Carbo

Located in the area north of Senso-ji Temple (often referred to as the back of Asakusa), Carbo is a spaghetti specialty restaurant. It can be reached on foot in about 15 minutes from Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, and is also accessible from Asakusa Station on the Tsukuba Express and Iriya Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. The restaurant specializes in Tokyo-style pan-fried spaghetti, commonly known as "Romespa."

"Romespa" is a Japanese portmanteau derived from Romen (a term for casual, quick-service standing soba noodle shops) and Romen-ten (street-level casual diners). Distinct from authentic Italian pasta, it represents a unique Japanese business-district food culture centered around fast, affordable, and hearty comfort food. The defining characteristic of Carbo is its unique adaptation of this style, focusing on intentionally scorching the pre-boiled thick noodles.

The restaurant uses 2.1 mm thick spaghetti. Every morning at a dedicated prep kitchen, 32 kg of noodles are boiled in 4 kg batches using a large volume of water to prevent uneven cooking. The noodles, which would normally take 14 minutes to cook, are removed after 10 minutes, chilled in cold water, drained, coated in oil, and left to rest in a refrigerator for one day. This resting process allows the moisture to penetrate evenly into the core of the noodles, creating a distinctly chewy texture when pan-fried over high heat.

When an order is placed, the portioned noodles and ingredients are spread onto a heated frying pan, and water is added to steam-cook them. Once the water evaporates, the ingredients are moved to the top of the noodles to prevent burning, and the noodles are firmly flipped and seared to create a crisp, charred surface. This combination of a chewy interior and a crunchy exterior is intentionally crafted to pair well with beer and other alcoholic beverages. The dish is finished with mayonnaise, and the surface is torched before serving. The cooking process in the kitchen is highly efficient, taking only about three minutes.

In addition to its signature "Carbo" dish, the menu features options such as "Napolitan" (Japanese ketchup-based spaghetti), and takeout options are available.