A small pastry cafe on the edge of Tokyo
Located a seven-minute walk from Higashimurayama Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line, this charming house with a red door is Commons Kitchen.
The front of the store
The entrance is on this side
The interior is small and cozy, with a warm, woody atmosphere.
Inside the store
The display case right inside the store is filled with individually handmade muffins.
The display case right inside the store. It’s hard to decide which one to choose.
There is counter seating on the first floor, table seating on the second floor, and tatami seating, perfect for families with children.
Seating on the second floor
Owner Kawai was a film director from his 20s to 30s. In his 30s, he began to focus on a gluten-free diet after suffering from a small intestinal disorder. He tried many gluten-free products on the market, but they were often dry or bland, and he struggled to find anything that satisfied him. This experience inspired him to try making delicious gluten-free food himself, which led to the launch of Commons Kitchen. His most popular products, the “Cake Salé” and “Muffins,” remain popular today and are sold at markets. He felt that he had made progress. After that, he continued to run the business solo while working in a shared kitchen, searching for the perfect property and eventually set up shop in its current location. The current store will be in its fourth year, opening on August 7, 2024, and continues to serve lunch, serve as a bar, and hold events, which were not possible at the time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All the products in the store are handmade, and the owner’s passion for food is endless.
Commons Kitchen is committed to not using refined sugar or wheat flour. Instead of refined sugar, they use sugar beets and cane sugar. Instead of wheat flour, they use rice flour and buckwheat flour, making their products safe for those with wheat allergies. They also make their own jam and sweet bean paste for their muffins. Jar after jar of preserved fruit was lined up inside the store.
This is about to become jam.
Everything is handmade.
Muffins are made with a single batter, not just divided into portions. Each muffin is carefully crafted using a separate batter. The vegetables used in their “Cake Sale” are grown by the owner, Mr. Kawai’s father, without pesticides, allowing you to enjoy a variety of vegetables throughout the seasons. They strive to produce products with care and without compromise, and never serve anything dry or hard. They research the perfect moist, fluffy texture every day. Not only do they skimp on their muffins, but they also skimp on their drinks.
There is a handwritten description of the carefully selected coffee.
The coffee beans are hand-selected to ensure they are free of impurities, and are made using the Arms method. The owner even roasts them himself. Coffee beans are also available for purchase. All drinks (excluding alcohol) are available for takeout, making it a great place for picnics.
Each and every snack is made with care
We tried three popular items. The first was the “Organic Banana & Organic Chocolate Chip”
“Organic Banana & Organic Chocolate Chip”
This is the most popular item among children. The surface features a cross-section of a banana and is generously filled with chocolate chips.
When I ate it, the dough was chewy and the inside was packed with banana.
The second was the “Rice Flour Salted Cake with Seasonal Colorful Vegetables”
「”Rice Flour Salted Cake”
This has been Commons Kitchen’s most popular item since it opened. Since it was the height of summer when we visited, it was generously filled with seven kinds of summer vegetables, including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and green beans. The outside was crispy, but the inside was moist. You could taste the juicy tomato flavor as you bit into it. The onion base of the dough brings out its natural sweetness. It’s the perfect breakfast dish.
The third item is the “Plain Buckwheat Muffin.”
“Plain Buckwheat Muffin”
The surface is glossy and sprinkled with buckwheat kernels. The texture is fluffy and not dry. The buckwheat flavor also comes through. Other buckwheat muffins are also available in raspberry and a limited-time green plum flavor, but regulars often return to the plain version for a hidden favorite.
“Home-Roasted Hand-Drip Coffee (Iced)”
Home-Roasted Hand-Drip Coffee (Iced)”
Each muffin is carefully crafted to be healthy for your body. Give it a try.
Supervisor / Recommender
- Nutritionist
-
After graduating from junior college with a nutritionist degree, I joined a food manufacturer.
I was primarily responsible for developing prepared foods. My experience included developing prepared breads, proposing restaurant menus, and launching new production lines. I was responsible for commercializing a wide variety of menu items, including tomato sauce fillings, hamburger steaks, menchi-katsu (minced meat cutlets), and restaurant-grade soups.
I left my job when I got married and am now a mother of two.
I've always loved food, and while working for a company, I would visit various restaurants as part of my market research.
Even now, I always check out any restaurants that look delicious. I'm confident in the taste buds I developed through product development.
I'll be providing you with information on many restaurants, with the motto of "delicious and fun"!
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