly cooked, firm and springy, though slightly sticky (from the natto, I presumed).  I thought the flavor of the dish was interesting as it really didn't taste like natto at all.  Eating a bit more, I felt that the noodles were a bit too oily, and overall, I felt that the dish was just a little too salty. 

The dishes here at Angelo Pietro bravely combine elements of both Japanese and Italian cuisine.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  While the natto and bacon spaghetti was an ambitious idea, I felt that the dish itself needed a little improvement.  The prices here are about what you'd expect to pay at other Asian-Italian fusion restaurants -- Bistro Sun and Kit 'N Kitchen come to mind -- and the service here was great.  Have I finally come to accept natto?  Well, not exactly.  Will I come back to eat at Angelo Pietro?  Quite possibly.

Angelo Pietro
1585 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 110
Telephone:  808.941.0555

Comments

[veruca salt]

Pasta looks so yummy. Not sure about the natto though. I have always found them too sticky and very distracting when you try to eat them.

[Kirk]

Hi Reid - I thought you didn't like Natto? Natto and bacon actually sounds like it would work....

[Clinton]

Reid,

We had a Pietro's here in Torrance a few yesrs ago but they went belly up. Assagio's took over and they absconded too (left me holding an unredeemed $50 gift certificate someone had given us). Pietro's in my opinion was very good but I think most people here weren't ready for Japanese-Italian fusion cuisine. The raw potato salad was different but tasty (quite expensive though but one needs to try it once). I still see their salad dressing sold here in markets but all of the restaurants have disappeared.

[keiko]

Hi Reid - I had really yummy seafood flitti in Barcelona, I wish I could have those in the UK... How was the natto & bacon spaghetti?

[MamaBoK]

How was the pasta..?? looked so yummy from here.. :)

[Kathy]

Natto pasta! I'll have to try that when I come home for winter break! I've heard good things about their raw potato salad...if you plan on going back.

[Reid]

Hi Veruca Salt,

The pasta was OK. Just a little too salty in my opinion. To be honest, I really couldn't taste the natto, but their stickiness was transferred to the spaghetti noodles.

Hi Kirk,

I don't like natto! This is only the second time in my life that I've ever had it and it wasn't that bad. I actually couldn't taste it too much because it was chopped up into little bits. I actually thought they resembled pine nuts.

Hi Clinton,

There were two Pietro's restaurants here and the one in Kapahulu closed years ago (it's been replaced by Genki Sushi). I think their food is OK for what it is and I do enjoy the raw potato salad. Didn't have it this time though.

Hi Keiko,

The natto and bacon spaghetti was interesting. The noodles were a bit sticky and I think they used too much oil to cook this. The pasta was actually too salty for me, but it could have been because of the bacon they used.

Hi Mama BoK,

Name change huh? *wink*

The pasta was OK. I only wish they would have used less oil/salt. It would have been so much better.

Hi Kathy,

Actually the raw potato salad is delicious. I was actually going to have it, but realized that I probably wouldn't have finishes if I had eaten the salad, the calamari and the pasta. Oh well, maybe next time! =)

[santos.]

natto is disgusting. i love it. i would probably love that pasta, too.

[anthony]

Japanese actually do Italian pretty well when they want to. I know a semi-conductor engineer that threw in the towel to work in Sicily for a year to start his own wood fired pizza shop in Tokyo.

I'll have the calamari and pass on the natto.

[Jo]

I can see Italnese/Japalian fried foods, calamari there as a good case in point. Please, give me lemon with mine! I can't get past pasta with tomatoes though. I love hearing about and seeing pasta done with other things, but I have never prepared or ordered it without tomatoes of some sort. Well, not Italian style at least. Now then, RAW potato salad? Do tell, can you provide a little more detail?

[MBS]

I had the raw potato salad before...delicious! And it goes well with their dressings.

The rest of their food is hit-or-miss, however. I thought it might be a little to "fusion" for most non-Japanese nationals. Natto substituted for pine nuts? Eek!

[Trisha]

Hi Reid!

I wouldn't touch natto growing up but after working at a sushi shop, I forced myself to try it and after awhile, you get used to it. Now I like it.

I tried the natto curry at the Curry house and you can't taste the natto in it either. The curry is too strong and masks it completely. I did't like the texture combo either with the curry. I haven't tried it in a pasta before. The also have natto cold udon (I think) at Jimbos.

It is possible to like Natto. I like it with shoyu, green onions, mustard, and a little katsuo and wasabi. So I put lots of stuff in it anyway to help with the taste. I also like it mixed in shoyu poke. I guess if you are going to try it again, you should try it that way and over hot rice. :)

[Kirk]

Jo - You've never had Pasta Ala Cabonara or Aglio Olio? Can't get more Italian than that.

Reid - I can understand the Natto, but how did the nori taste in the dish? Maybe to distract from the natto?

[AugustusGloop]

I am thinking there was notta much natto in your spaghetti no?

I can't say I love natto but good for you for having another go!

[Cindy]

Reid,

I managed to sneak to Pietro's while I was in Hawaii (I didn't get to go to as many places as I was hoping to, due to family obligations). I had my favorite, the spinach and mushroom with tomato sauce. I throughly enjoyed it, it was delicious! Oh, and the salad with my favorite miso-sesame dressing was yum! My friend had the natto and bacon, funny enough.

[obachan]

Reid,
I’m a Japanese, but I don’t like natto very much. And here in Japan, natto spaghetti is served at so many Italian restaurants, and I always watch my friends eating that fusion spaghetti from a distance, -- I mean, emotionally. The only way I can eat natto is mixing it with some chopped takana pickles. That takes away the odor almost completely, and the only challenge left for me is the texture…the feeling of the beans slipping away when I try to chew them.

