ginger chicken sandwich (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
Grab brunch and listen to some music from the Beatles at a hidden gem near Yokota Air Base.
From the outside, Takakura Machi Coffee looks like a standard restaurant on a busy street outside Yokota’s East Gate. Inside, however, this café is serving up delicious brunch favorites like french toast and eggs benedict with a side of psychedlic rock n’ roll.
The small café was full when I visited with my wife recently for a weekday lunch, but the wait time wasn’t too long.
When we got our seats, I checked out the menu and noticed everything was in Japanese, so I used my handly translator app. The menu at first looked interesting since it mainly consisted of late afternoon brunch items. They offer pancakes, eggs benedict, sandwiches, pizza and doria. For drinks, they have coffee and juice and complimentary water.
I went with the fluffy ricotta cheese pancakes and a ginger chicken sandwich with an iced coffee on the side. My wife chose shrimp and root vegetable gratin just to test the waters. Our meal took a while to arrive, but the entire restaurant is so relaxing, I personally didn’t mind. If you are in a time crunch, they do offer takeout orders which can be placed online or over the phone.
ricotta cheese pancake (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
shrimp gratin (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
iced coffee (Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
When our meals finally arrived, I tried the pancakes first. They had a moist, creamy texture and were completely different than the pancakes we see back home. Though they were tasty, they were not as good as the pancakes I’ve had in Okinawa. But still worth a try.
The best part of my meal was the ginger chicken sandwich. The fried chicken was flavorful and tender, and the vegetables and pickled cabbage added tanginess to the ginger sauce. My coffee was a bit bitter but delicious, giving me a boost of energy needed to complete the day of work I had ahead of me.
I stole a bite of my wife’s shrimp gratin, and it seemed like a good choice for a warm light lunch.
In total, we spent 4,280 yen (around $26.30) for this relaxing lunch at Takakura Machi. I will definitely be returning to try some more of their inexpensive offerings. It is a great place to enjoy some Beatles music and a nice meal.
Things to know
Address: 208-0004 Tokyo, Musashimurayama, Honmachi, 2-70-70-2
Hours: Mon.-Sun., 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
For Take-out Call: 042-649-2358 (Must be fluent in Japanese)
• Payment can be made with yen or cards.
• Parking is free.
• This restaurant only plays music from the Beatles.
(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)
(Photo by Luis Samayoa/Stripes Japan)