I heard a rumor that VIRON, famous for its baguettes, had opened a bakery in Ginza called Centre that specializes in shokupan, Japanese white bread, so I went to check it out.

The front entrance

It says Ginza, but it is not in central Ginza; it is near Kyobashi. Ginza Cozy Corner is the same kind of thing. Well, land is expensive there, so you have to let that slide.

One side is set up as a cafe.

The menu changes depending on the time of day. In the morning there is a toast set, and from lunchtime onward sandwiches are added, but in the evening the shokupan menu disappears altogether.

The other side is a counter that sells only shokupan.

It is similar to Pelican, the famous shop in Asakusa, but this place sells three kinds of shokupan, each with a different character. They all taste distinctive, so it is worth going out of your way for.

Water

I visited in the morning and ordered the toast set.

The toaster

You get to pick your own. I have no idea which model is the good one, so I just went with a reasonably cool-looking design.

Jam

Jam and honey, chocolate and peanut butter. You just pick whichever you like and spread it on.

Bread and butter

These come in different kinds too. One shokupan is made with Japanese flour, the other with British flour. The one made with Japanese flour is soft and moist, so it is not suited to the toaster. I ate it as it was, and it really did taste good. Still, the toasted shokupan suited my palate better. The bread is almost on par with Pelican, though the price is a bit higher than Pelican. Considering it is the best shokupan around, it is not really that expensive. Eating it as a toast set gets quite pricey, but it was an enjoyable meal.

Milk

Rich stuff. It goes well with the toast. A bakery that sells toast is a really fun concept. The sandwiches they do around lunchtime look good too, so next time I have a reason to eat in Ginza I should come back.

The space in the back

Rather than just an ordinary bakery, there are all sorts of spaces here. No shokupan, but it seems fine to come at night too. I remember the food at VIRON being pretty good as well, and it looks like Ginza has gained another nice shop.

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