[Jo]

Yea Kirk, I know it's Italian for Italian, but never had either dish. I'm still going for the "perfect" tomato sauce. That is the sauce that was served over spaghetti noodles or rice in Spain. There was/is something to that sauce, maybe the variety of tomatoes, something, that I still strive to reproduce. Until I can, I may never get past pasta with tomato. Believe me, I try!

Ya know, I was almost ready to try natto. But, the beans evade your teeth? ::cringes:: one day maybe...

[Jo]

Perhaps someone should try natto gelato?

[Reid]

Hi Santos,

If you like oily, salty and slightly sticky noodles, then you'd probably like this too. =P

To tell you the truth, it didn't really taste like natto though.

An elderly Japanese woman was seated at the table next to mine and she slurped her whole plate of noodles down before I even ate half my plate!

Hi Anthony,

Actually, there is another fusion restaurant here called Bistro Sun. Apparently, there is a branch in Osaka that has been around for 30 years. The pasta there is unusual and quite good.

I think I'll pass on the natto next time too.

Hi Jo,

So you've never had pasta with cream sauce before? How's about pesto? *wink*

The raw potato salad consists of thinly shredded raw potato, topped with some radish sprouts. You need to shred the potatoes as thin as possible, and use any one of Pietro's dressing which are available everywhere.

Hi MBS,

Long time no hear! I hope everything is going OK with you.

I have to agree with you about the raw potato salad. I love it! But the calamari was nice for a change. As far as the natto for pine nuts, I was making a comparison. The natto was chopped up that I really didn't even notice it was there.

Hi Trisha,

I have never tried the natto curry at Curry House and almost tried it once, but I chickened out. Good to know that you can't taste it. I can just imagine the sticky texture.

As far as natto on hot rice? I think I'll have to pass. Thanks for the tips. Maybe I'll try it again when I'm older! =)

Hi Kirk,

Since they used kizami nori, it was pretty much tasteless. It didn't really distract me from the taste of the natto. I think I was more distracted by the sticky, oily texture of the noodles. I'm just wondering if they have to use more oil when cooking this because of the stickiness of the fermented beans.... Maybe I'll ask next time.

Hi AG,

Actually, you can't really see the natto as it looked like little pieces of pine nuts. They were dispersed throughout the pasta so it wasn't like I was taking a bite out of natto. It was OK for a second try. I just didn't like the texture of the noodles.

Hi Cindy,

I hope you had a nice time while you were here. I'm glad you had the opportunity to "sneak" off to Pietro's. Where else did you sneak off to?

Hi Obachan,

I'm Japanese too and I really don't like natto. I have to agree with you about the texture. The first time I tried natto was on hot rice with a little shoyu and green onions sprinkled on top. I think I only had one mouthful before I had to stop.

It's interesting to know that they serve natto spaghetti in Japan as well. Maybe I'll try it there sometime.

Hi Jo,

Try some natto. Just try to open up the package and sniff those stinky beans...then try to take a few and put them into your mouth....YECH! LOL! =P

[tara]

Hmmm. Natto pasta, I'm still not sold ... but bacon does make everything taste better. Beyond the fact that it is natto, I'm also one that doesn't like beans with pasta - some weird "no mixing starches" compulsion that I have. The calamari look like they have a lovely coating, and would be happily welcomed at my table just about now!

[Clinton]

Had natto once. I can take it or leave it. Don't think I'd stand in line for it though. We tried the pasta at Pietro's with the bacon, asparagus, and some other junk in it which I thought was pretty good. The raw potato salad kind of resembled julienned jicama with no taste to it until you added the various salad dressings on the table. The little radish sprouts gave it a little spice kick to it which was refreshing.

[James]

Reid, I also hate natto... tried it once and I couldn't even swallow!

I've been here a few times and really enjoy their dressings with the raw potato salad. I also tried the calamari last time I went and have to agree they were excellent.

But I have to say if I had to try natto again, I would try it prepared in a pasta like this (or as natto curry at curry house) :P First time I tried natto was natto sushi. Ughhh.

[Midge]

Hmm... Natto and bacon spaghetti? Now, that's something I'll have to try one of these days!

[Jo]

AHHHhh Pesto! Well, that's a whole different story! Yet & still, the only "noodle" I've had it on is my homemade gnocchi. Calling gnocchi "pasta" is kinda iffy in my opinion and I've never really heard anyone say difinitively that they are pasta or dumpling. Even that turns into grey area considering my cultural habits with both things. I make pesto with basil fresh from the garden and toasted walnuts. I like it mixed with cream cheese on crackers. Oh, and guess what? Mix the left over dip with a can of stewed tomatoes... it's a great pasta sauce! But you just gotta have the tomatoes!

[Reid]

Hi Tara,

Long time no hear!

I'm not completely sold on the "no starches with pasta" idea as for some reason or another, I really like to eat rice with baked spaghetti. Maybe it's just the local in me that really likes that.

As far as the natto is concerned, perhaps bacon spaghetti would have been even better!

Hi Clinton,

I would much rather leave natto than take it. The raw potato salad is great and I'm going to have it the next time I'm here.

Hi James,

Natto sushi? YECH! I probably wouldn't have tried that! You're even braver than I am. After I've tried this natto and bacon spaghetti, I'm not so sure that I would even dare to try the natto curry at Curry House.

I have to agree with you about the raw potato salad and the calamari. Hey, maybe next time, I'll have both for lunch. Great idea!

Hi Midge,

Natto and bacon spaghetti seems like a logically good combination. The only thing I really didn't enjoy was the oily, sticky texture of the noodles. The beans are sticky so I assumed they had to compensate by using more oil.

Hi Jo,

Pesto and gnocchi. I really have to tell you that pasta with tomato sauce isn't everything. =)

Although a really well prepared tomato sauce is quite awesome!