brunch

Tokyo Brunch: Roti

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I was just thinking to myself yesterday how I could really go for some crumpets with maple syrup. Yum. Sadly, I don’t think crumpets exist outside of Australia (and NZ) and the UK. Today’s brunch review is of the time I went to Roti in Roppongi. Brunch here was really good. I had arranged for a brunch course party plan for our group when we went here back around October 2010. We got an array of different dishes for a brunch banquet – a sit-down shared platter-style brunch. Food here was amazing quality and super tasty. They brought out a few plates of each item to share. First up, was the platter of Mediterranean mezze plate- pita bread, hummus dip, chargrilled vegetables.

From Roti brunch

Followed up by some popcorn garlic mushrooms with a dipping sauce.

From Roti brunch
From Roti brunch

There were also the onion rings.

From Roti brunch
From Roti brunch

And one of the most amazing salads I have ever eaten – the stilton, apple and pecan salad. This salad was amazing – apples, grapes, shredded beat, and stilton cheese. And the dressing was lovely.

From Roti brunch
From Roti brunch
From Roti brunch

I was rather besotted with the salad. So light, yet so flavoursome. There was also then platters of pancakes.

From Roti brunch

In addition to all the above starter shared dishes, everyone could then choose their brunch main dish. I went with the crab cakes.

From Roti brunch

But you could have gone this option – egg and salmon bagel.

From Roti brunch
From Roti brunch

Or the omelette.

From Roti brunch

Or a club sandwich.

From Roti brunch

Plus more options from their brunch menu. Tea and coffee also included.

From Roti brunch

This was quite the brunch feast.

From Roti brunch

This brunch course was about 4000yen per person which was really good value for all the food we got. And it was good quality food as well. I had negotiated a personalised brunch course with the chef here, so that we would get a choice of 3 entrees, a salad, a brunch main of our choosing, plus tea and coffee. Really good value, because a brunch main and a drink would have cost you about 2000-2500yen alone if you go here for brunch. 40buks for a lot of tasty food was well worth it. Roti is one of the better places for brunch for Tokyo (although maybe just a tad more expensive than some of the other places I’ve been to brunch. But I think it’s worth it.) Indoor and outdoor seating available. A nice place to while away some time on the weekend.

From Roti brunch
From Roti brunch
From Roti brunch
From Roti brunch

Like most other places in Tokyo, brunch here is only available on weekends and public holidays. You can view the menus here and/or contact them on their website to discuss a menu that suits you. They also do catering. Tabelog entry here.

Tokyo Brunch: 57

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[Note: This restaurant has closed down since this review]

Another brunch review. The venue: 57 (Fifty-Seven) in Roppongi. According to their website, it is so named after 57th Street in New York city where east Manhattan meets with west Manhattan. 57 in Tokyo however is a NY-style chophouse, grill, bar lounge and restaurant. It seemed more like a nightspot to me, so it felt a little weird to be there in broad daylight for a weekend brunch. Brunch here is only offered on weekends, and we pretty much had the place to ourselves, although it seemed to draw a later crowd for lunchgoers. (I went back in December of last year.) Can’t say it was the best brunch to date (but not the worst either. Only one other place takes that wooden spoon) but still pleasant enough and they do a traditional hot breakfast which is always a bonus. I naturally ordered me the NYC Full Classic Breakfast of bacon, sausages, toast, mushrooms and grilled tomato.

From 57 Brunch
From 57 Brunch

I wasn’t the only one either. Make that four NYC classic breakfasts.

From 57 Brunch
From 57 Brunch

And no, that wasn’t the only thing on the menu. Their brunch offerings include french toast, eggs benedict, grilled salmon and scrambled eggs, steak and eggs, and apparently it ain’t a NY brunch with lox and bagels. There’s also fruit and yoghurt as well (but why would you go out to have that?) Here’s what the grilled salmon and scrambled eggs looked like:

From 57 Brunch

And the French Toast (which looked rather a little too eggy):

From 57 Brunch
From 57 Brunch

Brunch mains are all very reasonable around 1500yen. But the drinks will set you back a little. A pot of tea is 600yen (almost half the cost of your main dish, when all it is is hot water and a few leaves). Tea is overpriced everywhere you go.

From 57 Brunch

Here are some interior shots:

From 57 Brunch
From 57 Brunch
From 57 Brunch

Brunch may not be their strong point here. Perhaps dinner might be better here. It’s definitely a popular spot for drinks of a night. Fifty Seven website (Menu, location and info can all be found on their website – in English and Japanese). They get a 3.10 out of 5 over at Tabelog.

Tokyo Brunch: Lauderdale

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Today’s brunch write-up is of Lauderdale, in Roppongi Hills. One of a few places that does a breakfast menu in addition to a brunch menu (as well as lunch and dinner). Brunch however is only available on weekends and public holidays. This is a popular place for brunch, and they are famous for their souffles. Each brunch main dish here comes with two free side dishes. These side dishes include savoury dishes and drinks. So you could work a combination of one drink and one side dish or two side dishes (and then pay for a drink separately). The side dishes are quite small so they won’t ruin your appetite. Having the insatiable appetite that I have, I opted for the free two side dishes, and ordered a pot of tea separately. The side dishes here aren’t that great. I ordered the fries and the homemade chili con carne.

From Lauderdale brunch
From Lauderdale brunch

Considering they are free accompaniments, don’t expect too much. The brunch mains though are very good here. Again the usual suspects are available – buttermilk pancakes, omelettes, eggs benedict, souffle and even a burger. I will say, that the brunch menu is somewhat limited. There’s no hot fry-up breakfast to be had here so if that’s what you’re after look elsewhere. On this particular occasion, I went the eggs benedict -they do two styles here. Bacon and shrimp guacomole and/or bacon and salmon. I think you can choose your combination, from memory. That is, one of each or two of your chosen one. I can’t remember. But I must have gotten one of each. I think the menu has changed from what I can tell on their website though. I think you need to order one or other other…but I can’t be too be sure on how it works. At the time of going there, which was last year, I got the eggs benedict – two ways.

