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Morning meals are common in Kochi!?
Kochi Prefecture has the most coffee shops per 1,000 people in Japan
Many people may think of Nagoya when it comes to breakfast, but in fact Kochi Prefecture has the most coffee shops per 1,000 people (according to a 2016 survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications). With so many coffee shops in various areas, it seems that the people of Kochi have a deep-rooted culture of heading out to their local coffee shops in the morning to enjoy breakfast.
There are various theories as to why breakfasts have become so popular in Kochi, such as "the restaurant industry developed because of the many hard-working women in Kochi" and "because there are many fishermen in Kochi, the culture of having breakfast after fishing became established", but in any case, the defining feature of a Kochi breakfast is its volume! Coffee and miso soup are the norm, and a Kochi breakfast is a dream plate that is packed with all the customer's requests, such as "I want to enjoy both bread and rice".
Very filling!
Kochi's classic breakfast packed with dishes that you'll want to try
You're sure to be full!
Bubuya's thick toast continues to be loved by regulars
It's no exaggeration to say that if you search "#KochiMorning" on social media, "Cafe Shoku Do Bubuya" will always come up. The shop is located in a residential area a little away from the city center, but many people from outside the prefecture make the effort to visit, and it often sells out quickly.
The most eye-catching menu item at Bubuya is the "Thick Toast." It's 2.5 times the size of regular toast, and you'll be amazed at its size.
Not only the thick toast, but also salad, boiled eggs, soup (including nyumen noodles!), coffee and dessert are all included for 730 yen.
It's very impressive when seen from the front
Bubuya has gradually gained popularity due to the influence of Instagram, but "Thick Toast" has been on the menu since the restaurant opened in 2009. This menu item, created with the desire to "make customers eat until they're full," was loved by regulars and is now loved by many people.
It is said that bread may sell out before the last order, so we recommend coming early.
The regulars are friendly with each other and the coffee shop not only serves delicious food, but also has a Kochi homey atmosphere.
Cafe Shokudo Bubuya
| address | ： | 2-13-36-1 Asakura Nishimachi, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-843-2898 |
| business hours | ： | 7:30-13:00 (L.O. 12:00) |
| Closed Day | ： | Sundays, the third Monday of every month |
Over 10 types!
The beloved morning meal at fresh pasta restaurant "Hachinomori"
Located about a 3-minute walk from Hoeicho Station on the Tosaden Kotsu Gomen Line, Pasta Cafe Hachinomori was founded in 1997. It is open from 8:00am to 9:00pm and is a beloved restaurant that keeps a firm grip on the stomachs of the people of Kochi Prefecture from morning until night.
When we visited the store on a Saturday, there were already more than 10 customers lined up 30 minutes before opening time.
The popular restaurant's morning menu has over 10 items to please even regular customers! The joy of choosing might make you groan and wonder "which one should I get?", but I decided to go for the "Toast & Bacon and Eggs Set," which is very filling and uses two eggs.
"Toast & Bacon Egg Set" (720 yen). Another great thing about all breakfast sets is that they come with a mini fresh pasta made in-house by Hachinomori!
The shop was filled with people of all ages and genders. Some were reading the newspaper, others enjoying lively conversation, and others enjoying their time over a delicious breakfast.
Pasta Cafe Hachinomori
| address | ： | 3-6 Houeicho, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-885-3183 |
| business hours | ： | 8:00-21:00 (Last Orders 20:30) |
Always freshly made!
Enjoy both bread and rice with the "ZUMZUM" double breakfast
Founded in 1971, COFFEE SHOP ZUMZUM is located just a two-minute walk from Tosaden Kotsu Kencho-mae Station and has been serving delicious meals that are in tune with the times for over half a century. With safety and security as its motto, the store is committed to providing handmade, freshly made food.
This time I ordered the "Double Morning." It's a plate that allows you to enjoy both, putting an end to the "Bread or rice for breakfast" debate.
"Double Morning" - toast and rice balls for just 600 yen! This menu was created in response to customer requests to "try both."
The blended coffee that comes with your morning meal is an easy-to-drink blend of five different types of beans that has remained the same since the cafe first opened.
The previous owner has roots in Aki City, Kochi Prefecture, and since the store opened, they have been making ZUMZUM cups made by Uchiharanoyaki with great care. The cups have a rich, warm flavor, and some customers have even requested that they sell them.
