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Cafe Kaila, a Hawaiian Cafe in Asakusa

I go to the Tokyo Skytree fairly often, and right on the way there is a cafe with a long line out front every single time. I had been curious about it, so one weekend morning I finally went.

The front entrance

cafe kaila

The line is already long before they even open. Once they open they hand out numbered tickets, and you have to wait at least an hour. I did a bit of research before visiting and found out it had been voted the best breakfast in Hawaii. I have never been to Hawaii so I had no idea what the food would be like, but in Japan I have almost never been let down by a place people queue for, so I waited with some confidence.

The Skytree

cafe kaila

Took this while waiting. The weather was not great that day.

Coffee

cafe kaila

I did not have any, but apparently it was good.

Pancakes

cafe kaila

Pancakes piled high with fruit. The pancakes themselves are made with good ingredients and taste wonderful. There is a reason these were voted the best breakfast in Hawaii. Pancakes like this are hard to find in Japan, so while working my way through them I felt like I had taken a trip to Hawaii. The one problem, if you can call it that, is that the portion is a bit much for one person. Then again, maybe Americans need to eat this much in the morning to feel full.

The limited-run eggs Benedict

cafe kaila

They said it was limited to about 20 a day, but since I got there before opening I had no trouble ordering it. Maybe because it is limited, quite a few other tables ordered it too. It is a nicely toasted muffin topped with a poached egg and creamy hollandaise, and it was very filling. The herb-roasted potatoes were impressive too. The pancakes may be the signature dish, but I liked this one better. Less sweet, so it felt like a proper meal.

The American-style breakfast turned out to be better than I expected. I think I have been underrating it all this time. I got to feel like I had been to Hawaii on a weekend morning, so even with the long wait, it was worth going out of my way for.

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