Cafe’s are not difficult to find in Japan. There are so many chain stores such as Starbucks, Dotour, and Tully’s, all standard modern cafes.
Kissaten is the Japanese word for coffee shop and falls into the category of a cafe. However, they do have a slightly different connotation to them. Coffee shops that flourished in the showa era were called kissaten. The ones remaining today typically have retained the showa era feel where the menu, atmosphere and decor reflect that. You could say they are a retro cafe.
Komeda is one kissaten that started in the Aichi prefecture, where the coffee culture was said to be strong. Kissaten rarely became large chain companies due to the fact that they were often family run with no intentions of branching out. Komeda is one kissaten that was successful in becoming a chain store and is still opening up stores not only all over Japan, but overseas as well. Although it doesn’t have the small family-run business feel, it still has elements of a kissaten. They try to keep a slightly retro look while staying modern, and the menu reflects that which you may find at many kissaten, especially their large array of sandwiches.
Normally if you order a sandwich, you'd better be pretty hungry or have someone with you to share it because Komeda's sandwiches are pretty filling. However, during the hours of 11am-2pm, they have an egg salad and tomato sandwich lunch plate that is just the perfect size for a light meal. It onlcy costs the price of your drink of choice (from a selected menu) plus ¥540, it's a good deal.
The bread is soft and fluffy like typical Japanese sandwich bread (made with lots of margarine or butter and milk) which makes it go perfectly with the creamy egg salad. The fresh and crunchy lettuce is a nice refreshing touch. The sandwich has a hint of mustard that compliments the nicely seasoned egg salad.
Two dressings come with the salad, the Komeda original and a
shoyu (soy sauce) based dressing, so you can choose or mix and match how you would like to eat your salad. The Komeda original was creamy (made with tomato paste) and had a flavour similar to thousand island dressing. The shoyu dressing instantly made it taste Japanese.
Among the most recommended dishes at Komeda, this plate includes two, well, sort of. The mixed sandwich bursting with egg salad, and the fried chicken. The chicken is made with thigh meat so it’s juicy, and has a batter slightly reminiscent to Kentucky Fried Chicken, but not as oily and crispier. There is also a peppery accent. Even when its cooled, the chicken retains its juiciness.
Only fresh veggies are used (crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes).
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| The Light Lunch |
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| Komeda's Coffee |
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| Egg salad and tomato sandwich lunch with fried chicken |
The other sandwich available with this lunch deal is the sweet
ogura (red bean paste) and whip cream sandwich. This sandwich reflects a well-known combination popular in Nagoya of ogura and butter on toast.
Other items on the menu include the popular miso-katsu sandwich (pork cutlet with miso glaze) which is also another Nagoya specialty, beef stew, doria (a gratin baked over rice), salads, fried pork tenderloin nuggets, and fried shrimp. The signature Komeda dessert is the Shiro Noir, which is a danish pastry topped with soft ice cream (the variations change with the season).
Even though the restaurant was full, I still felt that I could still relax. They gave me a 4-seater booth and I didn't have to worry about staying for a long time. There was quiet, calming instrumental music playing in the background. The seats were plush and very comfortable. This particular shop was very spacious with wide aisles. The smoking section was separate and I could not smell the smoke from the other side of the room.
Area: Various locations. Featured; 5 min walk from Nakamura Nisseki Station (Higashiyama subway line) 中村日赤駅（東山線）
Restaurant: Komeda's Coffee
Hours: 7am-11pm
