{ Clinton St. Baking Company }

2014, Jan 16

I have been searching for a hearty delicious breakfast joint for a while and I finally found one. Clinton Street Baking Co. came from NY and made it’s opening debut at the end of August 2013. This place has a long line out the door as almost every popular Japanese pancake place does, but since it’s in a slightly random location there could be days that you will get lucky to have a shorter line. The first time we came here was during the opening week and the lines weren’t too long so it only took about an hour to be seated. The second time we visited was around 11:30am and the line was ridiculously long so we gave up. The third time was a little earlier around 10AM on a rainy day and we only had to wait about 15min. I think this place became such a popular spot so quickly due to it’s delicious pancakes.

Pictured above are their Blueberry Pancakes + Banana Walnut Pancakes with warm maple butter for 1500yen each. Also pictured are the Huevos Rancheros (1500yen) as well as the Eggs Benedict (1600yen). We’ve also tried their chocolate scone (250yen) as well as the corn bread (250yen). Everything was so good with the single exception of the Eggs Benedict. Sadly I was very disappointed with the uber dry scone under the eggs (instead of the usual english muffin). However, their pancakes and Huevos Rancheros were both absolutely delicious. We also noticed that compared to the first time we visited, their service and kitchen flow got so much smoother which was an improvement. Come here if you want a hearty breakfast and some seriously delicious pancakes.

Their online menu: Link

Address // 5-17-1, Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-6450-5944
Website // http://clintonstreetbaking.co.jp/

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{ San Francisco Peaks }

2013, Oct 15

San Francisco Peaks serves American-style breakfast/brunch food such as pancakes, omelets and burgers but it doesn’t really have much to do with San Francisco in my opinion. The restaurant is very nicely designed and we enjoyed the ambiance. Seems like most people order the pancakes here but the burgers are tasty too. Since the building is 2 stories high, we didn’t have to wait much in line when we got there even though it was 1pm on a Sunday.

We ordered the Avocado Mozzarella Burger for 1350yen and the Buttermilk Pancake with homemade sausage (we chose the ‘Pork Mexicano Chipotle & Smoked Cheese’ Sausage) for 1200yen. Everything was tasty and we enjoyed our meal but the portions were rather small and not exactly “Californian size”.

The restaurant is located in a great area, with easy access to Harajuku/Omotesando/Meijijingumae so you can enjoy shopping and cafe hopping in the area. When we went, it was filled with families, couples and some single guests so it’s a really easy and casual place that anyone can enjoy.

Address // 3-28-7, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5775-5707
Website // http://sf-peaks.com/

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{ Bread, Espresso & — パンとエスプレッソと }

2013, Oct 7

Stopped by this bakery cafe for brunch with Miss E recently. The cafe name in English makes no sense but in Japanese, it’s pronounced “Pan to Espresso to”. They are quite famous for having a good bakery and yummy coffee. I’m sure the coffee/espresso is good because it’s from Omotesando Koffee! However, we happened to visit the cafe on a day that their espresso machine broke so we unfortunately couldn’t order their specialty drinks. FAIL.

They have 2 lunch sets on the weekends. The ‘Weekend Brunch Set'(1500yen) includes an assortment of bread, side dish, ham, butter, honey, and drink. The ‘Panini Lunch Set'(1000yen) comes with a panini of your choice, side dish, and drink. You can also pay an extra 150yen to get soy milk in your coffee if you prefer. The bread was definitely good and the paninis were decent. I’m gonna have to come back here a few more times to fully explore this place.

After we left the cafe, we were walking around Omotesando and a lady came running after us asking us if we would be ok to be photographed for a fashion magazine. At first, we were like huh? I’ve always seen street snaps in Japanese magazines but never thought we’d be asked to be in one. I guess this really does happen! After hearing more about it, Miss E and I decided to pose for the camera. We then had to fill out a short form of what we were wearing and how much each item cost, etc. I’d have to say I’m a little excited/curious/worried about how this is going to come out…sigh*

Address // 3-4-9, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5410-2040
Website // http://www.bread-espresso.jp/

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{ Bowery Kitchen }

2013, May 28

Found an awesome neighborhood diner in town. “Bowery Kitchen” is located near the Olympic park, Komazawa-koen. Since it’s not close to any train station, this diner is filled with locals hanging out with their dogs, families with babies, and friends hanging out for Sunday brunch. If you want to experience a local Japanese diner atmosphere, this place does it well. It feels old but also has a good character to it. The noise, smell and busyness of it really make you feel like you’re in a NY hipster diner despite being in Tokyo.

The menu is large so you have lots to choose from here (and don’t worry, they also have an English menu!). Pictured above are:
– Pumpkin soup (350yen) — yumm
– Prosciutto and avocado Carbonara (1300yen)
– Fruit waffle (800yen)
– Coleslaw (200yen)
– Block Vegetable (850yen)
– Grilled Chicken Garlic Sauce (1000yen) — yumm
– Chicken Rice Omelet (1050yen) — yumm

After your meal, I highly recommend stopping by Komazawa-koen to go on a nice walk, bike ride (they have rental bikes), play with your kids at the kids park, or simply enjoy the beautiful scenery. The park is quite large with lush greenery which is in the peak of springtime right now and it’s a great place to go running or jogging as well. They oftentimes have all types of sporting events going on in the stadiums within the park as well.

Address // 5-18-7 Komazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-3704-9880
Website // http://www.heads-west.com/shop/bowery-kitchen.html

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{ Yocco’s French Toast Cafe }

2013, Apr 12

Yocco’s French Toast Cafe, a new place inside Trainichi (a cute little plaza in Jiyugaoka), opened last month (March 2013) with a concept of serving the best french toast in Japan. The place has a cute decor and it felt like it was going to be a promising experience.

We ordered the “French toast with poached egg and cheddar cheese” for 1400yen and the “Yocco’s Special French toast ~Scrambled Egg with Coquette Gratin of Seafood~” for 1400yen. Both came with maple syrup, red wine vinegar syrup, and pepper. We were so excited to try our plates but I have to say it was just OK. Our food sadly came served cold and the french toast wasn’t a stand out. Perhaps it’s because they are new so they may need a little more time to iron out the kinks. Their dessert french toasts looked good though so it might be worth a shot for dessert instead.

Address // Trainchi A101, 5-42-3, Okusawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan (map)
Phone Number // 03-5483-4600
Website // http://www.lobros.co.jp/cafe2?shop=jiyugaoka

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Tag Archives: brunch

{ Clinton St. Baking Company }

{ San Francisco Peaks }

{ Bread, Espresso & — パンとエスプレッソと }

{ Bowery Kitchen }

{ Yocco’s French Toast Cafe }

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