tri-R was originally a members-only French restaurant, but as times changed it switched gears and turned into a cafe. A chef who has been cooking French food for over twenty years sells bread and dishes he makes himself, and the quality is easily among the best in Tokyo. Having a place like this a stone’s throw from home can only be called a blessing. So I have been dropping in a lot.

The front entrance

The location is a bit out of the way, so unless you live in the neighbourhood it is not that easy to find.

Cube

It seemed to be a Danish-style bread, and it was pretty good.

Pain au chocolat, croissant, canelé

The croissant is the real deal. It holds its own against Dominique Saibron and Gontran Cherrier, who flew in from France. And the moistness of the canelé is nothing short of art. Setting every other item aside, the canelé alone is worth travelling a long way for.

Madeleine, pound cake, financier

Even compared to Échiré they hardly fall short. If you find Échiré’s heavy butter aroma too much, these might actually suit you better

Deli sides

You can have a light meal or a sandwich.

Curry bread

The curry bread that comes out in the afternoon was truly the best curry bread of my life. Until then it had been the curry bread from Isuzu Bakery in Kobe.

Inside

Crispy outside, moist inside.. the balance is so good it makes you wonder whether a better curry bread even exists. The only problem, if any, is that it looks big from the outside but is hollow inside, so the portion is a little small.. but if that bothers you, you can just eat two..

Ginger ale

It has some unusual spices in it, giving it a refined taste.

Hot ginger

It is made from the same syrup, and I think it may be the best ginger tea of my life. I can see myself drinking this often in winter.

Carrot

I ordered it instead of a salad. It had apple and lemon mixed in and was really refreshing.

Bread samples

The butter was so good that I asked about it, and apparently the chef uses the butter he considers the best in the world.

Open kitchen

This is what the inside of the cafe looks like.

Cultured butter

Salted cultured butter. It is not cheap, but when it tastes this good it is worth the price. It would probably be cheaper in France, though.. hmm..

Roast pork from the lunch menu

I tried the lunch menu too, but maybe because of the price range, it was more ordinary than I expected. Not that it was bad; it is more the limit of what a cafe lunch can be.

Bread

Places that make bread with this much craftsmanship are not common, so I want to keep coming back and buying plenty. Places like this deserve to do well.

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