I visited the traditional cafe "Kissaten Mako" located in a hard-to-find spot in the old building gaps of the Tsukiji Outer Market to have lunch. The standard menu at the cafe consists mainly of egg sandwiches, with the main meal being o-zoni (New Year soup). There are two types of o-zoni available, seafood o-zoni and chicken o-zoni. Although the prices were a bit high, I ordered the "Seafood O-zoni Set (1900 yen)" which comes with coffee. The seafood o-zoni is a specialty of Kissaten Mako, made with plenty of domestically sourced seafood such as red snapper, clams, scallops, snow crabs, and handmade mochi from a rice shop in Tsukiji. It's a luxurious dish with delicious broth that brings out various flavors.

Cream soda (melon) for 650 yen. Located on the second floor of a suspicious entrance in the bustling Tsukiji outer market filled with inbound tourists, this aged cafe offers a simple menu and a peaceful place to take a break. It seems unlikely that foreign visitors would stumble upon this place.

I visited Tsukiji after a long time. Knowing that there would be long lines at this time of day, I decided to visit this place where I probably wouldn't have to wait in line. It's located on the second floor after entering a narrow alley in Tsukiji. (There weren't many people coming up the stairs. Only a group of three tourists as I was leaving...) I planned to visit a few cafes around this area while waiting for lunch. I ordered the seafood zosui set, which is typical of Tsukiji. It was served in about 7-8 minutes. The soup, based on clear broth, was filled with seafood. The rice cakes were soft and delicious. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for the meal.

I visited Tsukiji Market for the first time since it moved to Toyosu. The crowd was still as busy as ever. With the relaxation of overseas travel and the increase in foreign tourists, the shops that remained in Tsukiji, known as "off-market," had long lines that made it difficult to stop by on weekends. I managed to navigate through the crowds to a unique café located on the second floor of an old building in a narrow alley between shops. The café has been operated by a famous aunt who used to run it alone and was featured in many coffee and magazines. The café has a unique menu featuring seafood zoni, which can be enjoyed all year round. The zoni is made up of small round mochi with snow crab, clam, scallop, sea bream, and rape blossoms, all in a delicious bonito and kelp broth. It was truly a delightful experience to enjoy this luxurious zoni in a retro café. The menu also includes a special stamina juice made by shaking egg yolk, honey, and lemon juice to perfection. The café also offers a variety of sake, including Juyondai and Tsuruno Koshi. The café can be reserved for private parties or all-you-can-drink events, making it a great spot for adult nightlife in Tsukiji. The owner's dedication to running this historic café while managing another shop in Ginza is truly commendable. It would be great to see this café gain more recognition in the future. Thank you for preserving this cultural gem in Tsukiji.

As I wandered around Tsukiji, I was overwhelmed by the large number of tourists and tourist food stalls. It felt like Takeshita Street. I stumbled upon a unique shop offering ozoni and coffee, and without hesitation, I ordered the seafood ozoni. It warmed me up nicely!

This is an old-fashioned coffee shop located in a corner of the outer market of Tsukiji. The atmosphere inside is relaxed, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of Tsukiji at the end of the year. Beautiful font sign, pink telephone, and background music playing from a record. I leisurely sipped on a refreshing yet flavorful iced coffee, enjoying a laid-back moment.

A hidden gem of a Showa retro coffee shop in Tsukiji...quite a rare find, serving delicious coffee and a famous ozoni soup. The cafe, called Cafe Mako, was temporarily closed after the 91-year-old female owner retired, but I heard that the red door has been opened once again. Established in 1961, it was the first cafe outside of Tsukiji Market. A friend of someone from Choseian took over the cafe, and the meals are now handled by Choseian. The building has a lot of history and feels like a relic, but inside, it is a clean and cozy cafe. Most of the tables are for four people. Records play in the background, making you feel like you've traveled back in time. The records were left behind by the previous owner. The new owner is still a bit awkward, but provides attentive service. [Address] 2F Nakatomi Building, 4-9-7 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo [Visit Date] Weekday [Number of People in Line] 0 [Wait Time] 0 minutes [Ordered Items] - Seafood Ozoni (1600 yen tax included): When you open the lid, you are greeted with a fragrant broth made with kombu and bonito, filled with Hokkaido scallops, snow crabs, Shizuoka sea bream, and Mie clams, a luxurious ozoni that will impress your taste buds. - Strawberry Cream Soda (600 yen tax included)

