yoridokoro — Restaurant in Kamakura

I still remember the exact moment I picked up Japanese Women Don’t Get Fat in 2005. It wasn’t just the title that caught my eye—it was the quiet world it hinted at inside. One chapter in particular stayed with me: a description of the traditional Japanese breakfast. It spoke of rice, grilled fish, pickles, miso soup, and a simple egg. The idea felt refined and nourishing—so different from anything I’d grown up with.

Years passed. Life changed, but my fascination with Japanese breakfast quietly stayed. In 2024, it resurfaced again—stronger this time—after I watched a series of Japanese films and dramas. In each one, breakfast wasn’t just a meal; it was a ritual. A moment of stillness. A mother placing a bowl in front of her child. A tired salaryman eating quietly before leaving for work. That careful placement of rice, miso soup, pickles. I would pause the screen just to study the tray.

It made me hungry—not just for the food, but for the feeling it seemed to represent.

By that time, I had already been eyeing Café Yoridokoro for a while. I heard about it from travelers, food blogs, and even locals who described it with the kind of reverence reserved for small, soulful places. I checked their opening hours, stalked their menu online, asked friends who lived nearby or had visited. It became a quiet little goal of mine: “One day, I’ll eat there.”

And finally, that day came. I found myself in Inamuragasaki. The café sat gently by the sea, unpretentious and wooden, like it had always been part of the coastline. The queue was already forming when I arrived, but it was bearable. The staff was kind and efficient—they took our names and gave us time slots. I appreciated how calm and considered the whole process felt. Rather than waiting in line impatiently, I wandered down to the nearby beach to pass the time.

That moment of quiet was its own kind of gift. Inamuragasaki was serene, the sky soft with morning light.

When my turn came, I returned to the café and ordered the aji teishoku—a dried horse mackerel set with rice, miso soup, and pickles. I added a raw egg on the side.

When the tray arrived, I had to take a breath. It looked exactly like what I had imagined all those years ago, but somehow even quieter, more modest, and more moving. The aji was grilled to crisp perfection—smoky and savory with just enough char to remind you it had met fire. The rice was warm and slightly sticky, a perfect base.

Then came the egg. I carefully separated the yolk from the white and began to beat the egg white in the small bowl with chopsticks. I wasn’t sure I was doing it right, but I kept going. Slowly, the clear liquid turned milky, then foamy, then airy—until it became fluffy, like a soft cloud. I placed it on the rice, added the yolk back on top, and drizzled just a touch of soy sauce. The result: a tamago kake gohan unlike anything I’d ever had—delicate, creamy, with the lightness of mousse and the richness of egg yolk. Every bite melted into the rice like morning light dissolving into mist.

I didn’t get to see the train pass by that morning—a moment many people come for, with their cameras ready. But I did get something even more intimate: I ate cross-legged on the wooden floor, just like a local might. There was something humbling and grounding about that—the way your knees brush the mat, the bowl close to your lap, the view out toward the sea quietly filling the space between bites.

The food was wonderful, but what made the experience complete were the people. The owners of the café were kind and warm, quietly attentive without fuss. There was a gentleness to the way everything was served, a quiet pride in what they offered. It felt less like being at a restaurant and more like being welcomed into someone’s slow, beautiful morning.

And above all, I had the rare experience of eating a full-course Japanese breakfast—in Japan, by the sea, in the way I had always dreamed. Each component, though simple,...

