I’ve always been a bread girl. I don’t eat nearly as much now as I did in my younger years (rice is more of a staple in the Uncover Japan household) but oh, it’s torture to walk past a bakery here and not buy something.
And when it comes to breakfasts, I leave the eggs to my husband. It’s French toast that I go for nearly every. single. time.
Which is why I can’t TELL you how excited I was when I learned a few years that a French toast specialty restaurant had opened up in Fukuoka. Yes, that’s right. A restaurant devoted entirely to French toast. I was equally crushed when we left Kyushu without my ever having made it to Fukuoka.
Luckily, Ivorish decided a move to Tokyo was on their agenda as well and I popped into their Shibuya branch the other month for a hearty, wheaty breakfast.
The restaurant doesn’t take reservations but we got there a few minutes after it had opened on a Sunday and had no trouble securing a table for three. The menu is both on paper and chalked above the semi-open (or at least glassed in) kitchen off to the side of the room.
Ivorish offers both savory and sweet French toast. Being a French toast purist, I opted for sweet but I couldn’t pass up the seasonal special with pumpkin, marscapone cheese and sliced almonds. My daughter allowed me to sample her fresh berry portion – the grapes were an interesting touch but the raspberries and strawberries were deliciously fresh, not frozen. My husband went for the nutty caramel choice, with a fantastic crumble topping and really rich sauce.
I wisely opted for the half portion and was more than satisfied. The full option will leave you loathe to even contemplate lunch or dinner that same day.
Ivorish is a short walk from Shibuya station and is the perfect place to enjoy a rather unique brunch while in the city.
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