Good Eats: Wolfgang Puck Cafe

I don't like eating out full stop. I only ever do when I'm away on holidays (which is about 3 or 4 times a year, a considerable blow to my working class pockets) or when the moon is blue. So whenever I do, it's experiencing grub that's usually something I can't recreate in the kitchen. Otherwise, my frugal self can't see any point to it.

Nagoya isn't as spoiled for choice unlike Tokyo or Osaka when it comes to international franchises but we do get a fair spread for the occasional epicurious.

I don't know what came over me that Thursday afternoon but it was a good thing I decided to join my workmate for lunch out. Working around the CBD can be very confronting in the face of endless choices but we decide on Wolfgang Puck Cafe.

If Wolfgang Puck were an aircraft, the Cafe would be its coach seating. It's the casual dining franchise of the celebrated TV chef. The prices match the dishes on offer's simplicity. One thing you should know about Japan is that food for value is best had at lunch as most restaurants offer a separate menu at very reasonable prices. Take for example the Cafe's Pasta set: a salad, pasta of the day and unlimited non-alcoholic drinks (boo).

Baked rosemary chicken with mashed potatoes

Cheeseburger

We snubbed the pasta set and opted for a la carte instead. I don't mind eating alone as I usually do but the good thing about sharing a meal with at least one other person is that you get to call splitzies and pick off each other's dishes (given the strength of your relationship and all).

We had a salad and some cold tropical tea to line our stomachs before our mains came. This was my first burger since my reconversion to being carnivorous. My eyes lit up at the sight of it--it was huge (I couldn't finish my half)! I've no criticisms over it but I don't remember being crazy about it either. It was just as how a cheeseburger should be. The chips on the side were very excellent however. Thin, crispy and well-seasoned. I definitely prefer the rosemary chicken as it was just the right portion and I liked that it was well-balanced between the breast and the thigh. It also helped that the gravy on it was spot on.

Triple chocolate cake with a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream

It was funny because I've been trying to nip my snacking/dessert habit in the bud but their 300yen desserts were hard to ignore. Do any of you know where can I buy willpower??? I didn't spoil the experience by feeling pangs of regret though, as if you look at the photo, it was a tiny slice. We got what we paid for and the dietitian's seal of sugar dose approval, too!

Allow me to segue but service for me stands at 60% of a dining experience and when you eat at a restaurant like Wolfgang Puck, expecting good service is justified. Our mains weren't served at the same time (major pet peeve), they didn't dish out our plates all at once, and frankly, our waitress looked like she hated life. In short, she was sporting a bitch face the whole time. It was very annoying and the thought of it ticks me off, really. Sorry, I can get carried away by these things hence the tweet that bore an interesting story.

I don't know if our experience was a one-off as it was my first and only time to eat there and though I did tell Wolfgang Puck that I'd return for the food, I'm not sure I will. That waitress' bitch face has just ebbed in my memory bank and I have no keenness to be reminded of it. :s


Wolfgang Puck Cafe
1-13-2 Higashisakura
Higashi Ward, Nagoya
+81 52-957-5755

*iPhone snaps