Bread, Espresso and Hakatotto

As a morning stop during my stay in Hakata, I visited a bakery-cafe called Bread, Espresso and Hakatotto on the first floor of the hotel THE BLOSSOM HAKATA Premier. This place opened in 2019 as a branch of the popular Tokyo-based cafe “Bread, Espresso and…”. Their signature item is “Moo,” a small loaf of bread with lots of butter, which attracts a huge number of customers every morning for their morning breakfast.

To spend the last morning of my stay in Hakata at such a restaurant, I checked out of my hotel so that I could arrive 30 minutes before opening time. I arrived at the restaurant at 7:40 a.m., a little later than expected…

It doesn’t matter that it’s raining heavily, Bread, Espresso and Hakatotto is such a popular place…

When I arrived at Bread, Espresso and Hakatatto at around 7:40 in the morning, there was a short line of 6 customers waiting at the entrance. I was the seventh from the front, so I was almost certain to be the first in line. This in itself is something to be happy about, but the number of customers coming in after me was amazing. After all, about 10 minutes later, the line was over 30 people long. Incidentally, it was raining heavily that morning. This restaurant must be something special to have such a long line on a holiday in spite of the heavy rain. Oh, by the way, I forgot that this restaurant is next door to a hotel. It is possible that guests of the hotel come here for the morning meal.

The system for using the cafe at Bread, Espresso and Hakatatto is to take a seat first, then go to the cash register to place your order. I did a quick count and found that there are a total of 31 seats in the restaurant, about half of which (15 seats) are counter seats, so it seems to be a restaurant designed for eating and drinking quickly and then leaving, rather than a place where you can relax with a coffee in hand.

Incidentally, the counter seats at this restaurant are equipped with power outlets so that you can charge your smartphone. It would be possible to bring in a laptop computer to work, like at Starbucks, but since the store is made of glass and is in full view of the customers lined up outside, it would be difficult unless you have the mental strength not to be moved by the stares of customers.

A luxurious morning to enjoy the restaurant’s signature dish and a Hakata specialty at the same time… Moo Mentai Set, a popular morning menu item at Bread, Espresso and Hakatatto.

Let me introduce the popular morning menu item I ordered at Bread, Espresso and Hakatatto that day: the Moo Mentai Set. The price is 1600 yen including tax, but with a hot latte, the total price is 1800 yen including tax…

After placing your order, it took about 15 minutes to receive your hot latte with latte art, and a few minutes later…

The main dish, Moo Mentai Set, arrived. It looks quite SNS-worthy. The signature moo is about 10 cm square in size… As expected, the toasted moo is topped with a generous amount of mentaiko, mentaiko cream, and mentaiko butter that has been swirled over the top. I like the fact that the toast of that moo has already been cut into four equal pieces to make it easier to eat.

Now, let’s try the moo… The mentaiko is spicy and stimulating, but the cream and butter covering it envelopes the stimulation, making it soft and spicy as a whole. The toasted moo at its base is crispy, fragrant, and browned on the surface, while the bread dough inside is moist and soft with a hint of sweetness.

Above all, the buttery flavor is amazing… I think the amount of butter kneaded into the bread dough is considerable, but with the addition of the mentaiko butter topping, the buttery aroma that leaves your mouth and nose is incredible. However, I did not feel the buttery flavor at all, and I was able to finish off the four slices of mentaiko in no time at all.However, the accompanying carrot rapé and mushrooms were also quite acidic and stimulating in a different way. I felt that this strong acidity was a bit harsh at first thing in the morning…. If I didn’t have a latte on hand, I might not have been able to finish it all… So, although it is a bit expensive, don’t forget to order a set of a drink with your morning meal at Bread, Espresso and Hakatotto…

Other morning menus at Bread, Espresso and Hakatatto (prices include tax)

• French Toast Set 1,400 yen
• Moo Sandwich Set 1,500 yen
• Hot Dog Set 1,500 yen
• Moo Toast Set 1,300 yen
• Salmon Bagel Set 1,300 yen

Of course, bread take-out is available…Access to Bread, Espresso and Hakatatto is a 5-minute walk from the nearest station, Kushida-jinja-mae Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Nanakuma Line.

Of course, Bread, Espresso and Hakatatto also offers take-out bread. French toast, one of the popular morning dishes, is also available for purchase, so it may be wise to take out when the restaurant is crowded. The bill for eat-in and take-out is separate, so even if there is a huge line outside, there is no need to wait to enter the store. If you are looking for delicious bread in Hakata, you should definitely give this store a try.

Now, here are the details of the cafe…

From JR Hakata Station, it is a 6-minute walk.

P.S. Next to Bread, Espresso and Hakatotto, there is that restaurant which is one of the most popular seafood restaurants in Hakata…