🍳 Enjoy a fluffy egg toast breakfast at the Koenji shopping street for just pocket change!
PRONTO is one of Japan's chain cafes, known for transforming into an izakaya cafe at night, with a wide variety of food options on the menu.
This time, I had the breakfast egg toast, which I really love—an entire egg baked on top of the toast! They have four types: mentaiko, cheese, bacon, and curry. A single serving is only half a slice, so it's great for a light snack when you're not too hungry, and the two-slice set is only 500 yen, which is super affordable!
However, the coffee is made using a fully automatic coffee machine, so if you have higher expectations for coffee, you might be a bit disappointed. But it's perfect for when you need breakfast while traveling!
Here's the translation of the provided text into English:
"I have been here before, and this is my second visit to the place.
It has no time limit, so when I want to chat for a long time with friends, I choose to come here. However, if the volume gets too loud, the staff will remind us.
Usually, we have to wait for a table (arrived at 7:00, waited for about 40 minutes, then went to have dinner).
The minimum spend is one drink/meal.
What's more special is the billing method; the first order is calculated at $160, and then regardless of what we order afterward, it’s $110.
The atmosphere in the store is relaxed and a leisurely space for chatting with friends. Since there’s no time limit, it’s also quite suitable for studying and similar activities.
What we ordered this time:
🌻 English Scone
A freshly baked scone served with honey and walnut spread.
Eating it fresh out of the oven is truly comforting; it has a soft texture and a subtle buttery aroma. It's a great option when you want something hot, and I personally think it surpasses many inexpensive scones!
🌻 Butter Beer Baked Milk (non-alcoholic beer)
I had been looking for baked milk for a long time... Initially, I just wanted to order scones and a drink, but I couldn’t help but add the baked milk.
I found it very impressive; it has a rich milky flavor and smooth texture, with the toffee sauce paired just right. I immediately told my friends that it was delicious! The crispy layer underneath adds to the texture, and the top is crispy butter.
🌻 Honey Orange Celebration (I)
I feel that the pairing of sweetness and bitterness is quite apparent, but it integrates well with the sweeter dishes! The orange sauce predominates, and you can’t really taste the honey (which seems quite subtle, just providing sweetness). Overall, it doesn’t lean too much towards bitterness or sweetness.
It’s a good option to consider if you’re ordering more desserts.
What I ate last time:
🌼 Caramel Lemon Cheesecake
It’s on the sweeter side (my friend felt it was a bit rich and wanted water this time). The caramel flavor covers most of the lemon's sourness, but the lemon acidity of the cheesecake itself is quite noticeable, although it’s still a very sweet cake.
🌼 Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles
A must-order item! Many people recommend their stir-fried noodles. My friend liked it very much this time, and I fell in love with it when I had it last time.
You can choose between soft-boiled or fully cooked eggs; what left an impression on me was simply that it was delicious—nothing else… You can come and try it yourself (huh)."
There are parking spots. 🅿️
Before checking out, they asked if I wanted to sign up for membership. If you spend over 500, you get a 10% discount on desserts. 👍🏻
That latte $150
Strawberry cheese bread $70
The latte is commonly known as "拿鐵" (nàtiě).
The strawberry cheese bread looks average on the outside, but it tastes quite good. It feels much healthier than my favorite onion scone.
Gold Star members have a friend-sharing event these days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday). I remember hearing someone complain a few times while ordering: "Why is this only for members!?"
Why??
Because we have to pay nearly 6000 yuan in protection fees to Starbucks every year, ahhhh. So every time I receive a notification for friend-sharing day, I get the feeling of receiving a "protection fee collection notice," and I rush to check in before 8 PM.
The Taiping store is located on Zhongshan Road in Taiping District, very close to the 74 expressway. It has its own parking lot, and if there are no parking spots available, there are paid parking lots nearby. At the Taiping store, it often happens that after dining, people leave their trash on the table. Sometimes it can be quite uncomfortable to see; can't they just clean up a bit?~~ (It happened again today.)
When I was bored and randomly scrolling through Google Maps, I came across this tea shop near the dormitory. Since I have classes during the business hours, I could only visit today to really experience it.
The overall atmosphere is that of a Japanese Showa-style tea shop, quite cozy and small, though it's not a quiet environment; people inside engage in conversations and chatter. I think it's suitable for two people to come and chat over a meal.
I checked the reviews on Google, and it seems that there are quite a few people on weekends, so reservations might be needed. You can reserve a table during breakfast, but afternoon tea does not accept reservations.
The staff are very friendly and proactively ask what you would like to drink. They are really nice!
Dining time is limited to one hour, which I feel is a bit short (I ate too slowly with the cake at first, and then I was so full after drinking the black tea).
Also, this shop has a rule that the number of drinks ordered must be at least half the number of people (one cup for two, two cups for four). A single person ordering one cup is indeed a bit much…
The set meal can offset $100 for dessert; anything beyond that will require an additional charge.
🌻 Blue Earl Grey Tea (H) $290 Set Meal
The aroma is quite strong. I’ve never ordered black tea in a café before and I’m not particularly skilled at tea tasting, but the black tea here has made me want to try black tea at other places as well… it really suits my palate.
It’s very smooth going down, leaving a subtle, pleasant fragrance lingering in the mouth (perhaps due to the texture of the Earl Grey tea, but I'm not quite sure). In any case, it’s delicious!