2주전에 캐치테이블로 예약해서 창가자리 2000엔주고 12월 30일 오후 5시에 방문하였습니다. 분명히 4시 45분 부터 5시 15분 사이에 오라고 되어있는데 가니까 약간 당황하면서 “유레이트, 유레이트“ 이 말만 로봇마냥 반복하더라고요? 제가 어이가없어서 시간 타임 4:455:15분 써져있는데 이게 무슨 소리냐 영어로 물어도 그냥 직원들 다 와서 유 레이트 유 레이트 ㅋㅋㅋㅋ 그래도 얼탱이 없지만 들어갔습니다 일반석 쓰래서요 ㅋㅋ 창가자리는 예약 안한 일본인이 쓰고 있더라고요? 아이고 그냥 일반석에서 밥이라도 먹자 했는데 밥맛? ㅋㅋ 절대 2990엔 고등어구이 1990엔 전갱이 구이 맛 아닙니다 ㅋㅋ 무슨 요시노야 급이에요 ㅋㅋ 맛있다는 느낌 하나도 안들고요 머랭 치는거 안그래도 화만 나는데 도와주지도 않아요 ㅋㅋㅋ 근데 여기까지면 모르겠습니다 이 새끼들 존나 뻔뻔하고 웃긴게 거의 다 먹어가는중에 일어나려니깐 갑자기 쭈뼛쭈뼛 오더니 자리 비었다고 옮길꺼냐고 묻더라고요? 진짜 진심으로 욕할 뻔했습니다. 예약자리 넘겨서 죄송합니다가 아니고 다 먹은 식판들고 창가자리 지금이라도 갈래? 이거 ㅋㅋ 맞나요? 결국 화가나서 안간다고 했고 너무 어이없어서 얼굴이 빨게졌네요 ㅋㅋ 여자친구 좋은 경치 보여주고 싶었는데 캐치테이블 2000엔까지해서 7000엔 땅에다 던지고 왔네요 진짜 제발 가지 마세요 이 가격 절대 아니고 절대 맛있지 않아요 그냥 먹어줄만한 정도지 여기 맛있다고 하는건 그냥 일본뽕에 정신이 나간 외국인이라고 밖에 생각안듭니다 애버랜드 고등어구이가 만원인데 더 맛있어요 ㅋㅋ 제발 한국분들은 가지 마시고 괜히 트립콤파니 유튜브 보고왔다가 낭패네요 정말 진짜 여러모로 대단한 식당이였습니다 끝까지 미안하다고도 안하고 맛 없습니다 가지 마세요 돈과 시간이 아깝습니다 아 추가로 옆에 일본인 계란 머랭쳐주다가 땅에 좀 흘렸는데 못봤다고 생각했는지 그냥 주더라고요 다시 계란 새로 주긴 싫었나봅니다

Two weeks ago, I made a reservation through CatchTable, paying 2,000 yen for a window seat, and visited the restaurant on December 30th at 5 PM. The reservation clearly stated that I should arrive between 4:45 PM and 5:15 PM, but when I arrived, the staff seemed flustered and kept repeating, “You’re late, you’re late.” I was baffled and asked in English, pointing out the time range on the reservation, but all the staff just came over and kept saying, “You’re late.” It was absurd.

Despite the ridiculous situation, I went inside. They told me to sit at a regular seat instead of the window seat I had reserved. To make things worse, the window seat I had paid for was being used by a walk-in customer who hadn’t even made a reservation.

At this point, I decided to just eat at the regular table, but honestly, the food? Absolutely not worth it. I paid 2,990 yen for grilled mackerel and 1,990 yen for horse mackerel, but the quality? Comparable to Yoshinoya at best. It didn’t taste good at all—nothing about the meal felt worth the price. And the meringue whisking? The staff didn’t even bother helping, despite how frustrating the whole experience already was.

But here’s the best part: just as we were about to finish our meal and get up, one of the staff hesitantly approached us and asked if we wanted to move to the window seat because it had just become available. Are you serious? No apology for giving my reserved seat to someone else, and instead, they casually asked if I wanted to carry my nearly finished food over to the window seat.

I was genuinely furious. Of course, I said no, but the whole situation left me embarrassed and angry. I had paid 2,000 yen through CatchTable and a total of 7,000 yen for the meal, all to give my girlfriend a nice view. Instead, I wasted my money and time.

Please, don’t go here. The food is absolutely not worth the price, and it’s far from delicious. It’s just barely edible. Anyone claiming this place is amazing is probably just overly hyped about Japan itself. For reference, grilled mackerel at market tastes almost same with this.

Korean visitors and you guys, please avoid this place. I only went because I saw it on YouTube , and it was a huge mistake. This restaurant is unbelievable in so many ways—not even a single apology, mid food, and poor service. Don’t waste your time and money here. +Oh, and on top of that, while whisking the egg meringue for the Japanese customer next to us, they spilled some on the ground. I guess they thought no one noticed because they just served it anyway. Seems like they didn’t want to bother giving a fresh...

It’s a small restaurant which is better visited in the morning for breakfast, otherwise you might be too full for other great food.

**However: the seating along the window might not be available and depends on luck - hence the 3 stars..

Location: convenient and short walk from station.

Queue: line up and wait for the staff to call you. If you are not in the seating queue, staff will ask you to leave your name and come back at certain timing. Talk a walk along the beach to kill time. Staff will ask for the item you want to order.

English speaking: yes.

Menu: straight forward with pictures and English language.

Once you come back, join the queue towards the next house.

Food: whisking the egg white can be tiring but rewarding for photos. Otherwise, food is nice. Coffee is good. Dessert is alright.

Seating: there are only 4 seats along the window and 3 outdoor. For best photos, these are the seatings. HOWEVER, it really depends on the queue and luck. If you are single, it is higher chance.

Otherwise, you will be seating in the bigger area without windows.

Hence I give 3...