You might not know this, but Japanese cuisine was added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2013, meaning the cooking is something unique in the world, not found anywhere else. I could eat my fill of sushi, takoyaki, udon, soba any and every day of the week, but one thing that I constantly pine for is a hearty breakfast. Scrambled eggs and bacon with toast, hash browns, and pancakes, or heaven help me, WAFFLES and SAUSAGE! I grew up in a family where my first meal is sometimes bigger than the other two. And after decades of Japan living under my belt, a top ten question is always “where can I get a decent down-home breakfast around here from many a gaijin. Allow me to share a few of my favorites.
World Breakfast All Day
This appropriately named establishment does precisely what it says on the label; serve breakfast foods from around the world all day. Thai, Mexico, Poland, Germany, France, the UK, and America are all represented with decent portions and prices.
3-1-23 Jingumae, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo
https://www.world-breakfast-allday.com/
Open Everyday 7:30~20:00
Access: Gaienmae Station [G]
Sarabeth’s
“The Breakfast Queen of New York” is at Lumine II above Shinjuku Station. When it first opened, I couldn’t get in the place to have a meal because it was always crowded, but thankfully since then, they’ve opened more locations around Tokyo. My favorite NYC export on the breakfast scene and probably the only place where I can get Eggs Benedict with lox here in the Metropolis.
Multiple locations and hours; check Sarabeth’s Japan locations web page for more info.
Jade5 Breakfast & Brunch
Have you ever been out in some part of town doing something and afterward intent on getting home but then stumbled upon a diamond of a find and wound up spending more time and money than you should have? That describes my experience with Jade 5 perfectly. After a night out in the area, I fell into this cafe and was blessed with a menu that had BREAKFAST BURRITOS and BLUEBERRY PANCAKES! ‘Nuff said. You know that ain’t appearing any other menus in Tokyo, so I suggest you find your way to Hiroo for some comfort breakfast stat! (Lunch is also good with a BLT with for-real bacon and actual apple pie like granny makes.)
5-17-6 Hiroo, Shibuya, Tōkyō
Open Tuesday-Sunday, 7:30~18:00.
Access: Hiroo Station [H]
Jade 5 on Facebook
Royal Host
This entry on the list is specifically aimed at those people like myself who were extraordinarily disappointed upon finding out that Denny’s in Japan is a Bizzaro twin to its American sibling. Not a single Grand Slam breakfast to be had. On the other hand, Royal Host has all-day breakfast, a drink bar with unlimited coffee (my savior), and is found in most major cities in Japan.
Multiple locations and hours; check Royal Host’s locations page (in Japanese) for more info.
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— By Jason L. Gatewood
Images:
Royal Host Breakfast by Jason L. Gatewood
Eggs Florentine at Jade 5) by John H, Yelp
German Breakfast at World Breakfast all day by Kazuhiro Hasegawa via Google Maps