[Kissa Mako]... With a deep atmosphere and a refreshing cream strawberry & melon soda, I chilled out (#^.^#). This might be the deepest cafe in Tsukiji, with a retro vibe and a cozy feel (^o^)丿. The soda quenched my thirst and brought a cool relaxation. The owner's record selection was good too! It created a unique atmosphere (*^^)v. I felt like I had wandered into a different world. I'm glad I mustered up the courage to enter (lol). After a brief break, I returned to the real world feeling refreshed (≧▽≦)/~♡

The sign says "Coffee and Zoni." I found it strange to have Zoni at a coffee shop, but I went upstairs to get some water and have a smoke. It's a coffee shop where smoking is allowed. I was curious about the Zoni, but I just ordered a drink. The glass and stirrer were cute. It reminded me of visiting my grandma's house in the countryside, and it made me feel warm and cozy.

I have been a fan of BM for a while, but I never had the courage to go up to the second floor due to its deepness. However, today I finally visited for the first time. The place is located in the depths of Tsukiji Outer Market, with a signboard as a landmark to guide you up. I ordered a Cream Melon Soda (HP recovery) for JPY600. The retro atmosphere with music playing from records was quite pleasant. The soda had a refreshing taste and quenched my thirst. After a short stay, I paid in Japanese yen to the bald-headed owner and returned to the surface. Thank you for the meal. _(._.)_

Tsukiji's off-market cafe, Makoto, is one of the top places that's hard to find. Their specialty is the zoni soup, available all year round. The current owner took over from the original owner who opened the place about 61 years ago. The building, staircase, and entrance all have a retro Showa era vibe, with a narrow alley leading up to the second floor. I originally just wanted a coffee, but decided to order the famous seafood zoni and coffee set. It costs 1,800 yen, but it's worth it. Inside, there's a record player with a Miles Davis vinyl on display. While they don't currently operate at night, the place is available for private events, perfect for music lovers to host a party. It feels a bit like Koenji. The seafood zoni has a subtle hint of yuzu, with a rich shellfish flavor that can help with a hangover. It includes red snapper, clams, scallops, snow crabs, mitsuba leaves, and rice cakes from a rice shop in Tsukiji. It's my first time having zoni at this time of year, and it feels like a refreshing reset.

I hesitated to enter the store because of the smoke, but I wanted to visit this place, so I decided to eat quickly and leave. There were three tables for four people and one table for two, and it was a cozy atmosphere. It was lunchtime, but there were two groups of regular customers already there. I ordered chicken and vegetable soup. It was interesting with wild vegetables like bamboo shoots and fiddleheads, but the freshness was not the best. The chicken was delicious, the broth was flavorful, and the rice cakes were nicely grilled and tasty. The regular customers seemed to be very comfortable in the shop. Thank you for the meal (^o^)

I had the "premium oyakodon" at the Tsukiji Market off-site "Toritou Branch" and still had a little room in my stomach. The second floor of a somewhat shady place in a alley that leads from Monzen Street to Nishi Street adds to the excitement. I had been curious about this place for a while, but never had the opportunity to visit until now. The previous owner has retired, and it is now run by someone else. On this day, they had a limited-time menu for the New Year, offering either "seafood zoni" or a set with coffee called the "seafood zoni set." The zoni alone was 1600 yen, while the set was 1800 yen. I decided to go for the set since the coffee alone was 500 yen. The seafood zoni may seem a bit pricey, but it includes domestic red snapper, scallops, snow crab, and clams, so it's worth it. The male owner was straightforward in his responses. When I asked about the delicious mochi, he mentioned that it was made by a rice shop called "Onoya" in Tsukiji 2-chome. The broth had a bit too much saltiness, but it was rich in seafood flavor, making it a luxurious zoni. The place had a cozy retro vibe with records playing in the background. It's definitely a place I would like to visit again after a meal at the market.

