Packed with bold flavors—the Barayaki beef pasta from Aomori, Japan!

Text and photos by /Papa Seahorse

The Japanese pronunciation of "亭" is "Tei." So when you see a restaurant named 《Spaghetei》—a blend of the Italian word "Spaghetti" and "Tei"—it's not hard to guess that this is a Japanese eatery specializing in pasta.

Spaghetei, hailing from Aomori, Japan, is located on Robson Street in Vancouver’s Downtown West End. Surrounded by other Japanese ramen shops, this spot serving Japanese-style noodles has carved out its own unique path.

Regulars of Japanese-style Italian pasta know that its texture and flavor differ from traditional Italian pasta. Japanese-style pasta often looks more modest when served—with fewer sauces and firmer noodles. This is because the noodles are first boiled, then lightly sautéed in olive oil to remove excess moisture before being mixed with the sauce. Traditional Italian pasta, on the other hand, is typically cooked until just underdone and then directly tossed with sauce, skipping the olive oil sautéing step. As a result, the sauce tends to be richer and more generous, emphasizing the smooth, tender texture of the noodles.

Given its Aomori roots, it’s only natural that Spaghetei’s signature dish is the Barayaki beef pasta. This regional Aomori sauce is somewhat similar to teriyaki—a stir-fry of beef slices and onions, then combined with Barayaki sauce for a tender, sweet-savory bite. The noodles themselves are also stir-fried with a slightly sweet soy sauce, and when paired with the beef, it gives you the feeling of enjoying street food right in the heart of Aomori.

The mentaiko (pollock roe) pasta may look understated at first glance, but it certainly doesn’t taste mild. The noodles are first tossed in a buttery white sauce, then sprinkled with mentaiko and carefully coated over the pasta, releasing a faint hint of brine as you bite in. The shrimp are plump and springy, while the shiso leaves, seaweed, and fresh mushrooms mixed into the pasta double the flavor and texture complexity.

The clam pasta features a generous amount of ingredients, though it didn’t quite win me over. To be fair, the clams were cooked just right—not dry or tough—and the sauce was sweet and savory. But the flavor was reminiscent of stir-fried clams from a typical Taiwanese fast-food joint: decent, but lacking any wow factor or that irresistible urge to pick up each clam and slurp up the juice the moment it’s served.

Then there’s the clam soup spaghetti, also clam-based—but the moment it arrived, it drew immediate “wow”s. Bursting with color, the rich cream-based soup was dotted with shelled clams floating on the surface. When you lifted the noodles, the white sauce cascaded down like a waterfall. Take a sip of the broth, and the umami of the clams, together with the aroma of crisply fried bacon, hits you straight in the senses... On a cold winter day, this bowl will chase all chill away.

Beyond the pastas, the appetizers are also worth getting excited about. The spinach-garlic bread looks surprisingly intense, with its vivid green almost making you think it’s overloaded with artificial coloring. But once you take a bite, the strong garlicky flavor reassures you—the subtle taste of spinach confirms the color comes naturally from chlorophyll.

The mentaiko tofu is another eye-catching side dish. Sliced tofu is drizzled with a miso-mayonnaise sauce mixed with plenty of mentaiko. The usually plain-tasting tofu plays its supporting role perfectly here. Topped with a sprinkle of cilantro, the contrast between mild and salty brings a rich umami burst in a simple presentation.

You have to admire the Japanese—they can take any food, as if performing the “Kunlun Big Move” from Jin Yong novels, and with just a few steps transform it into something deeply infused with Japanese flair. What would happen if the Leaning Tower of Pisa merged with Tokyo Skytree? Try Japanese-style Italian pasta and you’ll see!

Papa Seahorse
A Gemini man born under the air sign, he worked as a senior marketing and PR executive for multinational corporations before turning 45. After 45, he moved to Canada. Now, alongside his teenage sons, he plays the role of a dad through spring blossoms, summer sunshine, autumn foliage, and winter rain and snow in a foreign land, while documenting what he sees and hears in Vancouver.

Blog:My Van Life (my.van.life)Fan page:Papa Seahorse’s Vancouver Diary

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