Panzerotti @ Panzedina, Nishi Asakusa, Tokyo

I like pizza and I like fried foods. But when those are combined together, now that will make my gears turn. And luckily for me during a sojourn to Asakusa I found just the spot. 

Hello Kappabashi!

 Asakusa is one of the main highlights of the city, with Sensoji temple being the main attraction there and Skytree not too far from the yonder. However, with the intense influx of tourists, I ended expended a lot of effort in finding a place that is more quiet. I then ended up in Kappabashi and eventually found Panzedina. Panzedina is a cozy Italian bar and cafe which sells just that, deep fried pizza! 

Quaint

Well it is not exactly pizza, but in spirit, it is hard to describe otherwise. Panzerotti is a deep fried street snack that is more closely linked to a calzone, and the doughy pocket is then deep fried until golden brown. The inside is usually stuffed with typical pizza ingredients, which makes it easier for people to visualise how this golden and greasy treat will look like.  And Panzedina is one of the few, if not, the only shop that I know that sells such a thing. 

Glorious

Since it was my first time, I got myself a set which consists of a margarita panzerotti which comes alongside an iced coffee, which stood for 1000 yen. This made for a decent light lunch, although I know that having iced coffee in the middle of winter seems a bit crazy. 

Oh boy!

The outer bits reminded me of a yutiao. The golden exterior was well fried but not too greasy, leaving a delicate crunch, while the inside was a bit fluffy. The filling was classic Italian flavours. Cheese, basil and tomato always deliver, and this was no exception. It was like a curry puff or English pasty, but a totally unique thing on its own. What an interesting experience. And pretty delicious too. Being the early days of winter, having a warm pocket helped my hands feel a bit more comfortable. You have no idea how good it felt having the panzerotti in my hands when the weather is almost single digit. The warmth was extremely comforting. 

This was surprisingly refreshing. 

The coffee was also pretty good. It has a nutty profile which I really like. It was rather strong, and gave me the energy to power through the day. its cold temperature seemed to have lended well and help me clean down this oily treat rather easily without much problem. Then again, it was not that oily that some liquid is needed to clear the gullet. 

Front of the house. 

Overall, this was a pretty nice find and was very unexpected as well. This proves to show that sometimes the best things are unexpected. But alas, I had to bid adieu although I have a feeling I might come here again if I am at this side of the city. So if you fancy a go, then the address is as follows:

2 Chome-23-8 Nishi Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0035, Japan