Hyperlocal Tokyo

This bakery, located outside the ticket gates of Keisei Ueno Station, has a cafe area where you can eat inside. I visited on a weekday before 6 PM. About two-thirds of the seats were empty, so it was quite spacious. I ordered one savory bread and a hot cocoa, which came to 686 yen. Both the bread and the drink were quite pricey. The bread can be warmed up upon request, which is a plus. The cocoa was rich and delicious. The service was rough. When the cocoa was served, it was overflowing from the cup and dripping, but it was handed to me without any apology. Also, when they were rearranging the remaining bread in the evening, they crammed too many different kinds of bread into one basket. There were more than five signs with product names in front of one basket, making it difficult to tell which was which. The clientele was half made up of salarymen and office workers returning from work, and half made up of tourists with large suitcases. Keisei Ueno Station has become increasingly crowded with inbound tourists, but this shop doesn't seem to be affected much. I heard more foreign languages than Japanese, which gave me a somewhat uneasy feeling.

This bakery is located right outside the Keisei Ueno station ticket gate, within the station. It's a place where you can enjoy drinks and bread inside. This time, I went in the morning, so I ordered the 'Hikisen Toast Set (¥500)' from the morning menu. It's a great value morning set that comes with a luxurious toast made with honey, fresh cream, and butter, a boiled egg, and a drink. You can choose from three side dishes: boiled egg, yogurt, or banana. The Hikisen bread was incredibly delicious, with a sweet flavor and a fluffy texture. It was a really great value morning set for only ¥500.

As a final mark of my Tokyo business trip, I finished with this chocolate bread and iced coffee instead of dessert! The chocolate is inside a crispy croissant, like a triangular chocolate pie. It was incredibly delicious and went perfectly with the iced coffee.

Located near the ticket gates of Keisei Ueno Station, you'll find Deli France. They open at 6:30 AM, making it incredibly convenient. Their morning set, "Kiginu no Toast Set" (pronounced "kinu no kagayaki"), is a must-try. When I first had it, I didn't read the description of the bread, so I was surprised by its soft, moist texture. As the name suggests, it's described as having a silky, smooth texture like silk. It's a luxurious bread made with honey, fresh cream, and butter. When served in the store, the bread is quite thick, about 5-6 cm, with butter on top (see photo). You can choose between yogurt or a boiled egg for the side. The boiled egg is a cute, small one, and the yogurt comes in a cup. This toast set is only available for dine-in, but it's highly recommended. The hot coffee is brewed using a siphon, making for a blissful morning experience. #DeliFrance #KeiseiUeno #Morning