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Japanese izakaya serves up cheap breakfast…and morning drinks in Tokyo

Oona McGee Oct 9, 2024
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One of the most unusual places to start your day in the city.

At the west exit of Ikebukuro Station, you’ll find a long-established, popular izakaya tavern that’s famous for its morning drinks. The name of the shop is “Fukuro“, and though it was founded as a small bar in 1953, it now has three floors that can accommodate about 150 diners in total.

Though most izakaya open in the evenings, this establishment opens its doors bright and early, offering a “Morning Set” from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. every day but Sunday, when it opens at midday. This schedule is a good fit for its morning customers, who mostly consist of company employees starting their day and staff knocking off from their night shifts, the latter of which are known to unwind with a drink before heading home to sleep.

▼ With “Morning Sets” priced at just 550 yen (US$3.71), this is a great place to start, or finish, your working day.

Our reporter Masanuki Sunakoma was heading in to work when he stopped by at around 9 a.m. so he resisted the urge to down a whiskey and Coke, instead ordering the Ham and Egg Morning Set. As he waited for his meal to arrive, he looked around the room and was surprised to see that it was crowded, with nearly every seat at the counter occupied. Not everyone was starting their day here, either, as two male customers next to him were drinking sake while nibbling on ham cutlets and sashimi, and judging from their conversation, they’d just finished their night shift.

▼ An izakaya serving alcohol at 9 a.m. is a godsend for night workers.

Masanuki actually felt he was in the minority as a day worker ordering breakfast, but any feelings of self-consciousness quickly disappeared when his meal arrived, as it was much larger than he expected, with a big bowl of rice and miso soup accompanying his ham and egg.

▼ The Morning Set also came with a drink, and the ham and egg was served with a mound of shredded cabbage, a couple of sausages, and a dollop of mustard.

▼ Oh, and a side of takuan (pickled daikon radish).

This was a true home-style breakfast, and they even offered a choice of furikake seasonings to sprinkle on top of your rice, adding to the h0me-like feel. The freshly cooked rice was fluffy and delicious and the miso soup tasted homemade, warming Masanuki’s belly and heart as he gobbled them down.

You can go cheap with a set menu like Masanuki, or you can make things even more luxurious by ordering additional side dishes of your choice, just as you would on a night out at an izakaya.

The couple next to him were definitely acting like they were out for dinner at an izakaya, ordering additional dishes like onion slices and kimchi as they downed their drinks. Their sense of carefree, post-work abandon began to rub off on Masanuki, who now felt like ordering a beer, so he quickly finished his breakfast and stood up to take his leave before he gave in to the temptation.

▼ He could always return after work for a cold one, seeing as the place is open until 11 p.m. on weekdays.

According to the signboard above, the izakaya is open all day, with the ground floor open from the morning and the second and third floors welcoming customers from later in the day. It’s pretty impressive to find a restaurant, let alone an izakaya, that stays open after lunch without closing for a break, so this is a place that hungry diners will definitely want to keep on their radar.

▼ As for Masanuki, well…it was hard for him to tear himself away from the charms of a morning izakaya.

As he stood outside the station, Masanuki used all his willpower to head in to work instead of running back to the cosy warmth of the izakaya and its extensive drinks menu. It was an odd experience to start the day at an izakaya rather than end it at one, but now that he’s tried it, he wouldn’t mind returning for a second round as he continues to seek out some of the best, and most unusual, places to eat breakfast around town.

Cafe information
Sakaba Fukuro / 酒場ふくろ
Address: Tokyo-to, Toshima-ku, Nishiikebukuro 1-14-2
東京都豊島区西池袋1-14-2
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. (weekdays, Saturdays, holidays); 12:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Sundays)

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