A local pulls out the daily newspaper and places it next to his thickly sliced shokupan toast, then takes a sip of coffee from a dainty white cup and saucer. The staff wear chequered shirts and navy aprons, and greet customers with warm smiles. You can hear the banter of regulars and jazz playing softly in the background. This typical kissaten (old school Japanese diner-café) atmosphere has been served up at Senriken since it opened at Tsukiji in 1914.
Savoury dishes on the menu at Senriken include kissaten classics like egg sandwiches, katsu sandwiches and the store speciality: stew served with a soft-boiled egg. For sweets, don’t miss the airy cheesecake; the ume jelly, which uses the booze-soaked plum removed from umeshu (plum liquor); the purin (like a Japanese crème caramel); or coffee soft serve, which, if you’re dining in, will be upended into a teacup. Senriken is cash-only.