Early birds rejoice! This American-style café and diner in Hiroo is a proper breakfast and brunch hangout. Open from 7.30 every morning (except Mondays) and serving fresh pancakes, eggs, bacon and more, Jade5 is a welcome reminder that breakfast in Tokyo isn’t all grilled fish and pickled veggies. Even better, the breakfast staples here are on offer all day, so you can sleep in and still wake up to french toast.
Sensibly, the sweet menu gives you a choice between pancakes and french toast (from ¥1,100) with a range of toppings that are available for either. Want that blueberry sauce on your french toast instead of on pancakes? You can have it – scratch that – you should. But the café’s best feature isn’t even listed on the menu. Just like in a classic American diner, every table has its own bottomless pot of syrup, so you’ll never have to worry about not having enough of the sweet stuff.
As for savouries, you’ll find all the classics like fried or scrambled eggs (from ¥500) omelettes (from ¥1,130) and a surprisingly rich eggs benedict (¥1,130). Later in the day, the menu pivots to brunch, with some seriously stacked salads, wraps, sandwiches and burgers. Don’t worry, though – although the egg dishes disappear, the pancakes and french toast are always available in the Lumberjack and Jack & Jill sets, respectively.
The only downside of this cosy little café is that it’s too…well, cosy. With food this good, only four tables and no reservations, you can expect to queue up, especially on the weekend. If possible, try to visit during the 9am lull between breakfast and brunch, or pop in after 1pm for some afternoon pancakes instead. Most tables seat just two people, so don’t bring a crowd. Just come with a good friend in tow – if you can bring yourself to share Jade5 with anyone, that is.
Judging by the banter between the kitchen and the customers, the clientele here are almost all regulars, which means you can trust people not to linger after finishing their meal. That said, Jade5 isn’t the place for breakfast in a rush. Each item is made to order and is worth the wait. So once you’ve made your choice, settle in, enjoy the classic jazz and rock on the stereo, and get ready for a warm, comforting meal.
