{  IDEE CAFE PARC  }

IDEE CAFE PARC
IDEE CAFE PARC
IDEE CAFE PARC
IDEE CAFE PARC

After having brunch at Mercer Cafe with Miss E, we decided to walk to Roppongi Midtown since it was only 3 mins away. I usually end up having coffee at Dean & Deluca or Starbucks when I go to Midtown but this time we decided to walk around and explore the upper floors since we never do that. On the 3rd floor, we noticed that one of the interior design stores I like, IDEE SHOP was there. We walked in and noticed that there was a cafe attached to the shop in the back! With excitement, we decided to tea there since it had such a nice open space with balcony seating. We were happy that the smoking and non-smoking section was divided too. Miss E got the herbal tea and I got a latte that came in a cute mug. This cafe is totally a hidden gem, lets see how long we can keep this place a secret :)

Address // Midtown Galleria 3F, 9-7-4, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5413-3454
Website // http://www.idee.co.jp/shop/tmd/

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{  Zenkashoin — 然花抄院  }

Zenkashoin 然花抄院
Zenkashoin 然花抄院
Zenkashoin 然花抄院
The above photo source for the sweets: www.zen-kashoin.com

A traditional Japanese sweets shop & tea house from Kyoto, Zenkashoin is located on the 5th floor of Shibuya Hikarie. Since Hikarie is still very much a new mall/building, the stores and shops are pretty crowded but my friend and I got lucky enough to get a seat here for tea time. We ordered the 1150yen tea set that comes with a drink of your choice (coffee, tea, green tea, matcha, etc) and a choice of dessert. The dessert is a small delicate size and it wasn’t too sweet. We liked the matcha castella icecream sandwich more than the matcha circular castella.

If you sit by the window, you will have a nice overview of Shibuya and the rest of the cafe still has a nice zen-like ambiance. They also sell their ceramic plates, tea sets, and more so you could take a look if you’re interested.

Address // 5F, 2-21-1, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6434-1517
Website // http://zen-kashoin.com/store/hikarie/

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{  Maruichi Bagel  }

Maruichi Bagel
Maruichi Bagel
Maruichi Bagel
Maruichi Bagel

There’s a popular bagel shop in the middle of Shirokanetakanawa neighborhood where you can get freshly baked bagels. It’s a tiny shop with almost no signage so it’s easy to miss, unless there happens to be a line out the door when you visit.

They serve a variety of different bagels, including: plain, sesame, poppy, onion, everything, 7grain honey, 7grain fig, blueberry, salt, cinnamon raisin, and more all costing between 200~250yen. My friends and I all decided to get some sandwiches as you can see from the pictures above — we selected a choice of any bagel + a “half-sized” ingredient (+300yen). If you get the “regular-sized” ingredient, it’s +400yen (but “half-size” was plenty). Most of us got the egg salad for the sandwich and you can add tomato, lettuce, etc for extra. All the ingredients are listed on their website so you can check out if you’re allergic to anything. They make your sandwich to order so the service is a little slow but the staff is friendly and nice. Overall the bagels were yummy, but not amazing. Still, it’s good to know there’s a place where you can get decent bagels in Tokyo when you have a craving.

Note that you cannot dine here, it’s only for take out.

Address // 1-15-22, Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // n/a
Website // http://www.maruichibagel.com

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{  Bistro Tama  }

Bistro Tama
Bistro Tama
Bistro Tama

We’ve been coming to Futakotamagawa more frequently as it’s less crowded and has many of the shops we want to go to. Got hungry at 4pm… so decided to snack here after choosing from many options in this mall. Ended up deciding on Bistro Tama, a French inspired bistro that I was immediately drawn to.

They had a “Mont Sant Michel Rice Omelet with demiglace sauce” for 1100yen so I got that and the other dish pictured above is the Bistro Tama European Spicy Curry for 1200yen. Both were pretty good and satisfied our empty tummy’s. The omelet was so fluffy that it felt like air. Loved the presentation of the dish too. They also had baumkuchen desserts so you can choose that for a mid-day snack too. Since the restaurant is on the 7th floor, you get a nice view of Futakotamagawa if you get to sit by the window.

Address // 7F Dog Wood Plaza, 2-23-1, Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3709-2105
Website // http://www.ccinc-love.com/bistrotama/index.html

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{  œuf pudding by Quatre  }

œuf pudding by Quatre
œuf pudding by Quatre

Just wanted to share the cutest packaging ever which I found on this pudding dessert from Quatre bakery. The pudding is actually inside of a real egg shell and when you purchase the dessert to go, it comes in this most adorable egg carton. I was amazed how they were able to slice off the top of the egg shell so smoothly. I’ve always thought Japanese places have some of the most creative and best best packaging but this was just so cute, I had to share :) The pudding itself was just ok though… I’m glad I happened to have an individual egg holder at home or it would have been very difficult to plate them!

PS: This dessert is pronounced “ufu pudding” (うふぷりん)
PPS: Merry Christmas!!

Address // 3-11-4, Kakinokizaka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5431-3663
Website // http://www.quatre.co.jp/

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