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…
Category: coffee
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
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…
Cafe Haiti
Café Haiti has been serving dry curry since 1974. The shop is located in a basement mall near Shinjuku Station called Subnade. Cafe Haiti specializes in coffee and this dry curry dish. The curry is made with minced meat and finely chopped vegetables and is rich with spices. It is served over a bed of…
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…
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…
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…
Mikado Kissaten Hot Dog Breakfast
The morning hot dog set at Mikado kissaten in Nihonbashi. Mikado has been roasting coffee beans and serving coffee since 1948. The shop is also famous for its mocha soft serve. Service here is very kind. Tokyo-to, Chūō-ku, Nihonbashi Muromachi 1-6-7 https://mikado-coffee.com
Parlour Kimuraya Kissaten
The morning coffee set at Kimuraya kissaten in the Shinbashi Building near Shinbashi station. Thick toast, boiled egg, and coffee for 490 yen ($3.50). I added a salad and was tickled. Fun presentation – and pineapples! I love these retro coffee shops. The music playing was from when I lived in Japan in the 80s…
Aoyama Coutume Coffee
Parisian coffee shop Coutume has a branch in the fashionable Aoyama district. I am impressed that they got a nice location on Kotto Dori (street). Coutume offers both single origin pour-over coffees as well as espresso-based drinks. In photos the shop looks brightly lit and white, which it is in the front of the shop….
Hiroshima – Obscura Coffee Roasters
Obscura Coffee Roasters in Tokyo’s young Sangenjaya district has a branch in Hiroshima. The location is sweet as it is in the city center and easy to access to department stores and the Peace Park. It opens at 9 a.m. and has plenty of seating. The front window on this quiet side street brings in sunlight…
Aoyama Blue Bottle Coffee
Blue Bottle has arrived to Tokyo. The first shop, in Kiyosumi, is on the other side of the city for me. So, even though I live in Tokyo it is about an hour from where I live. Blue Bottle’s second shop has opened in Aoyama. It’s a busy shop and not the best place to…
Kichijoji Light Up Coffee
At my local coffee shop, Cribe, in Kokubunji, I often meet coffee shop owners. The other day I met a very young Aihara-san whose shop, Light Up Coffee, is in Kichijoji. Light Up was on my my radar thanks to recommendations from Twitter friends. Arigato, Twitter! Light Up Coffee is about a seven-minute walk from…
Switch Coffee
One of the best part of our job doing food tours is that we make new friends each day. Most of our clients are passionate about food and many come with a list of shops and restaurants to visit while in Japan. A well-traveled coffee aficionado told me that he had been visiting many coffee…
Kokubunji Cribe Coffee
Coffee is hot, hot, hot in Tokyo. San Francisco’s Blue Bottle recently opened in Kiyosumi Shirakawa and lines have been very long. Throughout the city it is becoming easier to find a great cup of coffee. I am thrilled as my own ‘hood, Kokubunji, has its first third-wave coffee shop, Cribe. The owner, Yoshida-san is…
Where to Get Coffee at Tokyo Station – Standby Coffee
I travel through Tokyo Station almost five times a week. Until recently getting a really good cup of coffee in the morning has been a challenge. Finally there is a great little shop serving coffee by Sarutahiko Coffee in Ebisu (Ebisu 1-6-6). Standby opens at 7 a.m. which is often the time I am getting to the…
Food Sake Tokyo 