We’re thrilled to welcome Lucy Bolognese, who recently wrote this excellent post for us about the “Nagoya Breakfast Special”, explaining its origin and taking us on a flavourful “Morning Service” journey.
Read on to find out more about the much-loved Nagoya breakfast culture as well as what she had for her breakfast at Komeda Coffee Shop – one of the most famous coffee shop chains in Japan.
“モーニング サービス (morning service)” in Japan and its origin
Before I get onto the subject of Nagoya Breakfast Special, I’ll need to explain what “モーニング サービス (morning service)” is in Japan. Often it’s simply called “モーニング”, which means ‘Breakfast Special’ in English.
In Japan, when you order a drink such as coffee or tea at most cafés and some restaurants until 11 am in the morning, you can enjoy a free breakfast to go with it. The breakfast usually consists of a thick slice of toast or bread roll with butter or jam slathered on top and an egg, either scrambled or boiled.
This breakfast special culture is said to have originated in Ichinomiya City (northeast of Nagoya), Aichi Prefecture, located in Central Japan. In 1950s, the owner of a café in Ichinomiya started giving boiled eggs and peanuts for free when a coffee was ordered in the morning to the textile workers who used his place for a quick meal or a quiet meeting all the time as a gesture of gratitude for their ongoing patronage.
Other cafés in and around Ichinomiya followed this breakfast service and then it spread to other areas in Japan. Before too long, this breakfast special (モーニング サービス aka “morning service”) had become standard practice at cafés throughout Japan.
Komeda Coffee Shop
Komeda Coffee Shop was opened in 1968 as a small café in Nagoya and has since spread throughout Japan and become one of the biggest café chains in the country. As there are 940 Komeda Coffee Shops in Japan and the shops are in all 47 prefectures, if you visit anywhere in Japan, chances are there is a Komeda Coffee Shop not far away!
The café chain provides a relaxed, cozy atmosphere with warm wood and brick interiors. Their concept is for it to be ‘a living room in the city’ for all. What sets the chain apart from others is that you can enjoy delicious food and drinks in a relaxing space and are cared for by their staff with Komeda-style Omotenashi – Japanese hospitality.
As for their signature dessert, there’s the famous ‘Shiro Noir’, which is a Danish pastry with soft-serve ice cream on top and it comes in a couple of different sizes and flavours. It’s a very photogenic sweet although you’ll need to order this separately and pay for it as it’s not included in their breakfast special menu.
Komeda’s “Breakfast Special” in Nagoya
In Nagoya, there are over 100 Komeda Coffee Shops, with the flagship store in Mizuho ward. I went to the Komeda Coffee Shop in Hirabaridai, in Tempaku ward of Nagoya.
At Komeda Coffee Shop, the breakfast special is available from opening until 11:00 AM. First, you’ll need to order a drink. There are plenty of drinks to choose from, such as coffee, tea, or soft drinks.
Then, choose one of the two breads: toast or a bread roll reminiscent of Danish bread. To go with your bread, choose either a boiled egg or scrambled eggs, or sweet red bean paste. Finally, choose what spread you want spread on your bread. There’s butter, strawberry jam, or condensed soy milk.
Though sometimes they vary by store, there are also additional side menu options available at an extra cost. There’s a coleslaw salad, Hokkaido raw milk yogurt with honey, or a regular mini salad.
My go-to breakfast choices are an iced café au lait, a slice of toast with butter, and a boiled egg. The bread is soft and airy – like biting into a cloud that has been crisped on the edges. I love how thick it is! The butter is the perfect balance of salty and flavorful, smooth and rich. They spread it on for you, and they don’t put too much or too little. Just the right amount to complement the toast.
The egg is hard-boiled with a bright orange yolk that just begs for you to take a bite. After peeling it, I alternated between taking bites of my egg and bites of my toast. The combination was absolutely delicious!
