Garb Monaque

Breakfast in Umeda, Osaka… Just hearing that makes you picture a café packed to the brim, doesn’t it? Actually, that’s pretty much spot on—for example, Kissa Sunshine is always full, with customers coming and going nonstop… But one morning, I managed to enjoy a surprisingly quiet breakfast at an unexpected spot. What’s more, that café is just a stone’s throw from JR Osaka Station. It might have just been a fluke that day, but maybe it’s actually a hidden gem in the mornings…

It wouldn’t be surprising if this were used as a filming location for a TV drama… This is what Garb Monaque is like…

The shop is a café called Garb Monaque, located in Osaka Umekita Plaza—right in front of you as you exit the Central North Exit of JR Osaka Station and go down the stairs. It opened on April 26, Heisei 25, the same day Grand Front Osaka opened, and is celebrating its 13th anniversary this year. It seems to have been designed to resemble a ship docked in the station plaza. Whether that “ship” is purely conceptual or not, I personally didn’t get a particularly ship-like vibe from it, but I did notice that the front of the café is entirely glass-walled, and the view from inside looked absolutely stunning…

Garb Monaque has a total of 130 seats, combining indoor seating and outdoor terrace seating. Both the location and the atmosphere feel like they could easily be used as a filming location for a TV drama, and it’s easy to imagine all 130 seats filled to capacity. However, when I visited around 9:00 a.m. on a certain weekend, there weren’t even 10 customers, including myself… I stayed for nearly 30 minutes after that, but no other customers showed up. It has an open, airy feel and a great atmosphere, and with the station right in front of it—making it easy to hop on a train—it’s in a prime location. Honestly, I thought it was quite a waste…

This is my first time trying yudane bread… I ordered the Yudane Bread and Spanish Omelet Set from Garb Monaque—so how did it actually turn out?

Well then, let me introduce the Yudane Bread and Spanish Omelet Set (price: 900 yen, tax not included) from the breakfast menu that I ordered at Garb Monaque that day. If you add hot coffee to this breakfast set, the price drops from 550 yen to 200 yen, so I ordered it along with the meal…

The Yudané Bread and Spanish Omelet Set that was brought to my table came with a cup of soup, and I felt just a tiny bit of regret, thinking, “Maybe I didn’t need the coffee after all…”

Well, I don’t usually eat much bread, so at the time, I didn’t even know what Yudané bread was. This was my first time trying it… and it’s incredibly soft. The moment I picked it up, I could tell it was fluffy. And when I actually took a bite, it wasn’t just soft—it had a nice chewiness and a chewy, springy texture. I could also detect a subtle sweetness; it was a gentle, comforting kind of bread that I could eat without any trouble, even though I wasn’t fully awake yet that morning.

The Spanish omelet that came with the set was bigger than I expected. It had a hint of herbs, but the flavor was simple and easy to eat first thing in the morning. The hot coffee I ordered on the side had just the right balance of bitterness and acidity, making it go down smoothly. All in all, Garb Monaque’s breakfast menu—the “Yudane Bread and Spanish Omelet Set” (with hot coffee)—is, to put it mildly, an unbeatable deal for this location and price. Things might have changed by the time this article goes live, but if you can enjoy your morning in an environment like this at this price, wouldn’t anyone who visits feel incredibly happy?

Examples from Garb Monaque’s À la Carte Menu (Prices include tax)

• BBQ-Grilled Hiyoshi Pork Loin with Bone (from Kyoto) – 3,280 yen
• Kuroge Wagyu Hamburger Steak, Rossini-Style – 2,580 yen
• Paella-Style Risotto with Plenty of Seafood – 2,200 yen
• Carbonara with Momiji Eggs from Kitazaka Farm – 1,700 yen
• Mexican Caesar Salad with Smoked Chicken – 1,580 yen

They also have a takeout menu… Garb Monaque is a 0-minute walk from the nearest station, JR Osaka Station.

Garb Monaque also offers a takeout menu. The takeout options are mainly drinks, including beer, highballs, and mulled wine. As for food, there are only two options: the hamburger and the cheeseburger. The buns for these hamburgers look like they’re made with a steamed dough method. Does that mean the buns are super fluffy? The patties are thick and meaty too, and I think it’s a great deal to be able to enjoy this for around 1,000 yen.

Now, here are the details about the restaurant…