Kissa Royal

The morning set at Kissa Royal, only 650 yen ($4.75), includes coffee, toast, an egg, and a cabbage salad. Kissa is short for kissaten – the old school coffee shops. I love having breakfast at kissaten. Sometimes it is as simple as a piece of toast, boiled egg, and coffee. The shop was quiet. On…

Kyoto Pickles

In Kyōto station is Doi, a tsukemono Japanese pickles buffet restaurant. There is a selection of pickles and vegetable dishes. Kyoto is famous for pickles and there are a few pickle companies that have restaurants associated with them including Kintame and Nishiri. If you love tsukemono do plan on having one meal in Kyoto at…

Kyoto Ogawa

The morning toast set at Ogawa kissaten in Kyoto. This branch is located just across the street from Kyoto Station on the north side. @ogawacoffee Shimogyō-ku, Higashi Kōji-chō 902 https://www.oc-ogawa.co.jp/shop/ #foodsakeTokyo #foodsakeKyoto #coffee #kissaten #toast #Kyoto #Kyotomorning #Kyotokissaten #京都グルメ #京都モーニング #トースト #コーヒー #京都駅 #京都駅グルメ #Japan #Japantraveltip

bread, espresso &

bread, espresso & is an excellent bakery with several branches including Omotesando and this café in Shibuya at Miyashita Park on the second floor. Breakfast morning set here includes cheesy toasts, including one with truffles, or this cheese omelet with salad. It was busy on a recent weekday morning open from 8:00 a.m. Popular shop…

Bagel Breakfast

I was so excited at this cheap breakfast I spilled the coffee. Only 450 yen ($3.40) and it includes the coffee. Today’s bagel was kokutō or black sugar. The boiled egg comes with a bit of salt that is wrapped up in paper. I almost missed it at first as the paper package is so…

Kyoto Poco Kissaten

Near Kyōto station is Poco kissaten. I picked it for breakfast as it was open from 6:00 a.m. The morning sando set is a bargain 650 yen ($5) and includes a cup of coffee. The sliver of a shop is in a retro building in a part of the city that is being completely rebuilt…

Renoir Kissaten

Renoir is a kissaten chain with branches throughout Tokyo. The morning set starts at only 60 yen (45 cents) on top of the price of a drink for a thick slice of toast, soup, and a hard boiled egg. Coffee starts at 730 yen ($5.50). The special sando morning set includes a teriyaki chicken sandwich…

Nihonbashi La Fresa Kissaten

Finally made time to visit this historic kissaten old school coffee shop. This tuna sandwich morning set, with a boiled egg, salad, and fresh strawberries comes with a cup of siphon coffee is a bargain 550 yen ($4). Seriously, one of the best values in Tokyo. The regular customer who sat next to me got…

City Bakery

The deli plate at @citybakeryjapan. Only 990 yen ($7). There is also selection of breads, both sweet and savory. Many of my clients say that they feel like they are not getting enough vegetables when visiting Japan. So this is one option to get one’s fill of vegetables. Sadly City Bakery has closed in New York…

Tsukiji Toritoh

The tori jūbako at Tsukiji Toritoh. A bed of rice topped with ground chicken with a kick of ginger, bonjiri – the fatty part from the chicken, chicken liver, and chicken with a sweet teriyaki sauce. A small plate of pickles because the meal needed vegetables. 🙂 Toritoh started in 1907. Toritoh  Chūō-ku, Tsukiji 4-10-18…

Tsukiji Hoshino Coffee

My go-to Tsukiji coffee shop is Turret Coffee. Recently had a client who drinks tea so went instead to Hoshino Coffee. The morning service options includes coffee with a ham and cheese #toast for ¥730 ($5.40). The kissaten overlooks the main Tsukiji intersection. https://www.hoshinocoffee.com Tsukiji 4-7-5 Hoshino Coffee is located next to the Tokyo Sushi…

Shinbashi Oniyanma Udon

Bowl of cold handmade udon noodles topped with tempura of chicken and chikuwa grilled fish cake at Shinbashi Oniyanma. Oniyanma is from Shikoku known for udon noodles. We’re lucky to have this in Tokyo. This casual tachigui stand-and-eat shop is near Shinbashi station. There is a vending machine in front of the shop. This is…

Odamusubi Breakfast in Shinjuku Station

新宿駅のおにぎりモーニング。 Onigiri breakfast at Shinjuku station. Odamusubi is part of Odakyu department store. Diners have a selection of onigiri filled with tart umeboshi, pickled takana greens, spicy mentaiko cod roe, and more. The breakfast is rounded out with three small dishes and miso soup. I love that some of the onigiri is made with rice…

Shibuya Woodbury Coffee

Avocado toast at Woodbury Coffee located between Shibuya and Ebisu stations. Excellent espresso. Diners choose between a light or dark roast. Busy produce shop nearby. Branches in Daikanyama, Yoga, Gakugei Daigaku, and Ogikubo. My friend tells me the salads are delicious. Grateful to my friends for putting this on my radar. They love it so…

TKG Raw Egg 🥚 Over Rice

Raw eggs over a bowl of rice is a popular breakfast in Japan. TKG (tamago kake gohan) is the nickname for raw egg over rice. At Ginza Matsuya there was a pop-up of gourmet eggs for TKG. Japan Tamago Kake Gohan Lab has a selection with tasting notes for each egg. Six eggs for 900…

Tsukiji Gyūdon at Kitsuneya

Kitsuneya at #Tsukiji Market is famous for offal (horumon in Japanese). The sliver of a shop also has a delicious #gyūdon, #beef #donburi #rice bowl. Napa cabbage #tsukemono pickles rounds out the meal. The leaves are squeezed into a tight bundle. Sprinkle with shichimi seven spice. Peel away the cabbage in layers. Kitsuneya is super…

Tokyo Station Aroma Kissaten

Aroma is a kissaten in the underground Yaechika mall at Tokyo Station. It is on the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station. Yae short for Yaesu and chika for basement. Aroma’s morning set is a bargain 600 yen ($4.50). Coffee, boiled egg, thick cut toast, butter, jam, and azuki sweet red bean paste. The siphon coffee…

Saito’s Coffee Kissaten

Saito’s Coffee has been in business since 1948 (Showa 23). On a quiet back street between Kanda Station and Mitsukoshi department store. Before work the kissaten coffee shop was quiet. Most of the customers walked in for a cup of hand drip coffee for a bargain 250 yen ($1.90). To sit down inside away from…

Salmon and Ikura Rice at Tsukiji

Delicious start to the day at Tsukiji Tadokoro Shokuhin, a fish roe specialty shop. The eat-in counter has rice and pasta dishes with ikura (salmon roe), tarako and mentaiko (both from pollack roe). There is also onigiri or omusubi rice balls stuffed with roe for take-away. This is rice sauteed in butter and soy sauce…

Le Pain Quotidien Roppongi

When I lived in Brussels my local bakery was Le Pain Quotidien. I loved sitting at the wooden communal table sharing jars of jam and nutella with the other diners. The ham and Gruyere cheese omelette with a side salad and bread is a nice start to the day. The bakery has three jams and…