Tutu Focaccia and Wine — As Seen In Japan

I forget: have I ever mentioned that WE’VE BEEN TO ITALY? It’s true. We have. I hardly ever bring up my international travels or the many fine restaurants I’ve been to. That’s one thing you get with me: shy modesty. I don’t brag. It’s just not who I am.

Because we are experts on Italian cuisine, when we found out there was an Italian sandwich place walking distance from where Ricky gets his hair cut, we knew we had to expertly offer our expert opinion of expertise and pass judgment as to whether this eatery was authentic enough for two seasoned travelers such as ourselves.

Tutu in Gakugei-Daigaku

Tutu Focaccia and Wine is a small shop in Tokyo’s Gakugei-Daigaku neighborhood, which is also home to a Woodberry Coffee, some fabulous used/vintage clothing stores, and a lot of international food. It’s definitely a hip up-and-coming neighborhood, and therefore the perfect spot for a gourmet sandwich place. As we found out, however, it may be a little too perfect of a spot.

One of a long row of fancy-pants food places a short jump from the train tracks, Tutu has a smattering of outdoor tables, all of which were full when we arrived. Inside, the shop is quite small, and was packed with people either waiting to order or waiting to get their food. If that sounds a lot like my initial description of Tonton Garby, the best sandwich place in the world, you are correct: at first glance, it did share some commonalities, and the similarities didn’t end with the line.

The woman behind the counter asked us if we wanted our order for here or to go, and seemed panicked when we said we would be eating there. We were in luck, because one of the two standing tables (in other words, no chairs) inside was vacated right when we arrived, so we got it. We ordered two sandwiches and a 900-yen organic apple juice that I don’t think was worth 900 yen. We paid and went to wait.

As Eriko went to get us some self-serve water, I looked outside and noted that of all the pairs at the various tables, none of them had food in front of them. This was concerning. Looking behind the counter, I saw that beyond the woman taking orders, there were only two people back there making sandwiches. I’d say they needed a few more.

We don’t mind a long wait for a sandwich, so we were okay standing there. Eriko said she secretly hoped it would take long enough that we would get something for free, but alas, we didn’t. After 40 minutes, we finally got our food. That’s not as bad as the hour we waited at Tonton Garby, but this place doesn’t offer the spectacle that one does.

We did, however, get to watch them make all their fancy sandwiches, and cut the focaccia, the main selling point. It looked crispy and fresh and warm, and we were stoked to see two rather big sandwiches plunked down on the counter for us.

Porchetta sandwich with homemade hot sauce and arugula

Our first sandwich was the more savory of the two, featuring porchetta (which I noticed they warmed up after they sliced it), hot sauce, and arugula. The sandwich was fairly simple, and unfortunately was a bit slim on the porchetta. I mostly just tasted arugula. The hot sauce was okay, but was a standard hot sauce. I generally think porchetta, unless you’re getting the crispiest outer bits, is a bit lacking in flavor on its own and needs other things to pair with it. This sandwich was mostly arugula and bread, with a sprinkling of olive oil on top.

But oh, man, that bread. The focaccia here is legit, folks. You heard it from me. I’m not saying it’s the best focaccia I’ve ever had, but best in Japan? Maybe. If you told me this bread had been shaped and sliced by a hairy Italian man screaming at his brother the whole time, I would have believed you.

All in all, a good, tasty sandwich, but not as bursting with meat as I would have hoped for $11. That said, it was big enough to make a satisfying lunch for one person on its own (though not as big as some of the sandwiches we’ve had in Tokyo). But we were sharing, which meant we had another sandwich to try.

Prosciutto and kiwi sandwich with gorgonzola, walnuts, and honey

A sandwich with meat and fruit? Of course, this immediately made us think of Tonton Garby, so we were excited to try it.

One thing you should know: I love kiwi. I’m sure you think you love kiwi, but I love it more. I eat 2-3 kiwi a day when I can get them. Unfortunately, right now they don’t have any of the golden kiwi I like at our local supermarket, so I don’t know where Tutu gets their kiwi, but I’m jealous.

The sandwich had kiwi, prosciutto, gorgonzola, walnuts, and honey, topped off with that delicious focaccia. It looked pretty packed, especially compared to the other sandwich, and I have to say, this one did not disappoint. It was delicious.

The kiwi was great. The prosciutto was great. The cheese was tasty. The walnuts were top-quality (I also eat walnuts every day). The honey added a delicious sweetness. Everything was well-proportioned and yummy. Each bite brought a different element to the forefront. We liked the first sandwich, but we were fighting over this one. If I lived in this neighborhood, I would get this every day.

That brings us to the one problem with a sweet sandwich. We got both a savory and a sweet sandwich, but if you’re by yourself, would this be too sweet to eat on its own? Tough to say, since we didn’t have to worry about that, but you might want to get some fries (looked like a pretty small plate) or soup (beet soup when we were there) to give yourself a counterpoint. Or just eat two sandwiches, fatty.

Conclusion: is Tutu worth the trip to Gakugei-daigaku?

On the walk back, I asked Eriko what she would give Tutu on a scale of 1 to 5. She said 5.

“Really?” I said. “We waited 40 minutes.”

“I don’t count that,” she said.

“Well, what if you did?”

“4.”

I agreed. 4/5 it is.

Tutu is a place you should only go to on Saturday for lunch if you have a lot of time. Other days or times of day might be better. But you’ll probably be waiting. That’s okay, though. It’s worth waiting for.

No, it wasn’t as good as Tonton Garby, but in a city where a delicious sandwich is worth an hour on the train, Tutu is definitely up there. If you’ve never had a gourmet sandwich on freshly-baked focaccia, get yourself down there and try it.