Japanese-Italian Café Chain Pronto From Tokyo Coming To Singapore

Pronto Caffe & Bar — whether or not you've eaten here, you’ve probably seen this Japanese-Italian casual restaurant chain if you’ve been to Japan. After all, it has over 260 outlets across the country. In fact, it's in practically every Japanese neighbourhood. It serves affordable breakfast sets (from $5), pastas (from $12 as a set meal), pizzas, desserts and coffee by day; alcohol (from $8) and bar grub by night. And the Tokyo-born brand is opening its first branch in Singapore on June 13 at new Japanese food enclave Gochi Church Street Japan Kitchen located at, well, Church Street in Capital Square.

There will be a total of six concepts at Gochi Church Street Japan Kitchen, including new-to-Singapore brands like Chojiro (pictured above), an affordable conveyor belt sushi chain from Osaka with over 50 outlets in Japan, plus unagi specialist Unaemon from Yokohama, which boasts over 150 years of history. All of the eateries are brought in by the same folks behind the Singapore franchise outlets of Japanese confectionery shop Morozoff and Hokkaido soup curry chain, Suage.

But back to Pronto — think of it as a quick-service restaurant, café and bar rolled into one. Perhaps somewhat like a hybrid of a slightly fancier Japanese-style PastaMania and Starbucks. There are plans to set up more outlets in Singapore next year.

Dishes include affordably-priced pastas with a hint of Japanese flourishes, like the “Japanese Style of Pork and Spicy Greens” spaghetti, or the more traditional Eggplant with Bacon in Tomato Sauce pasta. Pictured here is the Salted Basil Of Small Shrimp And Rucola . Hur hur.

Padding up the menu are ultra thin-crust pizzas, meat platters and other savoury bites.

Cakes at Pronto are more Nippon in style than Italian — take for instance, this fluffy White Peach Roll Cake on its Tokyo menu.

And chiffon cakes, including this citrusy number.

PHOTO: Pronto

This being a Japanese-Italian chain, you can expect green tea beverages on top of the usual coffee, such as creamy matcha lattes.

PHOTO: Pronto, Facebook

There’s alcohol as well to go with the pasta and pizza. On top of beers, whiskies and wines, there are Japanese-friendly cocktails, such as this Frozen Lemon Sour.

Pronto opens 13 June at #01-02/08 Capital Square, 23 Church St, S049481. https://www.pronto.co.jp/global/​​​​​​​

PHOTOS: Pronto