A Japanese Breakfast

Japanese Breakfast at the Claska Hotel in Tokyo. Miso soup, rice, pickles, and miso broiled fish - SO delicious.

a japanese breakfast // loveandlemons.com

We made it to Japan! I think it’s only fitting that our first post is about the first meal of the day. I wouldn’t normally recommend eating breakfast at your hotel, but in Japan you have to (at least once) experience the Japanese breakfast. If you haven’t heard of it, the concept might rock your mind… I mean, it is miso soup and fish for breakfast after all…

a japanese breakfast // loveandlemons.com

This particular breakfast was at the Claska, a boutique hotel in Tokyo. We spent our first two nights there and our favorite part was their version of the Japanese breakfast. It was a little less traditional than others we’ve had, but we just loved the modern take.

a japanese breakfast // loveandlemons.com

It starts with a choice of coffee or green tea. Pick the green tea, or you’re not doing it right. Next you get a big tray full of many little things… miso soup, rice, pickles, & miso broiled fish among others (see above). Traditionally (I think) there’s a natto course, but we thought it was so clever that they subbed in seasonal okra for a similar “gooey” component. Also, we’ve yet to acquire the taste for natto.

a japanese breakfast // loveandlemons.com

The “take home” idea for us was the soft boiled egg mixed into rice with a sweet soy sauce, pickled veggies, and torn pieces of toasted nori. I can’t see myself going through the effort to recreate this entire breakfast platter at home, but an eggy breakfast rice bowl, I can do. yum yum.

45 comments

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  1. Wow, amazing! I loved Japan when I was there a few years ago. Make sure to go to an Okonomiyaki place where you prepare the pancakes at your table – you’ll smell like a little Okonomiyaki afterwards, but it’s well worth the experience!

  2. Claudia from Www.buenprovechoblog.com
    09.11.2013

    Looks like you’re having a great time with lots of amazing food! I love eggs over rice and the addition of a sweet soy sauce is intriguing. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

  3. erin from opportunityknits.blogspot.com
    09.11.2013

    Such a luxury to have rice and fish for breakfast! The steamed rice with soft boiled egg and soya sauce sounds really yummy and simple too.

  4. Gaby from whatsgabycooking.com
    09.11.2013

    How amazing, it all looks so good!!

  5. Kasey from turntablekitchen.com
    09.11.2013

    Oh you are making me miss Japan! Sounds soo good.

  6. Teffy from teffysperks.blogspot.com
    09.11.2013

    I remember being in Vietnam and having pho noodle soup for breakfast. It’s more of a lunch/dinner feel for me, but it does start the day with an awesome kick to it!

    Teffy { Teffys Perks Blog }

    Xx

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      ooh I can’t wait to get to Vietnam… I know, it’s so interesting how different cultures approach breakfast!

  7. Love eating Japanese foods – I will say that the RAW egg and Japanese rice for breakfast is yum yum yum. We get our eggs from the market so it’s fresh, organic, and safe. If the rice is steaming hot, it cooks it partially so there’s no boiling to do… Hope you are/have enjoyed your Japanese trip!!

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      interesting, if I get brave I’ll try that at home! (with some good organic eggs of course).

  8. deb
    09.11.2013

    beautiful pix and a super looking breakfast. bon appetite to you both
    during future eats! keep posting updates on your Japan trip, please.

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      thanks! glad you’re enjoying them!

  9. Erin
    09.11.2013

    Oh man, I wanted to stay at Claska for my upcoming trip, but the days I wanted were all booked up! Maybe next year. Their rooms look amazing. Which one did you stay in?

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      um… one on the 5th floor? I booked these two nights at the last minute (I think I just happened to snatch it because it was only 2 nights). We’re in Kyoto this week, heading back to Tokyo next week and it was booked up for that part of our trip.

      • Erin
        09.11.2013

        Ah, that must have been one of the Japanese Modern ones. The Tatami and DIY rooms caught my eye the most, but I bet the one you stayed in was great, too!

  10. Kathryn from londonbakes.com
    09.11.2013

    Love the pictures in this post – so evocative! I hope you guys are having a blast in Japan.

  11. i love savory breakfasts but would have never thought of baked fish and miso soup..if i ever get a chance, I surely will be eating Japanese breakfast.

  12. This looks great! My fella and I are going to Tokyo next week. I see that this hotel also has a really nice shop franchise. Did you notice if there was a shop was in the hotel? Thanks for sharing, we might make it out for this breakfast!

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      yes, there was a small shop… I hope you have fun in tokyo!

  13. Jee
    09.11.2013

    Looks really good. I love Japanese breakfast!

    On a side note, in Japan you are not supposed to put soy sauce on your rice, it is considered bad manners. In general you should refrain from pouring soy sauce on anything other than tofu. You should rather dip your food into the soy sauce. However since you are obviously foreigners I highly doubt that you have offended anyone ^o^. This is a common mistake many foreigners in Japan do.

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      Hi Jee,

      We totally understand that foreigners probably overuse soy sauce … at this specific place it was more of a prepared sweet soy sauce that they instructed us to pour onto the rice. Just trying to do what we’re told! 🙂

    • Beepboopbop
      10.29.2013

      You put soy sauce in tamago gohan, which is essentially what they had except the egg was soft boiled rather than raw. Perfectly acceptable.

  14. Dom from lartdelacuriosite.blogspot.com
    09.11.2013

    I stayed at Claska hotel 5 months ago and had this gorgeous breakfast too.
    Thank you so much to remind me one of the wonderful moments I spent there.

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      oh I’m so glad, we just loved it!

  15. I have found memories of Japan, I love the traditional breakfast of miso and rice. Sometimes we would have black rice with sticky rice syrup as a treat, so warming I hope your trip is going well and can not wait for a new update.

  16. Coco
    09.11.2013

    Have you ever had Korean food? This looks exactly like bibimbap. 🙂
    Love the photos. Thanks for sharing!

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      yes, love korean food 🙂

  17. Siglet
    09.11.2013

    that looks really good! We’re off to Japan too in just under 3 weeks so I can’t wait to see more posts, I love the ones on instagram- the more I see the more excited I get (if that is even possible!)

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      3 weeks, that’s so exciting!

  18. Rebecca from iliveinvancouvernow.virb.com
    09.11.2013

    Oh, this looks heavenly! The first photo had me drooling, really. The well broiled fish looks particularly appealing. Happy travels!

    • jeanine
      09.11.2013

      thanks! It was really darn good 🙂

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.