The staff were polite and friendly, bringing me some water at the start and continuously refilling it during my stay. It really started to feel like a living room! When the server took my order, I was able to communicate easily by pointing and using what little Japanese I know. The staff took it in stride, and made me feel welcomed.
My drink came quickly, and as I sipped on it I observed the room around me. There were square tables with wooden chairs, booths with leather-covered seats, and a counter for those who just wanted to eat and leave. The ceiling was high and made the room feel very spacious.
The temperature in the room was just right as well, and the ambiance of the room fit perfectly with my idea of a cozy cafe. Several people were working at their tables, writing or typing away on their laptops. There was a soft buzz of conversation, but, as I’ve found with most places in Japan, it was pretty quiet – the ideal place for study and relaxation.
When I was finished eating, I looked at my bill. My eyes widened. 550 yen (£2.78) for all of that – what a deal! I brought my bill up to the counter and placed my coins on the little tray, as is customary in Japan. The staff thanked me for coming, and I responded with the usual “Gochisousamadeshita,” or “Thank you for the meal!”
Why is the “Nagoya Breakfast Special” so good?
To start with, you may already know that Nagoya is famous for its unique cuisine called ‘Nagoya-meshi’, which includes Miso-katsu (panko breaded deep-fried pork cutlets with a rich, savoury miso-based sauce), Tebasaki (sweet and spicy fried chicken wings), and Hitsumabushi (bite-sized grilled eel on rice in a bowl, which is enjoyed in three different ways – as it is, with condiments, and by pouring dashi broth over).
When it comes to the “Breakfast Special”, Nagoya does it better than anywhere else in Japan. It’s not just a toast and boiled egg that you get with a drink in and around Nagoya, it often comes with a variety of food such as noodles, onigiri rice balls, salad, soup or dessert. Some cafés even offer 茶碗蒸し(Chawanmushi) which is a Japanese-style steamed egg custard.
The usual Breakfast Special is offered by many cafés and coffee shops, from big chains to local, family-owned shops, in Aichi prefecture, Central Japan, where Nagoya is located. It’s so popular that some cafés serve it all day long. Also, instead of jam, you can choose a sweet red bean paste called ‘anko’ to spread on your toast. It’s simple, but delicious!
The best part? You only have to pay for the cost of the drink! As most places charge about 500 Japanese yen for a coffee or tea, you will be paying about £2.50 ($3.30) depending on the exchange rate.
Where to have “Breakfast Special” near Nagoya Station?
As so many coffee shops and cafés are offering “Breakfast Special” in Aichi prefecture, with more than half being in Nagoya City alone, it will be hard to just choose which one to go for.
However, if you’re looking for a café offering a “Breakfast Special” near Nagoya Station, there’s ‘Lyon’ where you can get the breakfast deal all day long, and ‘Conpal Sun Road‘ for their delicious ham & egg with shredded cabbage toasted sandwich. Also, in ESCA (underground shopping mall), there are a few cafés including Komeda Coffee Shop offering good value breakfast specials.
We hope you enjoyed reading Lucy’s Nagoya Breakfast Special experience at Komeda Coffee Shop and it was useful.
If you’re interested in Nagoya Specialties (Nagoya Meshi), most hotels in Nagoya offer their breakfast with popular Nagoya Specialties such as Ogura Toast (toasted bread with sweet red bean paste and butter), Miso-katsu, Hitsumabushi and Kishimen (flat noodles in a broth with dried bonito flakes and some veggies), so you can have a taste of little bit of each and see what they are like.
Hotels such as JR Gate Tower at Nagoya Station, have their breakfast including egg dishes made with famous ‘Nagoya Kochin’ eggs as well. For those who are thinking of visiting Nagoya and wondering where to stay, take a look at our article covering 15 Best Nagoya Hotels for you.
If you’re looking for more culture related posts, do explore our culture section. For those who are interested in Japanese foods and supermarkets, check out our Best Japanese Supermarket in London. Or you can head to our Instagram account for posts of fantastic restaurants, festivals, and travel experiences.