The rice balls and miso soup vary depending on the day, so you can enjoy the comforting taste that makes you feel like you're back home. It's also close to Kochi Castle, so it's a great place to take a break during your morning walk.
COFFEE SHOP ZUMZUM
| address | ： | 4-2-20 Honmachi, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-825-2332 |
| business hours | ： | 9:00-14:00 (L.O. 13:30) |
| Closed Day | ： | Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays |
| web | ： | https://zumzum.co.jp/ |
Some people attend with three generations of parents and children.
"Cafe Depot" - a place that supports the lives of people in Kochi
Cafe Depot Kyomachi is located just a two-minute walk from Harimayabashi Bridge, a tourist spot that also appears in the phrases of Yosakoi Bushi. Since its establishment in 1980, it has been a famous cafe that has supported people working in the center of Kochi. It opens at 8:00am, but some customers line up 15 minutes before and read the newspaper while waiting for the cafe to open, and it seems that many people make it their morning routine before going to work.
I ordered "Kochi Morning Part 4." It was originally called "Wa-Yo Morning," but "Kochi Morning Part 1" was born, and it has since evolved to 2, 3, and 4 every few years.
"Kochi Morning Part 4" (750 yen). A steady cup of coffee, miso soup, and three types of carbohydrates - bread, rice balls, and pasta - will give you energy in the morning!
When I asked the owner about Depot's commitment, he said, "We make sure to serve food as quickly as possible." Many people who work in the area come to the restaurant in between work, and he said, "I imagine what the menu would be like for that person, and prepare it accordingly." This is possible because he has perfected face-to-face service.
Regular customers have become friends through Depot, and there are even customers who have been coming for three generations, making this a store that is closely linked to the lives of the people of Kochi.
Cafe Depot Kyomachi
| address | ： | 1-3-1 Harimayacho, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-823-7706 |
| business hours | ： | 8:00-21:00 (Food last order 20:20 / Drink last order 20:30) |
| Closed Day | ： | January 1 |
| web | ： | http://depot-kochi.com/index.html |
It's so delicious some people drink two!
Special morning menu provided by "Coffee Shop Lamp"
Coffee Shop Lamp is located at the entrance to Obiyacho Shopping Street, the community center of Kochi City. It is a long-established store that has been in business for over 50 years and was taken over by the current owner about 10 years ago.
As the store's name suggests, the interior is filled with tasteful lamps that the previous owner had purchased from overseas. It is a warm space where the staff and customers can casually exchange conversations. During our interview, the staff also told us a heartwarming story: "The other day, someone from Nagoya, the home of breakfast, came to the store and was so impressed, saying, 'Kochi's breakfast is so delicious!' I was so happy."
The sandwich in the "Sandwich Set" I ordered this time was packed with ingredients. This alone would be enough to fill me up, but the miso soup and dessert made with seasonal ingredients made it even more filling.
"Sandwich set." Morning orders can be made up until 2:00 p.m.
Originally a coffee bean store, the owner says, "Some customers are so pleased with the delicious coffee that they even order two cups." Why not enjoy a blissful morning in this relaxing space and with a menu to your heart's content?
Specialty coffee from a former coffee bean shop. You can purchase coffee beans or take it out.
Coffee shop Lamp
| address | ： | 1-2-1 Obiyacho, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-823-7770 |
| business hours | ： | 8:00～17:30 |
| Closed Day | ： | none |
A new breakfast in Kochi that can only be enjoyed here
So far, we have introduced the "classic" Kochi breakfast, but from here on, we will introduce restaurants that continue to explore new forms of Kochi breakfast. Please enjoy the breakfasts that Kochi restaurants have carefully thought out and that you can only eat there.
The beautiful and healthy "MuuMuu" morning menu was created by a vegetable sommelier
The epitome of stylish morning meals in Kochi is "MuuMuu," a shop located in Honmachi, Kochi City. MuuMuu originally ran a cookie specialty store under a different name, but in 2011 (Heisei 23), they decided to make a fresh start and start a cafe in their current location, wanting to "experience what it's like to actually see customers eating their cookies."
Many people in Kochi Prefecture know that "MuuMuu is stylish!", but of course that's not the only reason it's garnering so much attention.
The second floor is a cafe. On the first floor, you can purchase MuuMuu's homemade cakes, scones, and other Western sweets.