🌻 Saint Honoré $250 (Daily Dessert)
It’s extremely delicious…🫨
Since I ordered black tea, the sweet Saint Honoré dessert complemented it perfectly, balancing out the flavors. I’ve never had this kind of dessert before, but when I took a bite of the cream puff, I instantly fell in love!
The cream isn’t overly sweet and has a coffee flavor, and inside the cake, there's a small piece that I guess is lemon cheese, along with strawberry ice filling. Eating it on its own might be quite rich, but paired with the Earl Grey tea, I think it’s just right.
Although the prices are somewhat high, I would be willing to come back for the black tea again…
Store Introduction
In recent years, issues such as food safety crises and food shortages have garnered increasing attention. The chef at Sleepy Coffee hopes to improve the environment with their small efforts. Therefore, they started as an apprentice who didn't even know how to hold a kitchen knife, learning and continuously improving themselves at various renowned restaurants. After gaining expertise, they chose to return to their hometown – Taoyuan – to open a store. At Sleepy Coffee, we meticulously select a variety of fresh and safe ingredients, hoping to create a secure dining environment for everyone! After reading this, I feel like I have to support this place! It’s a child- and pet-friendly environment that is very comfortable and relaxing. I originally wanted to order the Eggs Benedict, but it was sold out. Instead, I ordered the smoked salmon and a meat and egg roll. The hash browns were delicious and made with real ingredients, reflecting the owner’s dedication. I even made friends with the blueberries, haha! So much care put into this!
I often pass by this place and finally mustered the courage to give it a try.
This time, I ordered the ham and cheese burger and the brown sugar fresh milk tea.
First of all, the brown sugar fresh milk tea is extremely disappointing; I couldn't taste any brown sugar at all. Overall, it felt very much like drinking water, which was quite disappointing. As for the ham and cheese burger, it was just average—not too bad, but nothing special.
Overall, the drink was really hard to accept. I am a bit suspicious that the shop forgot to add brown sugar because there was literally no sweetness at all.
The price is $150.
The latte is... latte, and since almost every store makes it similarly, I usually drink this.
These days, there’s a buy-one-get-one-free promotion, and it isn’t limited to Gold Star members, so as soon as it hits 11 o’clock, the once-quiet counter instantly becomes bustling. When ordering, the staff will directly inform you that you have to wait at least 15 minutes or more.
The Starbucks on Taiping Zhongxing East Road provides power outlets, and on weekdays, the second floor feels like a “shared workspace,” with many people coming to discuss business. By evening, it starts to have the atmosphere of a library, but it only stays open until 8 o’clock; after that, the second floor will begin cleaning.
At 7 o’clock in the evening, there is a “special food event,” where some bread and pastries are offered at a 30% discount.
I previously saw someone recommend this place on IG and decided to follow their account. Looking at the photos, their curry rice looked really delicious... Considering the savory dishes at coffee shops, it wasn't too expensive, so I chose to come here for dinner. The interior decor has an old house style, but it doesn’t feel cluttered due to the decorations; overall, it’s warm, comfortable, and quiet.
The minimum order is one drink; savory food or desserts cannot be used to offset this. After eating, I settled the bill.
🌻 Tomato Cream Spice Curry $230
I thought it was really tasty, and I personally recommend it! The spice flavor is not too strong but definitely noticeable, pairing well with the slightly sour tomato taste and the gentle creaminess, as well as the minced meat and potatoes in the curry. Overall, I think it's very balanced and delicious~
🌻 Mixed Berry Sparkling Drink $170
It's a standard sparkling drink, with quite a few berry bits. However, the price is on the higher side for a sparkling drink, so the value for money is lower.
🌻 Small Round Caramel Pudding $130
It’s delicious! The caramel is slightly bitter and not overly sweet, the pudding's sweetness is moderate, and the texture is great with a strong egg flavor... I don’t often eat pudding at coffee shops, but I found this one really good, though the price is still on the expensive side.
Overall, it's a nice place, but the prices are a bit high for students... I would want to revisit when I have some extra budget!
🔅Actual visit date: 2024/11/03
*Please do not reprint & commercialize without permission.
My friend found this place on Google; it's a gluten-free rice pancake shop, quite special. The shop has a few simple indoor seating options, and the owner operates it alone. The Google landmark also mentions "bunny-friendly," which is pretty cute, haha.
▪️Signature Chocolate + Peanut $65
▪️Matcha Whipped Cream $75
The pancake comes in three types: Signature, Chocolate, and Matcha. I chose the Signature and Matcha. I took it to go, and when I got home, the pancake didn't have a crispness; it was dense. The chocolate peanut butter is toasted in the oven after spreading, and the flavor is quite common, feeling very indulgent but not overly sweet or rich.
What surprised me was the Matcha pancake. It has very little sweetness and a strong tea flavor, giving a slight astringent sensation in the mouth. It pairs quite well with the whipped cream, which is packaged separately. I originally thought the whipped cream would melt quickly if packed with the warm pancakes, but I found that the whipped cream seemed to be frozen, so it was just right next to the pancakes. That detail was very thoughtful.
Overall, while I seem to prefer the original pancake's softer, chewy texture, this one provides a strong sense of fullness. The pancake has a subtle rice aroma, making it quite unique.
