[Special]New competitive area for high-quality bread specialty shops! 3 selected types of bread attracting attention in Ota City

Daimei no nai Pan-ya is one of the bakeries opened by Takuya Kishimoto, a restaurateur specializing in bakeries , who is said to be instrumental in kicking off the bread boom, and was opened in Omori in 2019.
This high-quality specialty shop was newly opened by Tsukuasa Shoten, a Japanese specialty takeout company that has been in operation since the Meiji era. The bakery is becoming very popular for their approach of creating Japanese-style bread that pairs well with Japanese food prepared by specialty takeout shops. Among the three kinds of bread that they have on the menu, we would like to introduce “Mu no Kiwami Miso” (840 yen before tax for one loaf ), the bread that is most emblematic of their philosophy.



This bread is made with Edo ama miso, which is traditionally used in Tsukuasa Shoten’s products as a condiment. Hearing this, you might think that the bread would taste like miso, but that is not the case! Rather than stand out, the miso serves as a background ingredient to draw out the flavor of bread itself.



Upon tasting the bread, the flavor of miso is surprisingly harmonious and subtle. Instead, the main thing you will notice is that the bread has a very rich aroma and flavor. Its soft crumb does not just have sweetness, but something deeper, and the crust aroma is prominent even when eaten untoasted.

Let’s toast it and give it a try! Taking this occasion, we decided to match it with “Unohana,” a mixture of vegetables and soy puree, a Tsukuasa Shoten signature dish and their recommendation to pair with their bread.



At first glance, one might not think they would pair well together, but it is a perfect match when eaten! The bread provides solid body and flavor that does not become overwhelmed by the strong flavor of the Unohana, and toasting the bread increases its rich aroma and flavor. More importantly, this is a new discovery to find out that the Japanese dish and bread match so well!

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The main location, the Omori shop, was opened by renovating a part of the main Tsukuasa Shoten factory, where takeout foods are made (left image) right in the back of the bakery, and takeout food that matches their bread is sold (right image) right next to the bakery.

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“You might think bread and Japanese food is a strange combination, but we can say for sure that because of that, the bread is tailored to the Japanese palate. Please try it out!” (Mr. Kojima, Shop Manager in Omori /left image) In June, the much-anticipated second branch was opened in Kamata (right image).



Regarding measures related to COVID-19 at the shop, they have hand sanitizer available and a thick vinyl divider in place, and all bakery staff are required to wear masks, caps, and gloves. When lining up, they humbly request that customers observe social distancing measures.

The “Japanese” bread made through the collaboration of a long-established takeout shop and a popular restaurateur, this is a must try! We bet you will find something new.

Bakeries’ product focus can vary from softness to sweetness, but KUKULI, located a one-minute walk from Denenchofu Station on the Tokyu Toyoko/Meguro Lines, insists on selecting high-quality ingredients, appropriate baking techniques, and handcrafting by a veteran baker. Born of these high standards is “KUKULI Yamagata Shokupan” (650 yen including tax) that allows you to enjoy the original flavor of bread.



With domestic flour and homemade sourdough starter, the flavor of the flour is drawn out to the max, and the bread is baked carefully without using any additives in the baking process. This is the KUKULI style. This round-top bread is referred to in Japan as a type of “British bread,” and you can enjoy the aroma of the grain with an exquisite crispy texture. The not-too-sweet taste that you can enjoy every day is perfect for toast or a sandwich.



The crust is almost like thin crispy skin with a wonderful fragrance...and the soft and thick interior bursting with condensed flavor of the grain when you tear into it, guaranteed to fill you up. This bread will make you call it the epitome of bread.
We heard that toasting this bread makes it even tastier. We could hardly wait!



When the bread is toasted, its crisp texture and rich aroma only increased!　The crunchy, crispy texture of the crust is more prominent, and it is a match made in heaven with butter. You can eat this bread forever! With its moderate sweetness, the flavor works well with other ingredients, making this bread perfect for sandwiches.



It has been four years since KUKULI opened in Denenchofu. Before Japanese-style bread became truly trendy, which is when KUKULI opened, the bakery was already focusing on its craft. This was only natural for the sole owner of KUKULI, Mr. Nanbu . Prior to opening KUKULI, he was a panettiere (baker in Italian) and owner of a quite famous bakery in Gotanda.

“In my last bakery, I was producing various kinds of bread, but upon opening this one, I wanted to focus on Japanese-style bread as a baker once again. If I am to open a new bakery, why wouldn’t I put all my craftsmanship into creating the finest Japanese-style bread possible? That’s how I felt. I am still studying and going through trial and error every day to figure out how I can make the bread taste even better.”



Measures related to COVID-19 at the shop include a vinyl partition at the cashier counter and the staff wears masks, caps, and gloves. The shop is regularly disinfected, hand sanitizer is available for customers to use, and the door is always open for ventilation.
In the kitchen, the baker disinfects himself and wears a mask and cap to work. Every piece of equipment in the baking environment and on the way to the counter is all disinfected.
Customers are allowed to enter one group at a time, and wearing a mask is encouraged .

KUKULI also tries not to discard bread or ingredients at all, tries to use minimal wrappings, and tries to minimize waste; in short, KUKULI is environmentally friendly.
KUKULI pursues the simple and clean flavor of bread itself to the max. Other than the round-top bread we introduced today, they also have a cube-shaped bread created to be soft and slightly sweet, so please drop by and try it out as well!

One of the primary goals of the bread trend lately is bread that can be eaten on its own. The point of focus is for the bread to be delicious when eaten without putting anything on it.
For this, there is no doubt why LA PAN’s “Kokyu Creamy Nama-shokupan” (880 yen including tax for one loaf) is so popular. Let alone the taste, even the texture and ingredients are selected for the sake of making a bread to be eaten on its own.



The first thing you will notice about it is its surprising heaviness and softness. The high amount of water used in its production helps it to develop its weight and softness which are characteristic of the recent trend toward high-quality bread. What is amazing about LA PAN’s bread is that even the crust is soft, but it does not crumble. Several dairy ingredients and honey are kneaded into the bread with impeccable skill to achieve the soft crust.



Just tearing it apart, you will smell the sweet and rich aroma of dairy products. Every moist and tender bite melts away almost instantaneously. The creamy sweetness fills the mouth, and you will never get tired of the flavor. This is almost more like pastry than bread.



One of the characteristics of high-quality bread is that toasting brings out new flavor notes, but LA PAN’s “Kokyu Creamy Nama-shokupan” undergoes changes in flavor that are particularly distinct. The sweetness and softness stay, but by toasting, the crispiness and more aroma highlight the good taste of flour. Its characteristic of softness even in the crust is not lost when toasted, which is amazing.



Measures taken in response to COVID-19 include mandatory mask, glove, and cap use for the staff. At the cashier counter, hand sanitizer is available, and the shop is limiting entry to one customer at a time (left and top right images).
LA PAN also sells their original jams which match excellently with their bread (bottom right image).

LA PAN has shops nationwide. In Ota City, in addition to the Kamata branch introduced here, there is also an Omori branch location. If you feel like you want to treat yourself, please drop by and try their bread out!