At the time of this interview, we ordered the "Croque Monsieur." It's beautiful to look at, but at MuuMuu, a vegetable sommelier has prepared dishes that are healthy and allow you to enjoy the seasonal flavors of Kochi, so you can enjoy a morning meal that is good for both your body and mind.
The breakfast for this day was croque monsieur with a cold carrot and turnip potage, accompanied by a vinegar marinade of dragon fruit and grapes, and a fresh rose choux for dessert.
This is a recommended restaurant for those who want to savor the deliciousness of seasonal vegetables in a stylish space.
There is a wide variety of drinks to choose from! Among them, the "non-alcoholic drop cocktails" that are hand-made by the staff with the season in mind are especially noteworthy. On the day, there were cocktails with cucumber, rosemary, etc.
MuuMuu
| address | ： | 1-2-21 Honmachi, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-822-9503 |
| business hours | ： | 9:00～21:00 |
| Closed Day | ： | Tuesday |
Enjoy their famous tea and eggs Benedict at "Ocha de Chiccha"!
"Ocha de Chiccha" is located an 8-minute walk from Engyoujiguchi Station on the JR Shikoku Dosan Line. The owner was a company employee, but when he quit his job and was thinking about what to do next, he started a cafe, which was his wife's dream. The "Chiccha" in the shop name is said to refer to his wife's small stature.
This shop, run by a loving husband and wife, offers a total of five types of breakfast (six depending on the season!). During our interview, we ordered the "A Set (Eggs Benedict)," which can only be found here in Kochi.
A one-of-a-kind egg benedict topped with a generous amount of sauce handmade by the chef's wife. You can also change the soup to miso soup if you like.
What makes Chiccha special is that it offers over 20 different kinds of black and flavored tea, which is rare in Kochi. Some customers even make the effort to come here just to try these teas.
The "Little Special Blend Tea" was created together with a regular customer who loves black tea. The soft, gentle aroma envelops the body.
The tea jelly that comes with the breakfast is homemade and made from Chicha's proud black tea. Please give it a try.
Tea de Chicha
| address | ： | 2-25 Fukui Higashimachi, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-871-5561 |
| business hours | ： | Weekdays: 9:00-16:00 (L.O. 15:15) Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 8:00-17:00 (last orders 16:15) |
| Closed Day | ： | Fridays, the first and third Thursdays of every month |
| web | ： | https://stnqanh2262.wixsite.com/ochadeccha |
Enjoy Nishiyama Coffee House's specialty hot sandwiches and siphon coffee in a relaxing atmosphere
Nishiyama Coffee House, located a six-minute walk from Takasu Station on the Tosaden Kotsu Kotsu Gomen Line, opened in 2018 (Heisei 30).
The owner, who had been running a restaurant for 20 years since the 1980s, rekindled his passion for starting a restaurant again and started this restaurant.
The spacious interior, designed with great care by the owner, who loves American casual style, is equipped with plenty of sofa seats, allowing you to relax and unwind.
Nishiyama Coffee House's selling point is the siphon method, which allows you to enjoy the deliciousness of coffee to the fullest. The shop is always filled with the mellow aroma of coffee.
We serve our original coffee, made with a siphon and a well-balanced blend of four carefully selected types of coffee beans.
Nishiyama Coffee House offers six different types of morning meals.
This morning meal includes a hot sandwich with homemade thick omelet, homemade bacon, salad, miso soup, yogurt and a drink for 800 yen.
The hot sandwich with homemade thick omelet, which was invented by the staff, is an original arrangement with keema curry inside, making it one of a kind and delicious. Please enjoy it with freshly brewed siphon coffee.
Nishiyama Coffee House
| address | ： | 2-1-52 Takasushinmachi, Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture |
|---|---|---|
| phone | ： | 088-880-5530 |
| business hours | ： | 8:30-21:30 (Breakfast until 11:00) |
| Closed Day | ： | Thursday |
| web | ： | https://nishiyama-coffeekan.com/ |
Kochi's morning culture has developed from the desire of many people to eat bread, rice, and miso soup. Its form continues to evolve day by day, and each store has become a specialty menu item. If you visit Kochi, be sure to enjoy a morning meal filled with the spirit and culture of Kochi.
Follow in the footsteps of Kobo Daishi on the Shikoku Pilgrimage and embark on a journey of the heart to reflect on yourself.
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The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
