The key is to start your mornings
with elegance! Tokyo mini-celebrity breakfast
Make sure not to overlook breakfast when you're out enjoying the foods of Tokyo! Elegant, sumptuous “mini celebrity breakfasts” are a stealthy fad right now. We take a look at some perfect breakfast spots for the traveler by asking Rie Kawamori, a food writer, for some tips on breakfast in Tokyo. (above photo: Le Pain Quotidien)
Rie Kawamori
A food writer, Kawamori became a freelance writer after a stint as an editor at a restaurant magazine. From Korean BBQ and ramen to French and Italian food, Kawamori writes on general food trends for both specialized and general magazines, and for the Web. She has a passion for sweets and Japanese sake.
http://ameblo.jp/ri-ka-wa/
The "world's best breakfast" that has Hollywood celebrities talking
Called the "world's best breakfast" and the "Sydney egg master," European and American media have praised the organic scrambled eggs w/toast. (JPY 1,200) Above is the café latte. (JPY 600)
Surrounded by high quality décor, enjoying a wonderful breakfast as you gaze out at the ocean...
You may be picturing a resort setting, but we're talking about Odaiba, Tokyo's new waterfront subcenter. Kawamori recommends "bills", an Odaiba fixture for breakfast that is getting more and more notice.
"bills" started in Sydney, and both its menu, created by Bill Granger, and its relaxing décor have made it popular with Leonardo diCaprio and other Hollywood celebrities. This past summer "bills" finally opened here in Tokyo.
Kawamori says, "The spotlight of the menu has to be the organic scrambled eggs, the 'world's best breakfast.' It's worth it to try once just to experience its soufflé-like texture! The cream gives it an enticing richness."
Another popular "bills" signature dish is the ricotta pancake w/fresh bananas and honeycomb butter. (JPY 1,400)
Main dishes from the kid's menu. The kid's menu meals are small, but the food is the same as what the adults eat. You can trust the ingredients.
Kid's menus (courses) are becoming popular in Odaiba restaurants thanks to "bills". The food is the same as with the adult menu - only the portions are smaller.
Daisuke Horii, manager of "bills" Odaiba, says, "Based on our popular menu, we created courses that kids love and parents feel safe letting their children eat. Bill, a father of three, says it comes from his experience that children are happy feeling like adults when they get the same food that adults eat."
How about stopping by with your family and giving the "world's best breakfast" a try?
Dessert choices from the kid's menu. There's even a kid's size ricotta pancake w/fresh bananas and honeycomb butter.
The décor has a cozy, homey feel modeled after Bill's own house. You'll find a dining room, living room, and den area.
Bills Odaiba
Seaside Mall 3F, Daiba 1-6-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3599-2100 Hours: 9:00 - 23:00 (subject to seasonal changes), open year-round
http://bills-jp.net/
Traditional Japanese breakfasts from prestigious hotels
Hotel restaurants are an old standby for mini celebrity breakfasts. Kawamori recommends one spot for Japanese breakfasts: Tempura to Washoku Yamanoue at the Yamanoue Hotel.
Nestled on top of a hill in the cultural city of Ochanomizu lies the Yamanoue Hotel, the most prestigious of the prestigious hotels and beloved by famed literary giants. Shotaro Ikenami and other literary giants graced its tables for their meals. What does Kawamori recommend?
"It's famous as a one of the best tempura shops in Tokyo, but it actually has a lesser known but popular selection of Japanese cuisine. If you're traveling to Japan and really want to experience Japanese food, you'll love the traditional Japanese breakfasts here."
The morning menu features only one type of Japanese breakfast. (JPY 2,541)
Perfectly steamed rice good enough to eat alone. You can also have okayu rice porridge.
Kawamori gives high praise for its flavor. "You'll find seasonal grilled fish, fried eggs, dried sardines, boiled dishes, and other items, followed by rice. But you can really taste how each item was lovingly prepared."
And so it should be. The proprietor, Mitsuhiko Shitamura, takes pride as he says, "We consider the nutritional balance when selecting the items for our breakfast, and we rigorously select only the finest ingredients and make each dish by hand."
Before touring Asakusa or visiting all the sights Japan has to offer, why not get ready by enjoying a sumptuous Japanese breakfast?
The restaurant has a relaxed, Japanese feel. In the mornings you'll find hotel guests and office workers on their way to work.
While cozy, the Yamanoue Hotel looks as stately as it is esteemed. Its art décor interior is a must-see!
Tempura to Washoku Yamanoue
Kanda Surugadai 1-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3293-2831 Hours: Breakfast 7:00 - 10:30, Lunch 11:00 - 15:00, Dinner (weekdays) 17:00 - 21:00, (weekends and holidays) 15:00 - 21:00
http://www.yamanoue-hotel.co.jp/rb/tempura/index.html
A can't-miss breakfast for bread lovers!
Healthy bakery restaurants
Baker's Basket (S): JPY 580. Add a fresh fruit salad for JPY 880 and a coffee for JPY 550 for an elegant breakfast!
If you feel that "morning means bread", then Kawamori recommends Le Pain Quotidien Shiba Koen. Kawamori assures us that this Belgian bakery restaurant is the place to go if bread is main on your breakfast table. Let's take a look at their menu.
"If you like bread, then you'll love the Baker's Basket! It features seven kinds of organic wheat bread, with jam, spreads, butter, and other toppings available. Of course, the bread is good on its own too!"
There's also a wide selection of salads, omelettes, and soups available to accentuate the main bread. You'll find large portions of tartine, granola parfaits, and so on. "You can mix and match depending on how hungry you are."
The restaurant opened in January 2011, and has since become popular with Tokyo's gourmets. We asked kitchen manager Naohiro Anrui his preferences.
"The bread is made from organic wheat and natural yeast, salt, and water only. For other dishes we use only organic ingredients where possible, and we use as close to organic ingredients as possible when organic is unavailable."
The restaurant is in a park at the foot of Tokyo Tower. If you're feeling tired from your trip, why not start your day with a healthy, delicious breakfast while enjoying the surrounding nature?
Combine the loaded tuna salad & hummus & white kidney bean tartine (JPY 1,180, in foreground) with the tartine avocado, mango, tomato and shrimp salad for a meal that two can share!
The restaurant is in a lush, relaxing park at the foot of Tokyo Tower. You can eat in, or get their delicious bread, coffee, tea, and jam to go.
Le Pain Quotidien Shiba Koen
Shiba Koen 3-3-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6430-4157 Hours: 7:00 - 22:00, open year-round
http://www.lepainquotidien.jp/
About Us