A Saturday weekend in August, around 3pm. This time, I went to the much talked about coffee shop "DEN", a four minute walk from the south exit of Tokyo's Uguisudani Station, where long queues are commonplace!

My goal for the day was a "cream soda". I had been longing for one ever since I saw a picture online of DEN's "chryso" with its towering cone on top, so I ordered it without hesitation. I usually choose coffee at coffee shops, so it had been a while since I last ordered a cream soda, and I was feeling even more excited.


The cream soda brought to my table was like a sparkling jewel in the cafe. It had a certain atmosphere that I didn't sense when I saw it on the LCD screen. The cone stands up straight...! It's hard to put into words the innocent feeling of excitement and elation. But it's bold to hide the spiky top of the soft serve ice cream with a cone. Is this what they mean by originality?

I gently insert the straw and drink. I scoop up the soft serve ice cream with a long-handled spoon. Combined with the slender appearance of the glass, it somehow feels a little more grown-up. The jade-green melon soda is slightly carbonated (in my opinion) and has a very mild fizz. The soft serve ice cream is more creamy than milky (in my opinion). It's nice. By the way, the soft serve ice cream is also available for takeout (300 yen).

DEN "Grapan" 950 yenChoose from three types: mixed, shrimp, or ham. This time I ordered the mixed.
And speaking of DEN's specialty, this "Grapan" is a gratin served in a bowl made by hollowing out a thick-sliced loaf of bread, or rather, just under a loaf (apparently three loaves of bread cut into four), and is a staple menu item at the restaurant that has been around for about 40 years. They also offer a brown stew version with beef tendon, called "Demi-Grapan," available only on weekends and holidays.

This Grapan series is quite filling. For those who want to try a little something, we recommend sharing it with 3 or 4 people.


Please come to DEN on your next day off.

That's all for the Weekend Cafe Club.

Photography: NATSUME TEZUKA