Enjoy Nara’s great food selection/NaraExplorer

PINOCCHIO: (Central Nara/Original cuisine using vegetables, millet, salty rice mold); Relaxing café and dining moment in an atmospheric old Japanese house

<Overview>: PINOCCHIO is a relaxing and modern café and dining establishment located in a 100-year-old traditional Japanese house. You will need some time to decide what to order as PINOCCHIO offers a variety of menu options: pizza, pasta, rice omelet, pilaf (fried rice with toppings), doria (grilled rice with white sauce), and more. Many locals and tourists have been fans of PINOCCHIO for many years since their opening in 1968. Their home-made tube cake of the day is very popular. Try their freshly baked fluffy tube cake with home-roasted coffee for a break during your sightseeing in Nara.

<Recommended Items>: Rice omelet: 680 yen / Spaghetti peperoncino: 680 yen / Tomato & cheese pizza: 735 yen / Rice bowl topped with deep-fried beef fillet: 780 yen

<Shop Data>: Tel: 0742-22-4215; A 5-min. walk from JR Nara Sta., on the south side of Sanjo; Open:11:00-22:00 (L O: 21:30) / Closed:Thurs.

Geppoh: (Central Nara/French cuisine); Unique mixture of Japanese and Western in dishes and interior

<Overview>: A short walk from the main Sanjo Street, there is a unique restaurant in a narrow lane. Geppoh is a French restaurant, though it doesn’t look so from its old style Japanese entrance. The building used to be a soba noodle shop and Geppoh’s owner decided to use the original Japanese-style counter seats in the front space of the restaurant. Then, when you step into the other side, there are western-style table seats in a room decorated with artworks. The Lunch Set is reasonably priced from 750 yen. Popular Hana course includes a choice of 6 main dishes (recommended is the incredibly delicate beef cheek meat stewed in red wine). Other a la carte dishes are also available.

<Recommended Items>: Lunch: A set: 750 yen (soup or miso soup, salad, main dish, bread or rice) / B set: 1,300 yen (plus dessert) / Beef stew set: 2,000 yen / Dinner: Hana course: 3,500 yen (hors d'oeuvre, soup, main dish, bread or rice, dessert, coffee); choose from one of 6 main dishes (fried shrimp, stewed cow’s cheek meat with red wine, white fish sauté, etc.) / Steak course: 3,150 yen

<Shop Data>: Tel: 0742-26-4325; About 5 min. walk to the south along Konishi Sakura St. from Kintetsu Nara Sta.; Open:11:30-14:00, 17:30-22:00 / Closed:Sun.; http://irori-tanaka.hp.infoseek.co.jp/