Spaghetei is a Japanese-run Japanese-style spaghetti joint newly added to the Denman end of Robson street.
Dining experience:
There aren’t many places that serve Japanese-style pasta in Vancouver so it is definitely a place I was excited to try.
Since Spaghetei is so new, it was still pretty quiet when we visited. But while we were eating, several people walked by asking to see their menu so it’s definitely catching people’s attention!
Service was very friendly and food came promptly. I also like how they plate their pasta on a little wok-like pan; it’s certainly a cute touch.
Food:
Garlic Bread
Garlic Bread (Complimentary) – 3/5
“Homemade garlic butter with spinach pesto “
The garlic bread was pretty good, with a nice and soft centre. The garlic butter and pesto was tasty too!
Meat Sauce
Meat Sauce ($11) – 3/5
“Minced beef & vegetables topped with a Japanese Bolognese sauce “
The pasta was cooked well and the sauce-to-pasta ratio was also good. As you can see on the picture, there’s meat sauce plus some melted cheddar and mayo (not 100% sure on the mayo because I forgot to taste it individually).
Flavour-wise, this is very similar to the regular Bolognese you’d expect to find elsewhere except the sauce isn’t as thick and oily. You know how there’s often visible oil leftover when you’re done eating Bolognese pasta? That’s certainly not the case here. It doesn’t taste as heavy and fattening as the regular Bolognese and is quite mild in flavor. With the addition of shredded lettuce (typical in a Japanese-style Bolognese), it feels like a blander and healthier version of what you normally get.
Mentaiko
Mentaiko ($13) – 3.5/5
“Spaghetti tossed in spicy Mentaiko (cod roe) with Shimeji and dried seawood on top”
I liked the Mentaiko better than the Bolognese because it wasn’t something you could get from a regular pasta place. Mentaiko sauce is a marinated cod roe sauce that should be creamy and flavorful.
Again the spaghetti was cooked well but overall, this was still a little mild in flavor for my liking and not too impressive. In comparison to the Bolognese, it was more flavorful and had a very slight spiciness to it. There’s about five pieces of squid in there but I didn’t find that them or the mushrooms added much to the dish.
I found the amount of food to be on the small side considering the price charged. Mr. H went in half-full and was still able to finish it so don’t expect to get stuffed there.
All in all, pricy for portion you get and flavors were rather mild. It’d be a good place to try if you haven’t had Japanese-style pasta and happen to not be too hungry.
Ambiance: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
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