Maison de croissant
Maison de croissant is now closed and relocated to the new (smaller but more convenient) Croissant Marche near Peace Park, in the Dobashi area of Hiroshima.
If you are a fan of healthy eating, you will want to make the effort to get out to enjoy the macrobiotic lunch set as well as check out the produce available at this grocery store filled with quality vegetables and organic & vegetarian-friendly goods. Maison de croissant was originally opened as a macrobiotic food restaurant. Now that original building is only used for yoga classes and cooking lessons, but the health food store, grocer and lunch area still have a loyal following.
Macrobiotic food has a long history in Japan, some believe it was a pairing of concepts of Zen Buddhism with the western vegetarian diet. The fundamental macrobiotic dietary idea is to put a combination of healthy foods together in a perfect balance of flavors as well as minerals and vitamins in the same meal- the yin & yang of eating. Basically, macrobiotic meals are made without meat, fish, processed sugar or dairy products.
A perfect macrobiotic meal would also be completely chemical-free (organic). The macrobiotic diet is perfect for any healthy eaters including vegans and vegetarians. It is also recommended for people suffering food allergies. The macrobiotic diet became popular in Japan in the 70’s when more meat and dairy became a more regular part of the diet. This change to the traditional Japanese diet caused more people to suffer from food allergy symptoms like eczema, bloating and other discomforts. There are some that believe eating wholesome foods like these will lead to longer, healthier lives free of not only allergies, but cancer and other serious disease as well.
The daily lunch plate is a very simple meal of soup, brown rice, salad, a few side dishes of vegetables, beans and other healthy ingredients and a main dish of tofu, bean or other vegan (meat, dairy and fish-free) protein staple. If you are watching your weight or trying to cut calories, this is a perfect meal to have, you would live a long, healthy life and have quite a lean figure if you ate like this every meal. None of the dishes we ate in the lunch set had any fat in it whatsoever. Some were pickled, others boiled or stew-like, the soup was a type of miso soup. All the dishes very tasty and everything seemed quite typically Japanese. There was no dessert included in the set, but there are plenty of sweet cakes, cookies, bagels or other treats to choose from to supplement with from the shop if you like.
The grocery section offers reasonably priced domestic and organic vegetables (including some unique varieties), a selection of gourmet baby foods, brown & “macrobiotic” rice, homemade bagels and other baked goods, vegan and vegetarian products, imported eco-friendly household goods, imported health foods, supplements, as well as a nice selection of local gourmet healthy products including meats, seafood and jams. The vegetables on offer are clearly tagged with how they are grown: standard farming (using chemicals) / low chemical use / less chemical use / and chemical free / organic. (Chemical free may not technically be “organic” if the farm has not been chemical free for a period of 6 years.)
Maison de croissant is open for lunch everyday of the week except Sundays and holidays. It is easy to find as it is located on the main road adjacent to the Kanon post office. There is free parking for 4 cars down a side street behind the shop. There is no smoking inside the shop. Credit cards are only accepted for payments higher than ¥5000.
Address: Hiroshima city, Nishi-ku, Kanon-machi 18-4 (located next to Kannon-machi post office) Tel 082-297-4655 Fax 082-232-5655
Hours：Mondays to Saturday (Closed Sundays) 10:00～19:00（Lunch available 11:30～14:30）Official Website [japanese]