I had the Tori Zosui set at Kissaten Mako. It's a cozy café located on the second floor. The interior has a retro Showa-era vibe with music playing from records. The set includes Tori Zosui, Okowa, and coffee. Both the Okowa and Tori Zosui were delicious, made with ingredients from around Tsukiji. I also enjoyed a homemade meringue cookie with my coffee after the meal.

Happy New Year. Starting off the year with a traditional Japanese dish called "ozoni," there is a well-known shop on Monzeki Street in Tsukiji Outer Market called "Hormone Stew Kitsuneya." Just past this shop, previously "Soba Maruyo" and now "Chuka Soba Wakaba," there is a staircase leading to a charming red door inviting you to a cafe called "Kissa Mako." Kissa Mako opened its doors in March 1961 and was named after a man who once called the owner, Masako Kumagai, "Mako." Sadly, after 57 years of history, Kissa Mako closed its doors in May 2018. The cafe is now run by a new male owner. The interior allows smoking. I ordered the Chicken Zoni Set (chicken zoni and coffee) for 1,100 yen. The zoni here is delicious, with each ingredient carefully selected. The dashi broth is made from the renowned Nagaoan soba shop, and the mochi is from Tsukiji Onoya Kome-ten, along with other high-quality ingredients from Tsukiji Outer Market. The fish cake was surprisingly tasty as well. The broth has a calming and gentle flavor, and the chicken is from the famous Torifuto shop. The zoni at Kissa Mako is packed with delicious ingredients from Tsukiji Outer Market. The hot coffee that followed had a lovely aroma, and the cinnamon meringue cookie paired well with it. Due to COVID-19, the tables have been reduced, but the cafe retains the atmosphere of the previous owner, with music records and decorations that create a nostalgic ambiance. For a heartwarming story about the chance encounter that led to Kissa Mako, you can read more here: https://tabicoffret.com/article/76538/index.html. The mentioned Nagaoan is the same soba shop from the previous review of Oyster Tempura Curry Soba.

If you get tired from walking around the Tsukiji outer market, taking a short break at a café is recommended. I visited the historic café called Makosan. It seems that the current owner has inherited the business from the previous generation of Makosan. I sat at a table in the center of the café. The nostalgic atmosphere inside the café creates a retro and calming space. The ambiance itself is like entertainment, a place that you would want to preserve for future generations. My wife ordered the chicken zoni set (chicken zoni and coffee) for 1,100 yen. I ordered a cream soda for 600 yen. After a short wait, our orders arrived. The cream soda perfectly matched the atmosphere of the café. The beautiful green color with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. The part between the ice cream and soda becomes sherbet-like and crunchy, which I have loved since I was a child. The chicken zoni had delicious broth, tenderly cooked chicken meat, and mochi. The scent of Mitsuba also added a nice accent to the broth. It's a wonderful café that preserves the old Tsukiji in modern times. I hope that younger generations will also enjoy it. Thank you for the meal. I will definitely come back!

