Pasta @ Craft Beer & Pasta Tobacco Shop (Non-smoking), Fukuoka

 Sometimes it’s the things that you discover along the way while exploring that surprise you rather than a journey with a deliberate destination. And this is one of those moments. During one of my lunch sojourns, I was really racking my head on what to eat, seeing that I have tried most of the best that Ropponmatsu has to offer. However, after a brief stroll, I have discovered an interesting pasta spot that deserves your attention. And the name of this place is, Craft Beer & Pasta Tobacco Shop (Non-smoking) or ブルワリー&パスタ煙草屋（禁煙）in Japanese. Man this is probably the longest name of a place I ever had for this blog. And that is saying something! 

Swanky!

The establishment serves well, you guessed it, pasta. It is a no brainer especially when you see the name. it has been a while since I had pasta for lunch, so this was greatly welcomed. With regard to their lunch offerings, they have a lunch set that stands at 1400 yen. It sounds quite hefty from the looks of it. However, it consists of a salad, a drink, a mini dessert along side the pasta. So as an overall package, it seems like a decent deal. As it was my first time there, I asked the staff for what was their main star. They recommended the tomato base sauce with thick cut bacon, which eventually became my choice for that day. For the avoidance of doubt, no tobacco was involved during this lunch. 

The salad was actually not bad. 

The salad itself was not bad. Although it was somewhat the bog standard, I liked the crunchy onion bits that came with it. The saucy dressing was fruity and slightly tart, which provided a nice introduction to the overall meal. Nothing groundbreaking, but still comfortably familiar. 

A red letter day.

With that being said, I could say the same about the plate of pasta that came before me. It was that familiar hue of red and orange. It was quite fragrant though, as the sweet smell of tomatoes slowly permeate into the air. The bacon was decent, but again not groundbreaking. It was decently fatty, and the grease from the porky strips infuse with the tomato base sauce provided a warming flavour which I really enjoy. Again, something that was somewhat familiar and simple. But it was done well. And the portion was pretty decent too. So once I was done with this, I was rather satisfied. 

Double tea combo. Jokes aside, the pudding was outstanding

To finish it all off, there was the dessert, that came in the form of a brown tea pudding. This one was actually quite special. The aroma of the nutty tea hits you like a brick, and you can feel it explode in your mouth just as you put your spoon into it. The texture was creamy and slightly silky. It was extremely delightful. The drink that came with it was rooibos tea. I was tempted in getting some coffee, but as I was already had too much caffeine in the morning, I think some restrain is needed. Otherwise, I would end up being highly strung. 

Front of the house. Pretty neat huh. 

Overall, this was a pleasant lunch that caught me by surprise. And one word pops to my mind and that was “aesthetic”. Everything seemed so neat and pretty. From the interior of the place and the food that was served. Also, it is worth noting that this place runs as a bar at night. So if you want to impress a special someone or bring your colleagues out to a slightly haughty night, this is probably a place to be. Although I have to admit again, that the price may be a bit steep for the average lunch, it is still worth the shot. And if that has caught your attention, why not try their pasta or their late night drinks? The address is as follows:

2 Chome-3-25 Ropponmatsu, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, 810-0044, Japan