Bricolage bread & co. — Restaurant in Tokyo

Why. Is. This. Place. So. Popular…. I went here after several people raved to me about how wonderful it was especially for brunch. So, my partner and I finally went to try it. First of all, the seating system is bizarre. It’s basically self-serve, except you have to get in line to be seated, then be escorted to your seat, only to have to market the seat with a personal belonging, then go back and get in line to order. In addition, the line to order food and coffee is the same line as people who just want to buy bread from the bakery – which creates a weird flow and backs up. It would be better if they somehow had two separate line. But I digress. After we ordered our coffee and sat down, and then went back again to order our food, we had been there for about 20 minutes already and there is (by the way) a time limit of I believe 90 minutes.

I found the menu to be not quite right. I ordered the “organic farmer’s” Caesar salad which was fresh, but was by no means a Caesar salad. I also ordered a side of fried chicken, which wasn’t really breaded and fried, but just like pan fried chicken – it was rather bland. Also, I think there was a miscommunication but I also got a side of their home style fries, which are basically just large cubed potatoes – they looked good, sprinkled with some paprika, but were pretty bland. My partner got a double wagyu burger which came with the same potatoes, he said the bread was good, but he didn’t think the burger was anything great. The rest of the items on the menu were weird – corned beef eggs benedict, a pastrami sandwich, just weird combos of stuff that don’t go together. I will never go back for brunch again.

Aside from ordering in line, and being guided to a table, there is no real service to speak of. The ambiance is nice in the very fashionable vicinity of Roppongi Hills adjacent. Also, twice they got my order wrong, gave me one too many coffees, which they did refund, and I never ordered an extra side of potatoes.

The bread,...

Oh Bricolage, how I love you so. How I miss having pastries while basking in warm sunlight from the windows on a winter morning 😌 Finding you in Tokyo was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It was one of the most amazing brunch places that I’ve ever been to - I’m not even exaggerating. It has definitely unlocked a whole new experience for me. The pastries that I tasted here were entirely novel and the textures were a surprise.

Thinking back about the pastries make me salivate even though it has been a month since I last tasted them. We went there twice, enough for us to try a few of their pastries and also brunch dishes. The one that struck me the most was their orange cardamom pastry. My partner bought it for me to try as he found the taste unusual but it was so interesting that I’m still thinking about it even now. The croissants were flat, not the usual fluffy and flakey ones but it was so dense and so full of flavour - it has spoilt me for life. All the croissants other than theirs seem subpar now.

The shakshouka and eggs Benedict were quite good as well, although they were more like the supporting character of the cafe (the common staples of cafes. Like, everyone has it). I personally really liked the touch of succulent vegetables on the side of the shakshouka, it’s as if they were harvested fresh from the backyard. The shakshouka tasted like shakshouka 😂, flavourful and comfortable to the stomach. Nothing out of ordinary. I too liked how they served eggs Benedict with minced beef and pickles, which made it refreshing and moreish.

Don’t be surprised if I were to visit Tokyo again just for Bricolage Bread...

I've visited this shop 2 times already, both different branch. But the experience was the same-not satisfying for me. The bread was always delicious and this time I tried the salad (half size) and was fresh and well balance. Price is a bit high though (¥900 half size). The service is what stops me from going here (the reason why I only visited 2 times). After I choose my seat, it was confusing where to order my food and even though the staff was right there, he made eye contact many times without trying to explain or offer any help. There was a sign that says 'Order here' but actually you have to order at the next cashier on the right. Anyway the staff was not willing to say anything until the end - and me and my friend waited long. The explaination was also lack of friendliness. Anyway, even when I came to pick up my food, the 2nd staff was just giving it with brief explaination and no smiles on her face. Later, I witnessed another foreigner who's a white female and the staff was greeting and showing lots of enthusiasm towards her. Coincident or not, I'm an Asian foreigner - so does that mean I don't deserve the same services? Just my thought. The shop staff seems very conceited and their attitude show they are...