Hakko means ‘ferment’ in Japanese, and fermented food and drink is the specialty of this grocery store and café. You’ll find fermented products from different regions of Japan, from miso and rice bran pickles to sake and shio ponzu (savoury citrus sauce). The café menu is also all about fermented dishes, with multi-course lunch and dinner sets available – reservations are recommended for lunch and essential for dinner.
Aside from some excellent parks, outdoor areas in Tokyo where you can just chill with food and drinks are hard to come by. Thankfully, Bonus Track, a three-to-four-minute walk from the southeast exit of Shimokitazawa Station, is giving us one extra option. Opened officially in October 2020, it’s a group of about a dozen stores connected by paths and a courtyard, making the area feel like a small village. It’s relaxed and effortlessly hip – both signature features of Shimokitazawa, voted Tokyo’s coolest neighbourhood in 2019. Bonus Track is also award-winning: the minds behind the design, Tsubame Architects, won the Toyo Ito Award at the Under 35 Architects Exhibition 2021 for their work, and Bonus Track received the Excellence Award at the 2020 Local Republic Award.
The stores range from a sake shop and a juice bar to a record store serving Taiwanese food and a grocery store dedicated to fermented products. You can mix and match food and drinks from any of the shops and grab a table outside, or dine-in at one of the venues with indoor seats.
Here are some of our favourite spots at Bonus Track. Opening hours and days vary, so be sure to check the Bonus Track website or the stores’ social media accounts for updates.
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