Bank Bakery

The Kabutocho area of Nihonbashi, long a quiet part of the city, is now a vibrant and cool spot with coffee shops, cafes, and an amazing bakery called Bank. @bank_bakery_tokyo has a colorful selection of sandwiches, tartines, breads, and some pastries. The pate de campagne sando is a thick slice and includes bacon, pickled red…

Nishihara High Street

Nishihara High Street near Hatagaya Station is filled with so many cool shops. I used to live in this neighborhood 20 years ago. It was not this hip back then. Katane Bakery Cafe. Indulged in a basket of breads, salad, and latte. 1,210 yen (only $8). All of the breads are delicious. Picked up some…

Parklet

Parklet Bakery has so many delicious baked goods. I love the cheese scones and the avocado toast. It’s all good here. It’s no surprise as the baker comes from Tartine in San Francisco. Breakfast is the best time to come as hopefully you can get a seat. I’ve stopped by in the afternoon and it’s…

Gargantua

One of the best bites I have had in a while is this seasonal vegetable tart at the #ImperialHotel bakery #Gargantua. Perfectly sliced squashes in gorgeous circles over an herbaceous base. The ham and cheese bun was also amazing. There is a small eat-in area in the popular bakery. The Imperial Hotel is near Yurakucho…

Cheese Toast

Cheese toast at Dixans Patisserie et Café in Kanda, a short walk from Suidōbashi Station (and the Niwa Hotel). I have many clients staying at the Niwa Hotel. I hear such good things about the property. Great staff, nice rooms, and centrally located. It’s a good value hotel. Rates this week look to be about…

Bricolage Bakery

Avocado 🥑 toast at #Roppongi#Bricolage. My favorite bread in Tokyo is the dinkel (sp?) with grains. There is also a branch in #Shibuya #Tokyu #depachika. If the weather is good the outdoor seating is lovely. With owner and chef Namae Shinobu, one of Japan’s great chefs!

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…

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…

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…

Le Pain de Joel Robuchon

One of my favorite bakeries in Tokyo is from the famous chef Joel Robuchon, for savory breads made with excellent ingredients. Le Pain de Joel Robuchon has recently opened near Shinjuku station in the NEWoMaN mall. Imagine one of France’s top chefs creating breads and sweets using French and Japanese ingredients? I love the l’Atelier…

Point et Ligne

In the basement of the Shin Marunouchi building is a Japanese bakery, Point et Ligne, with a retail shop and a cramped café space in the back. The bread is not traditional French, but made for the Japanese market. The breads are soft and made with butter. The crusts are not crispy and the crumb…

Carrot Haystack Sandwich

One of my favorite simple breakfasts in Tokyo is this carrot sandwich at Nihonbashi Bon Coeur. Julienned carrots simply presented between two slices of pain de mie, with a schmear of mayonnaise. The orange haystack is so big that it’s hard to keep contained while eating. There may be butter, or not, I don’t remember…

Focaccia and Ciabatta in Tokyo

My favorite Italian bakery in the city is Peck, which is only found at Takashimaya, both in Nihonbashi and Shinjuku, as well as at the shops in the suburbs. Peck is a gourmet shop in Milano that dates back to 1883. The selection includes Italian cheeses, cured meats, pastas, olive oils, and other pantry staples….

Musashi-Sakai Passage a Niveau

My favorite baguette in Tokyo is found along the Chuo line near Musashi-Sakai station. Passage a Niveau does a three-grain baguette that has a lovely crumb with a chewy crust. The bakery opens at 8 a.m. but the baguettes do not come out until a bit later in the morning. Passage a Niveau is worth…

Manseibashi Hofbackerei Edegger-Tax

Tokyoites have yet another European bakery to add to a rich list that includes Viron, Maison Kayser, Peck (exclusively at Takashimaya), and Gontran Cherrier. What makes this new shop unique is that I believe it is the first bakery in Tokyo from Austria. For German bakeries there is Linde in Kichijoji. (Musashino-shi, Kichijoji Honcho 1-11-27). Hofbakerei…

Food Trends – Shio Pan

As it looks like rainy season has come to an end and summer is officially here it has suddenly become hot. Temperatures soared overnight and for this Minnesotan, the heat is unbearable. Increased salt intake is recommended for heat exhaustion or for acclimating to the heat. A baker in Ehime prefecture came up with this…

Dominique Ansel Bakery Tokyo

Dominique Ansel Bakery Tokyo has finally opened. The local media has been leading up to this event for several months so it is no surprise that there are long lines. The first customers started lining up about 9:30 p.m. the night before, on a wet evening during rainy season. Staff brought out umbrellas for the…

Viron Boulangerie

My go-to lunch when on a run is a sandwich from Viron. Excellent baguettes with a chewy crumb that can stand up to the crispy exterior. The sandwiches are classic French-style including pate de campagne, rillettes, and jambon. The large window display case in the front of the store has a dizzying array of sandwiches…

Le Pain Quotidien at nonowa Higashi-Koganei

I lived in Brussels for a year and one of the things I remember the most is the Le Pain Quotidien down the street from my apartment. The bakery opened up early in the morning so I could stop by and get a croissant or pain au chocolat to start the day. The large communal…

Le Pain Quotidien

For one year I lived in Brussels. Just down the street from my apartment was a Le Pain Quotidien. I went about two to three times a week. Some nights for a baguette to have with wine and cheese. Mornings I could pop in and pick up a croissant. There was a small garden in…