[Overall Review] Located just a short walk from Tsukiji Station, this café is situated on the second floor in a corner with a dense collection of shops and narrow alleys near the Tsukiji Outer Market. The original owner, Mako, retired in 2018, and the business is now being continued by someone else. The café has a retro Showa-era atmosphere and offers delicious coffee and zoni (Japanese rice cake soup)… wait, what? At first, I was puzzled as to why a café would serve zoni, but I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. It turns out that this zoni is a luxurious dish made with carefully selected ingredients from the Tsukiji area wholesalers, but I only learned this after eating. This kind of unique establishment could only exist in Tsukiji. The food is wonderful, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere as well. [Additional Comments] After enjoying a tuna sushi breakfast at Okame in Toyosu Market and indulging in pudding at Senriken, I took a bus to head towards Tsukiji Outer Market. I don't just go home quietly after such a morning! My next stop was Café Mako, a café known for its delicious zoni despite being a café. It is located on the second floor in a cluttered area with shops from the Tsukiji Outer Market. This second floor area was completely unknown to me until now. The entrance is a weathered glass door with "Café Mako" written in red. Such a design for a door is rare these days. The interior has only three 4-seat tables, with a retro Showa-era vibe and a bald man (Yoshida-san) running the place alone. The place exudes a sense of history everywhere you look. Jazz and oldies play on the record player, and an electric jar sits next to it. The café was originally run by the previous owner, Mama Mako, who retired at the age of 92. Yoshida-san took over the business after her. During my visit, there was one customer initially, and another later. The latter turned out to be the owner and not a customer. It seems like this is a place where the men of the Tsukiji area gather. The clientele and overall vibe make this place quite unique. The menu includes drinks like coffee, lemon squash, cream soda, and a few alcoholic beverages. Food options include zoni, toast, and snacks. Seeing zoni on the menu was surprising, but I was prepared for it. I opted for the Chicken Zoni Set with coffee and a tea snack. The zoni was elegant with a rich broth and premium ingredients like handmade mochi, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and large namako mushrooms. The flavors were exquisite, and the dish was like something you would find at a high-end Japanese restaurant. The coffee was also well-prepared, and the meringue pastry served as a tea snack was delightful with its cinnamon flavor. In conclusion, this café in Tsukiji is a hidden gem with a deep and unique charm. It's a must-visit spot in the area. The total bill for today came to 1100 yen.

I was born and raised in the downtown area of Tokyo, so growing up, I had the opportunity to hear stories from the elderly neighbors about how intense the Tokyo air raids were during the war. Hearing about houses burning with incendiary bombs and rivers being hotter than baths made me realize the horror of war. One story that stood out was about Ueno Zoo during the war, where the most expensive animals were fed poisoned food, but the clever elephants used their long trunks to separate the poisoned food. The poisoned food was given to the elephants. Today's breakfast is at Cafe Mako, known for its zoni, a traditional Japanese soup with rice cakes. I used to smoke, and when I had lunch at Tsukiji before, I visited a hidden second-floor shop to smoke, but it's been about 10 years since I last visited. The cafe used to be run by a classy lady, but now it seems the owner has changed to someone with a similar hairstyle to mine. I ordered the Saturday special zoni with sake lees chicken and iced coffee. I was the only customer when the cafe opened, and the zoni seemed to require heat. The breaker went off with a bang, making me feel like I was in an Asian country with unstable power supply. According to the owner, using two heat-producing items at once causes the breaker to trip. Fifteen minutes later, the zoni arrived. The white miso base with a hint of sweetness was different from the traditional Tokyo New Year zoni. The umami from the miso and chicken, along with the simple yet flavorful kamaboko, made for a delicious bowl. The shiitake mushrooms seemed to be dried and rehydrated, packed with umami. The mochi was round, perhaps a Kanto specialty. The crispy and juicy asparagus paired well with the miso soup. The meringue dessert served before the meal was light and crunchy, perfect with the deep and fragrant coffee. The total bill for the zoni and iced coffee was 1350 yen, but the set price was only 1200 yen, making me feel like I got a good deal. The cafe also serves alcohol in the evening, so I look forward to coming back at the right time to enjoy it.

We came with two people. It's getting colder soon, so a traditional café with a hint of cigarette smoke in the air sounds nice. I ordered a lemon float, while my companion stuck with coffee as always. Thank you for the meal.

I visited Cafe Mako. It was a bit hard to find, with a narrow alley and a staircase that made me wonder if this was the right place. But once I opened the door, I entered the world of Mako. The famous landlady has retired, and a young owner has taken over the shop. Today, I had a delicious ozoni and a seafood feast. The ingredients and broth were top-notch, sourced from the best places. The rich seafood soup was a unique experience at a cafe. Surprisingly, the high-roast forest coffee paired well with the flavors of the sea. It was a delightful meal.