I love breakfast. I tend to skip it most days — busy city life and all, you know — but if I have the chance to indulge myself with a nice breakfast, I know my day is out to a good start. I had already wanted to try World Breakfast Allday in Gaienmae for a few months when I saw on their Instagram that they had just opened a second location in Kichijoji. Without a second thought, I decided to try it on the very next day.
World Breakfast Allday opens at 7:30 and I went there before 8:30 on a weekday. Even though I was pretty early, all the tables were already taken. I am not sure if it was crowded because it had just opened, but it is probably a good call to make a reservation if you want to go — especially on weekends!
The Atmosphere
The restaurant was not very big. There were only 4 tables sitting 4 people each. Given that all the tables were busy, I was asked to share a table with another lady.
I liked the homey atmosphere with the open kitchen. There were only two staff to cook and serve, but the service was still quick.
The Food
I really love World Breakfast Allday‘s concept. It aims at sharing foreign cultures through breakfast. In Kichijoji, you can choose between English, American and Swiss breakfasts. In Gaienmae they offer English, Taiwanese and Mexican breakfasts. In addition to the regular menu, both locations offer a special breakfast from a fourth country. The special menu changes about every two months. It is created in collaboration with embassies, government tourism bureaus, or even airlines.
Every seat had a little flyer introducing some cultural and food facts about the country featured in the special menu. What a nice attention!
Russian Breakfast Plate (1,500 yen)
When I went to World Breakfast Allday, they had a Russian Breakfast as their special. The plate had two blinis that were very similar to crêpes. One was topped with smetana (Russian sour cream) and the other one with salmon roe. There was not much of the toppings, but I enjoyed the leftover blini with tvorog (cottage cheese) and raspberry jam, which was just as tasty. The beetroot salad was refreshing, while the kasha (porridge) was served with some butter, which gave it a nice buttery flavor. Frankly, it exceeded my expectations.
Sbiten (680 yen)
I also had a sbiten, a popular Russian drink. I was afraid that it would be too sweet because one of the main ingredients is honey, but it was really well-balanced. The mixture of lemon, honey, rosemary and laurier with the beautiful star anise was soft and comforting on that cold rainy day.
Overall
Overall, World Breakfast Allday Kichijoji was a pleasant breakfast place and the Russian breakfast a great discovery. I found it delicious, and I could taste the efforts put into its preparation. The actual building looked a bit old and unwelcoming, but it was clean and the staff tried their best to create a Russian atmosphere. The place was filled with Russian decorations and food and they even had some Russian music playing.
I left World Breakfast Allday more than satisfied — as I wrote above, I am used not to eating in the morning, and the Russian breakfast is definitely on the heavy side. That being said, if it had been lunch or dinner, I doubt it would have been enough. The price for the plate was probably fair compared to the amount you get at other breakfast places (1,500 yen) — especially given how unusual some of the ingredients were. I did feel, though, that the drink was a bit overpriced (680 yen).
Since there are not many seats, I think it is normal for different groups to share a table at this restaurant. I did not mind sharing a table because I was alone, but if I had been with somebody else, I would have wanted my own table. I still recommend this place for the food. I would go with a friend or for a casual date, but I would probably want to move to a more comfortable café after finishing my plate!
World Breakfast Allday Kichijoji
Opening hours: open everyday from 7:30 to 20:00
Website: click here
Address: 2 Chome-4-2-102 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino, Tokyo 180-0004
Telephone: 0422-27-6582