From Lauderdale brunch
From Lauderdale brunch

One with bacon and the other with shrimp/prawns and guacamole.

From Lauderdale brunch
From Lauderdale brunch

Looks good, ay. It was pretty yummy too. The prawns were a bit awkward to eat though. Had to take off the tail and head and the shell, and then stick it back on the english muffin. The bacon one was better. There was something amiss with the flavour on the prawn and guacamole one that didn’t quite go with the hollandaise sauce. But I will say that the egg was cooked to perfection. Splat.

From Lauderdale brunch

If you’re ordering the eggs benedict, there’s also the third option of salmon which someone else got.

From Lauderdale brunch

You do not want to go out and dine with me. Coz I run around taking photos of everyone else’s food! (Don’t worry, I don’t approach strangers in the restaurant, but rather only food photos of the people that I’m with. Luckily, this is Japan and everyone takes photos of their food). A friend ordered the buttermilk pancakes, with banana and bacon topping. And they looked darn delicious. Just waiting to be drizzled with lashings of maple syrup.

From Lauderdale brunch

Lauderdale is famous for their savoury souffles which are cooked to order. I was glad someone ordered it, so I could take a photo of it.

From Lauderdale brunch
From Lauderdale brunch

I’ve been meaning to go back to this place again so I can order the souffle and the pancakes. Indoor and outdoor terrace seating is available. It can get quite busy here.

From Lauderdale brunch
From Lauderdale brunch
From Lauderdale brunch

I’d go to Lauderdale for your souffle and pancake needs. Better eggs benedict can be found elsewhere. And no hot breakfast fry-up available. Lauderdale is open all three meals of the day. Lauderdale brunch menu (Japanese and English) All menus can be found on the above link. Access: Roppongi Hills, opposite the Grand Hyatt hotel in Roppongi, near the shopping label area. Tabelog entry is here. They get a 3.49 out of 5 over there.

Tokyo Brunch: Las Chicas

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From Monday through to Friday of this week, I’m going to post up a different brunch venue around Tokyo where I have partaken in brunch. These five brunches took place over a span of about 12 months. So just to be clear, it is not what I am eating each morning. These reviews are a little bit dated…so my memory might be a little hazy.

Nothing says a lazy Sunday more than Brunch. Breakfast is not something you do ‘out’ in Japan. You’d be hard pressed to find anywhere that’s open to eat before 11am. There are only a handful of places that offer brunch, and usually only on the weekends, and usually they’re managed by foreign owners or have foreign chefs. Brunch is more a Western concept so the higher end Western dining establishment usually put on a brunch menu on the weekend. I usually go to brunch maybe once every 2 months or so. I love having me a nice fry-up on the odd occasion. And I like the WORKS. I’m talking bacon, eggs, sausages, hash browns, toast, mushrooms, pancakes with syrup washed down with an endless pot of tea. Needless to say, this is a heart attack on a plate…which is why I try not to indulge in brunch too often. (Ordering yoghurt and muesli is not my idea of brunch, people!).

So Monday’s review is of Las Chicas in Aoyama (Omotesando area). It’s tucked down a few quiet streets. To work up an appetite I recommend walking from Harajuku station (a solid 15 minute walk or so down Omotesando). This venue is a relaxed cafe, restaurant open for brunches, lunches, dinner, drinks or just a coffee or snack. The menu offers standard brunch fare – pancakes, eggs benedict, traditional hot breakfast, poached eggs, and an assortment of country skillets. I ordered the traditional hot breakfast fry-up which consisted of sausages, eggs, bacon and a hash brown. Totally devoured this up. This is kind of a treat in Japan where a Japanese breakfast mainly consists of fish, rice and miso soup (albeit a much more healthier option). But I do love a good sleep in followed up with a hot brekky.

From Las Chicas
From Las Chicas

I thought it was tasty enough. At the end of the day through, brunch offerings are generally not going to win any culinary awards, but this certainly satisfied my tastebuds. Would it be wrong of me to say that it didn’t quite fill me up though. It was lacking toast. And I need my carbs! I think food presentation was rather lacking here though. Someone else ordered the poached eggs on salmon, which also comes with a hashbrown. They could have jazzed up the plate a little.

From Las Chicas

Someone else ordered the pancakes:

From Las Chicas

And someone else ordered the country skillet which was basically like a potato frittata. There are a few different options for the country skillet.

From Las Chicas

I think I definitely chose the best item on the menu. For a no-frills place to do brunch, this place is ok. Indoor seating was nice and comfortable.

From Las Chicas

They also have outdoor seating which would be nice in summer. We went here in the winter, so they had gas warmers set up.

From Las Chicas
From Las Chicas

There are better places to do brunch in Tokyo, but for a traditional hot breakfast, I think this place is decent enough. There are other places that I would recommend if you’re going for better eggs benedict and pancakes. (I think brunch is there weak point). I think Las Chicas is better served as a cafe. They do pasta, sandwiches and I believe they may be the only place in Tokyo that do potato wedges with sour chili and sweet chili sauce (yum)!!!! But I’ve not tried them. It’s better to come here for light snacks such as wedges, nachos etc. Brunch here is about 2000yen – for a brunch main and a drink (tea/coffee). Menu and Map can be found here. Tabelog entry can be found here (for more food photos and reviews). They only get a 2.84 out of 5 on Tabelog. I’ll have a new brunch review for each day up until Friday.