Spaghetti Pancho is a chain famous for its big-portion Napolitan. The thing about this place is that the more you order, the better the deal gets, and given how they cook it, it really can’t taste bad either. Probably why it seems to be popular all over the country these days.
The place
I was passing by and popped into a branch that happened to be nearby. They’re doing well lately, so there are a lot of branches.
Entrance
Lots of explanations everywhere.
Inside
Feels pretty casual.
The wall
There’s even something called Omu-Napo, and plenty more.
Table
Apparently photos are OK.
Onion soup
Nice and warm.
Teppan egg Napolitan, small
I figured the teppan version would be a bit tastier than the regular Napolitan, so I went with that and added the omelette option. If I’d ordered the regular Napolitan, I probably would’ve added a fried egg.
Close-up
The noodles are so thick that I can’t imagine anyone messing this up, no matter who’s cooking. They seem like they’d hold up even if they sat for a while, and yet the sauce soaks in nicely, so it tastes good too. My only gripe is that it’s not al dente. But even without that, the noodles are so thick there’s plenty of chew. The egg on the hot plate has cheese in it, so it’s rich and gooey, and while a big pile of saucy noodles sounds like it could get monotonous, there are all sorts of free condiments on the table, like Tabasco, Lemosco and extra cheese, so you never get bored.. Plus the bits that got charred on the hot plate are nice and toasty, so ordering the teppan version was worth it..
To explain how this place works: there are four spaghetti sizes. Small is 300 grams and a little cheaper, while regular, large and mega are 400, 500 and 600 grams, all at the same price. So if you’re a big eater, it’s an amazing deal. But honestly, even the 300-gram small is the size of a large serving at a ramen shop, so you might just burst.. Calling that a “small” is something else. Seeing places like this be so popular makes me think the idea that Japanese people eat small portions might be wrong..
And honestly, if you order a mega to take home and share it among a family of four, the price works out well too. Having a place like this nearby would be handy, you could just stop by and pick some up on the way home.
Menu
It looks like there’s a lot to choose from, but really it’s either Napolitan or meat sauce. And in the end, even if you go mega, it’s only the noodles that increase, so you can’t help adding toppings, which means I wouldn’t call it super cheap..
Lemosco
This turned out to be surprisingly good. It’s basically lemon Tabasco, and it adds a fresh, zesty kick. It’s a big world out there, full of curious flavors.
Anyway, this place is on TV a lot, and it was fun watching the staff just plugging away making huge servings of Napolitan on the hot plates. Made me think, wow, there really are people who eat this much..
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