Hiroshima Morning Club: Bon Goûter Edition

June 11, 2019June 10, 2019 Hiroshima Food Snob 3448 Views breakfast, cafe, Hiroshima Morning Club, Morning, Saeki-ku

Good morning and welcome. I hereby call this meeting of the Hiroshima Morning Club to order. On today’s agenda: Deli Cafe Bon Goûter.

This bright bluebird-blue cafe, known for its kouign amann, is located in what I like to call the Saeki Bermuda Triangle of Morning, a strange and concentrated conglomeration of little cafes and kissaten that offer Morning Sets. It was a drizzly Sunday morning when I walked in, and the place was jumping. The interior reminds me of small town suburban France with its hand-painted tables and warm color palette. With a wide range of Morning choices from endless buckwheat pancakes and French classique croque-madame, I chose the old standard, Thick-Cut Toast Morning and coffee (free refills until 10:45am!), coming in at 450 yen. And then I had a look at their fresh-baked kouign amann, practically glittering with crisp caramel goodness, calling me with their sweet siren song, and hastily added one of my order.

I was handed a number and took a seat in the corner of the cafe. Patrons were happily enjoying Sunday morning pancakes and fresh-squeezed orange juice while a strange, light pop remix of 90s rap songs filtered in on the speakers. I settled in and after a short wait, my Morning arrived.

A small green salad, cup of corn potage, and a dollop of yogurt with homemade fruit sauce dotted the plate around the star of this charming Morning set: a thick-cut piece of golden, buttery toast. What’s important to note is that this toast comes buttered and TOPPED WITH MORE BUTTER. I don’t know about the rest of you Morning Clubbers, but for me, more butter = more better. The toast is crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and what’s more, the butter-to-bread ratio is perfect. Midway through my toast, my kouign amann arrived, glowing in all her caramel glory.

For those of you unfamiliar with this hard-to-pronounce French masterpiece, kouign amann is a butter-rich pastry coated in caramelized sugar. It’s velvety soft on the inside and flaky-crunchy-sticky on the outside. Simply put, it’s confection perfection. It’s the kind of caramelized sugar that sticks to your teeth in the best way, and paired with coffee, she’s ready to take over the breakfast world. My advice to you: eat this pastry with your hands. While they serve it with a piece of waxed baking paper so your hands don’t get sticky, don’t deprive yourself of the visceral experience. Feel the decadence. I only wish Bon Goûter had a kouign amann morning with endless coffee refills because she’s far too good to be cast as a side menu.