13A guide to everyday life in Toyama
An ideal travel morning spent at a bakery frequented by locals.
When I visit another prefecture for travel or business, I like to get up a little early the morning after staying overnight and take a walk to soak up the atmosphere of the town. If I can find a coffee shop or bakery that locals frequent, I like to have breakfast there. This kind of time is my ideal morning on a trip.
Pandore, located in front of Toyama Station, is a place that fulfills the simple wishes of travelers who think like this. There are two seats for eating in. Coffee is 100 yen a cup and is self-service style. In the refrigerator you'll find "Cowhee," the coffee milk from Toyama Alpine Dairy, a familiar name in Toyama. On the table are an Aladdin toaster for warming up bread and a morning newspaper. Everything you need to spend your morning is here.
The shop is neatly arranged with sandwiches and savory breads, ready for its 7 AM opening. Early customers seem to already know which breads they want. Upon entering the shop, they place several loaves on a tray without hesitation and head straight to the cashier. This efficient shopping method, taking the shortest route and the shortest time, is a typical morning scene.
Actually, for over a quarter of a century, my go-to purchase at Pandore has remained the same: the "Black Sandwich." It consists of two slices each of scrambled eggs, potato salad, and spicy ham sandwiched on a loaf of bread that smells of brown sugar. For me, who used to work in front of Toyama Station, the "Black Sandwich" was a lifesaver on mornings when I overslept and had to leave the house early. So even after quitting my job and no longer commuting to Toyama Station, I still pick up a "Black Sandwich" whenever I visit the shop. If the "Black Sandwich" is sold out, I get the "Grape Bread Sandwich." Every time I eat one of these, memories of those days come flooding back, and I feel a little embarrassed.
To begin with, I love Pandore's bread. I love everything about it: the flavor of the flour, the chewy texture, the fine grain, the perfect crust hardness, and its beautiful whiteness. That's why I can immediately tell that the Ogura toast served at the cafe in front of Toyama Station is made with Pandore's bread. When I recommend Pandore to friends and acquaintances, I have them try the "special sandwich," which is bread with jam and butter. When they say, "It's delicious!", it makes me feel like I've been complimented.
In the corner of the store, you'll find breadcrumbs left over from slicing the bread. You can take up to two bags home with you after making a purchase. Just using these luxurious breadcrumbs will make your homemade hamburgers taste so much better.
When I used to frequent the shop, the owner, Seiichi Yamazaki, was primarily in charge of baking the bread, but now his son, Tatsuya, has joined him. Tatsuya's role is to devise new products and improve existing breads to make them even more delicious. Having studied Russian at university and studied abroad in the United States during his time there, Tatsuya continues to learn by reading French bread books translated into English. As a result, the shop has added more hard-crusted breads, introduced pita bread, and now offers daily pizzas. Tatsuya, who lives with a standard poodle, also bakes dog bread on Tuesdays only. While continuing these new ventures, the "Pandor" essence that long-time customers envision is carefully preserved.
For me, the fact that Pandore continues to be open in front of Toyama Station is something I'm incredibly grateful for. It feels like home to me now. I eat bread from many different bakeries, but perhaps that's only possible because I have a place I can always return to with peace of mind. (T)
パンドール
1F Yamazaki Building, 1-6-11 Sakuramachi, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture
Business hours: 7:00 AM - 18:00 PM
Closed on Wednesdays
*We are open on public holidays, but closed if a public holiday falls on a Sunday or Wednesday.
P 4 units
Social media coordinator @paindor_since1946
Cash or cashless payment accepted.
A basement cafeteria inside a building that promises to fill you up.
Along the Jōshi-dōri Avenue, which leads from Toyama Station towards National Route 41, stands the Toyama Prefectural Agricultural Cooperative Hall, a building constructed in the late Showa period. The cafeteria "Olive" on the first basement floor is always packed with businessmen working in the surrounding area at lunchtime. There are few basement cafeterias in Toyama that are open to everyone, and you feel like saying "Excuse me for intruding" when you enter the building.
Because I'm hungry and want to be seated without waiting, I always walk quickly when I head to the restaurant. I can't even wait for the elevator, so I go down the stairs. Just before entering, I glance at the daily specials on the blackboard and eat lunch among the typical office workers on their lunch break, sometimes even sharing a table with others.
While over 80% of customers order the daily special, my order is always the "thick-cut ham cutlet set meal."
When it arrives, I first take a bite of the ham cutlet without any condiments. The freshly fried batter is wonderfully crisp. The texture of the ham, which is neither too thin nor too thick, and its salty flavor give me the feeling of confirming, "This is the taste I was looking for." Next, I add mustard soy sauce, then the sauce, changing the flavor as I eat. I'm not a big eater, so I always give one of the four ham cutlets to the person I'm with when I go to the restaurant.
According to the owner, Mr. Murata, the "Thick-Cut Ham Cutlet Set Meal" has only recently been on the regular menu (though it has been several years since then), and it was promoted because it was a popular daily special. Only two items were promoted to the regular menu: the Ham Cutlet Set Meal and the "Pork Belly and Vegetable Stir-Fry Set Meal." I always leave the restaurant thinking I'll try the pork belly next time, but for the past few years, I haven't eaten anything other than the ham cutlet.
Perhaps it's because I eat a lot of ham cutlets there, but for me, Olive is strongly associated with fried food. Ms. Murata analyzes that many people in Toyama like fried food, but they don't make tempura or fried food at home because it makes the kitchen messy. "The fried food that ends up on the dinner table is from the supermarket or butcher shop. It's tasty, but it can't compare to freshly fried food, so I guess a lot of people order fried food at our shop," she told me. Due to the high demand, the daily specials include fried food two or three times a week.
When I asked acquaintances who frequent "Olive," they all had their favorite dishes, such as pork miso soup, chicken nanban, and hamburg steak. The daily specials are posted on social media at the beginning of the week, so they check the menu and go on the days when their favorite dishes are on. And the photographer who took this picture said his favorite is the katsu curry. It's wonderful that they can cater to everyone's tastes. A long-loved diner like this naturally does things that show such generosity.
One more thing I want to mention is how delicious the white rice is. It's served generously in the bowl, and each bite is satisfying. With the price of rice being so high these days, this volume almost feels divine. Located in the Agricultural Cooperative Hall, the restaurant also takes great care to maintain the quality of its rice. They only use Koshihikari rice from Toyama Prefecture, sourced from the local agricultural cooperative.
After finishing my meal, I quickly get up to make room for those waiting. I'm always so full that I feel like my skirt zipper might burst, and I regret not wearing clothes with an elastic waistband. Hoping to burn off some calories, I climb the stairs again. And then, after a quick stop at the shop, I head home—that's how I use Olive. (T)
Coffee & Food Olive
2-21 Shinsogawa, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, Toyama Prefectural Agricultural Cooperative Association Building B1F
Open 10:30 AM - 15:00 PM (Last Order 14:00 PM)
*Reservations are required on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and after 16:00 PM.
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
P not available
Cash or PayPay
Social media coordinator @olive_jakaikan
