After overcoming a hectic May, I took a short break to go and visit the shops and people who have been so good to us lately.
That place is Tokyo. The heart of Japan. A city overflowing with people, where new things are being broadcast every second. It’s the perfect place to visit the shops you've been curious about.
The goal of this trip was to visit the people from Tokyo Taiwan, Micotoya, and Burger Mania, who all came to visit us at Hedgehog Diner back in March, as well as the folks from other shops who have stopped by our place over time.
On Tuesday evening, after finishing work, we packed our bikes and hopped on the Shinkansen from Nagoya Station to Tokyo's Shinagawa Station. From Shinagawa, we traveled solely by bicycle. This is a complete foodie blog, but I hope it serves as a helpful guide for your own Tokyo sightseeing.
Please enjoy.
Located near Nakameguro Station on the Meguro River, famous for its cherry blossoms, is Tokyo Taiwan. The shop is run by three distinct personalities: the owner, Su-san, and staff members Ran-san and Koki-san. As the name suggests, the food is authentic Taiwanese, and the interior is filled with items sourced directly from Taiwan. The shop has a traditional Japanese-style seating arrangement where you take off your shoes. You write your order on a piece of paper and hand it to the handsome floor staff, Ran-san. The signature boiled dumplings are truly mind-blowing, and every dish we ordered after that was outstanding. Everyone sighed in delight at the tofu pudding (douhua) and almond tofu we had for dessert. We parted ways with the promise that they would visit Nagoya again soon. And, in fact, we all ended up going back for lunch two days later...
This is a mobile bar I had once seen on CS television. Years ago, I caught a glimpse of its unique atmosphere, the owner's storytelling, and their commitment to the business, and I thought, "This is incredible." When I spotted it on the roadside on our way back from Tokyo Taiwan, I was so surprised that I immediately parked my bike to grab a drink. It’s a strange bar that pops up in different places every day, operating from 11:00 PM until dawn. The location is updated on Twitter, and people who see it just wander over in the middle of the night. Apparently, they've been doing this for 12 years. In the darkness, the only light came from candles. The sight of everyone drinking quietly was incredibly cool. Above all, the more I listened to the owner talk, the more interesting and drawn in I became.
PATH was one of the places I wanted to visit the moment I woke up. Located near Yoyogi Park, I had seen this shop many times in magazines and online, and above all, as breakfast shop owners ourselves, it was a place we all wanted to eat at. We took a leisurely 20-minute bike ride from our accommodation in Ikejiri to get there. Although the shop isn't that large, they bake bread on-site, and there were plenty of staff working. Since there were five of us, we ordered various things to share. The freshly baked croissants were superb, and the sandwiches and soup were all delicious. The signature Dutch pancake takes 30 minutes to order, but it felt like no time at all when we were all waiting together. It was so delicious. It really reinforced how great it is to be open from the morning. It's also impressive that they stay open until night. I could feel their dedication to the shop everywhere, which was truly inspiring.
About a 10-minute bike ride from Yoyogi Park, through the residential streets toward Hatagaya, is PADDLERS COFFEE. It’s such a wonderful place that I want to visit every time I go to Tokyo. They directly import coffee beans from Stumptown Coffee in Portland. I've learned a lot from watching their atmosphere—the garden outside and the interior—as well as how they build their community through social media. Even in Tokyo, where there are countless coffee stands, this is a warm place I always feel drawn to stop by. Although the owner, Matsushima-kun, wasn't there, we were able to meet staff member Nambu-kun. He said he's coming to Nagoya in September, so I'm looking forward to that. I hope to have them host a pop-up at Aliva someday.
From Paddlers, we biked through Harajuku, past Aoyama, and through Azabu to reach Shirokane. This is a sandwich shop run by Moriguchi-san, the owner of Burger Mania, who came to Hedgehog back in March for the Escape Shoten event. We wanted to go to Burger Mania too, but since Moriguchi-san was working here that day, we went specifically to see him. The shop has a cool interior that really looks like it could be in America. The sandwiches were so delicious that I polished mine off in no time. Afterward, Moriguchi-san gave us a quick tour of the Shirokane neighborhood, and we took a bike ride together. Contrary to the term "Shiroganese," it was interesting to see so many shops and buildings that still retain a traditional "shitamachi" (downtown) vibe.
We traveled about 8 km from Shirokane to Shimokitazawa. Thanks to Google Maps, we moved smoothly even in unfamiliar territory. KAISO is a bakery located a short walk from Shimokitazawa Station. This very small shop features several types of bread and baked goods. There’s a comforting, indescribable atmosphere to the shop, and its sense of style is explosive in every detail. Of course, the bread is also delicious. This was another place I wanted to visit with everyone if we were coming to Tokyo. The owner gave us a big loaf of bread as a souvenir, and we toasted and ate it at the shop. It was exquisite. Thank you for the meal. Afterward, we wandered around Shimokita a bit. I love the townscape here.
A place near Sangenjaya Station where you can enjoy obanzai-style cuisine and drinks. It’s a shop I had been curious about for a while, and the seating is counter-only. I had decided that this would be how we’d wrap up the second day of our trip. Since a girl who used to live in Nagoya moved to Tokyo to work here, we all went to visit her. It made me feel relieved to see her working so energetically and having fun chatting with the regulars. It’s wonderful to be able to work so hard in such a lovely environment.
Commonly known as "Guppy," this is a coffee shop located in Ikejiri-Ohashi. Thanks to the charismatic owner, Tomoshit-san, it’s a place where many interesting people gather. Coffee is just a means to an end; it's a wonderful shop that connects people. We had a fun morning conversation because we have many mutual friends.
This is another place that just opened recently, and one I had wanted to try. It’s located in Kanda. All the places we had visited until now were on the west side of Tokyo, but this one is in the east. We traveled over 10 km, crossing past Shibuya, Kudanshita, and Jimbocho to reach it. There were so many police officers around the National Diet Building area that I felt a bit nervous, haha.
There's so much to say about this place that I can't write it all here, so I'll just say one word: "The best." I definitely want to make a reservation and go back to enjoy it again.
In my opinion, this is the absolute best in Tokyo. Every time I visit, I’m genuinely moved, and it makes me rethink what I should be doing with my own life. It’s not just an ordinary pub. I really want you to try it. Seeing Butch’s growth was the most inspiring thing of all.
What did you think? Honestly, there are several other places we went to, but I'll cut them out as this is getting a bit too long.
Every single shop had a strong personality, with an atmosphere and space that no one else could replicate. A good shop doesn't come from concepts or techniques alone; I felt the power of the people behind them once again. I'm not a fan of crowded trains even in Nagoya, so these cycling tours around Tokyo are really fun.
Also, compared to my previous trips to Tokyo, the number of shops run by acquaintances has increased significantly, and I’m very happy that there were so many places I wanted to visit. There were still other places I should have gone, but we ran out of time.
Tokyo is such a massive city. I want everyone to experience that indescribable sense of exhilaration when you cross the Shibuya Scramble intersection on a bicycle.
I highly recommend biking wherever you go.
Where should I take my bike next?
Lastly, the people who took the best care of us this time were the team at ALL YOURS. They have a splendid new office and shop in Ikejiri. The "just right" suburban vibe feels very "All Yours," and it’s a wonderful place filled with the passionate spirit of their representative, Kimura-san. I’ll wrap things up with this refreshing photo of us all wearing our Catcher T-shirts.
