Iki Roastery and Eatery
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Nihonbashi and the neighborhoods directly east of it can present a problem around lunchtime. This is because there’s not a lot of good places to eat there, despite lunchtime being when I’m usually around Nihonbashi (Nihombashi if you’re nasty). There’s Nihonbashi Philly, which I’ve always wanted to try, but it’s only open at night. A lot of the restaurants that look good are expensive, and the cheap ones don’t entice me; there’s also a lack of decent coffee shops east of Nihombashi Station for reasons that are a mystery to me.
This past week, Eriko and I were set to be in the area around lunchtime, and I was determined to find a good place to eat. I scoured the map, looking farther away from where we were going to be than I normally would. I finally found a place just a couple stops farther, near a station called Kiyosumi-shirakawa that I’d never heard of despite the fact that we ride the train past it all the time.
Iki Roastery and Eatery’s special ambiance
Iki Roastery & Eatery looked promising, with proper latte art (and meat pies) from a barista who studied the craft in New Zealand, which as I understand it is some sort of island near Australia (boom roasted). We walked over the Sumida River and followed Google Maps directions through a quiet neighborhood until we got to a small side street. Passing by some stern signs warning against bike parking, we found the building… and there was no door. Apparently, they frown upon entering this establishment from the street. You have to go around the block and enter from the riverwalk on the other side.
Staring through the big sliding glass door, we saw that this place was huge. There were tons of tables, almost all filled with diners. I had brought my computer, thinking this would be a place to post up and do work while drinking coffee, but that’s not what it was. This is definitely a restaurant first, as well as a coffee roaster and bakery. The ceilings are high, with wooden beams and exposed ducts like it’s an office in Santa Monica, and there’s even a little loft with extra seating. It was crowded; I’m not sure how everyone heard of this place, but they must have come specifically to eat here, because it’s not like you’d just be walking past down the riverwalk on a cloudy day.
Menu and drinks at Iki Roastery
They give you a paper menu, but ordering is done through QR code. The server explained to each new guest how the QR system worked, which was unnecessary because we’ve all been to a modern restaurant before. They have a lot of coffee drinks, including flat whites, but if you want it iced, you have to go with a latte. I asked for an extra shot because a latte is often too much milk for me. The coffee ended up being weak even with the extra shot, not impressive for a place that gives you a menu of beans to choose from. Eriko tried a green juice that mostly tasted like banana and that she said maybe had kiwi in it.
Here’s my beef with QR code ordering: I am fine with ordering via code, and even (sometimes) with entering my card information to pay in advance. But why should I have to give you my email address when I just want a stupid pastry? Silly. I went to get us a couple glasses of water, but there was only one glass at the self-serve station. I went up to the counter and asked the guy for glasses, and he said, “Which table are you at?” I pointed, and he said, “Table 2?” Am I supposed to know what table is what? I don’t work there. You tell me what number it is.
The bathroom was so-so for a place like this, only one person at a time. However, waiting in line meant I could peruse the counter and see that the pastries and pies were way bigger than I expected. The sandwiches only looked okay, more bread than filling, but some of those pastries and sweets looked great.
Sausage roll at Iki Roastery
If you’re not from England or Australia (or wherever New Zealand is supposed to be), you may never have had a sausage roll. It’s their version of a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit: a breakfast staple for when you find yourself out of the house in the a.m.
Sausage can be tricky: put too much non-meat stuff in it, and the consistency gets off, so you end up with a crumbly, crunchy mess. Japan is not a great place to get good sausage: most of their sausages are just low-quality hot dogs.
That’s why I was so surprised at how good this one was. It had tons of herbs and spices in it, but still retained the texture and flavor of the meat. The pastry around it was the perfect thickness as well. I devoured this thing. The salad that came with it had just the right amount of dressing on it too. I had been really hungry, and this thing perfectly satiated the wild beast. Would definitely get this again, 100%.
Chicken and leek pie at Iki Roastery
Another thing that’s way more common in Australia and England than in America is meat pies. I love British meat pies, and was considering getting one here, but they didn’t have a beef one, so I decided to go with the sausage roll. Eriko got the chicken and leak pie, which was really big and had a creamy white sauce.
I have always been a chicken pot pie guy. I purchase the cheap ones at the grocery store, and even used to order it at restaurants when I’d see it. I enjoy burning my mouth, is what I’m saying. Eriko and I also watch British Bake-Off, so I was ready to judge this thing harshly if it displeased me.
There was nothing to worry about. The pastry was buttery and not too thick or burned, while the sauce was super flavorful and light. It was just a tad different from your normal chicken pie, but in a good way. They nailed it. I would eat this again too. Eriko and I agreed it was great.
Pastries at Iki Roastery
Did we need a pastry in addition to our meal? Probably not. But we’re reviewers, and willing to sacrifice for you, our disloyal readers. There were a bunch that looked good, like lemon croissants and cardamom buns, but I went with a chocolate Swiss bread because I wasn’t familiar with it.
This thing was gigantic. For breakfast, this could easily be a full meal. The chocolate was dark, thick, & tasty, and a decent amount of it too The top looked really good, but when you cut into it, the whole thing disintegrated, revealing that it was mostly air beneath. The ripples on top came off like bits of your shoelace caps, needing to be picked up off the plate in a dusty collection.
The flavor was okay, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the pastry overall. It was hard to judge, because I don’t know how a Swiss bread is supposed to be. Maybe this was a perfect one, and I’m just not a huge fan of Swiss bread. I’ll probably try something else next time, because it all looks pretty good. And there will definitely be a next time.
Verdict: should you visit Iki Roastery and Eatery?
This is now going to be one of my go-to places. I am often nearby (well, a short bus ride away) during mid-day, and have long sought a decent place to grab lunch. As I said when we reviewed Min Min, this restaurant was good enough that Eriko will be finding excuses to accompany me on my errands so she can eat here with me again.
It’s true that Iki Roastery and Eatery probably isn’t on your way anywhere, and most people don’t come to Japan to eat at trendy western cafes with only partial views of the river. If you’re visiting from Australia or England (or that Zealand place people keep joking about), maybe skip this one. But if you’re American (or anything else) and want to try a darn good version of dishes you usually only get in English-speaking countries, or if you’re a Tokyo local, you have got to give this place a try. If they improved the coffee and juice a bit, it would be a 10/10.
Where to find Iki Roastery & Eatery in Tokyo
Address: 1 Chome-4-7 Tokiwa, Koto City, Tokyo 135-0006
Hours: 8am-5pm M-F, 8am-6pm Sat-Sun
Website: iki-espresso.com
Note that there is a second location, Iki Espresso, just a five-minute walk away. This other cafe has a different menu, including eggs benedict (I’m not capitalizing his name, spellcheck), tacos, and burgers, so we’ll all have to give that one a try as well and see what we think. Let’s meet there tomorrow.
