Salvatore Cuomo at Manza Beach serves authentic Neapolitan food

Bearing the name of a celebrity chef known for appearance on “Iron Chef,” Salvatore Cuomo is a popular Italian restaurant chain throughout Japan.

There are 34 locations in Tokyo alone. Here on Okinawa, ANA Intercontinental Manza Beach Resort is the only place where people can enjoy the popular taste. But having pizza and wine on the beach is sure to match any experience at a Tokyo branch.

More than anything, Salvatore Cuomo is recognized for serving authentic Neapolitan food. The owner chef, who is a Naples, Italy native, dedicated his passion to bringing the taste of his home country and home town to Japan.

In an article by Japan Today, Cuomo explained that most of the materials at his restaurants are imported from Italy. Plus, he passed down authentic hand skills to Japanese chefs, which he describes as the most important implement in making pizza.

Such dedication to serving authentic Neapolitan pizza in Japan is best expressed in a menu item called D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), a pizza served with cherry tomatoes and Bocconcini cheese. The fruity taste of tomatoes and creamy cheese, create a tasty contrast.

The name “D.O.C” refers to an Italian criteria set to prove where food was produced and guarantee the authenticity of materials. “D.O.C” pizza may look simple on the outside, but the rich taste lets customers touch the very best of true Neapolitan food.

This chain earned the best place at Pizza Fest, an international pizza festival, from 2006-08 according to the website.

For lunch, Salvatore Cuomo offers three courses to choose from: Capri, Napoli, and Speciale. Each course comes with two main dishes, which are one pasta or pizza plus a second main dish. Pizzas range from Margherita, Marinara, Quatro Formaggi con miele (pizza with four kinds of cheese), to D.O.C. For some pastas and second main dishes, local food such as Island vegetables, sea lettuce, and Okinawan pork are cooked Italian style.

Whichever course customers choose, Manza Beach is a great place to enjoy the real Neapolitan food. Just like the names of the lunch courses pay homage to the city of Naples, the beautiful view of Manza Beach may be reminiscent of the Naples coastline or the island of Capri, and make the exceptional food even more special.

ANA Intercontinental Manza Beach Resort
Address: 2260 Aza-Seragaki, Onna-son, Okinawa, Okinawa
TEL: 098-966-1211
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ANAInterContinentalManzaBeachResort/

Operating Hours
A la carte Cafe: 2 - 5 p.m.
Lunch: noon - 2 p.m. (Mar - Jun & Oct - Nov), 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Jul - Sep)
Dinner: 5 - 9 p.m. (Mar - Nov)