For those who are looking for a quick, inexpensive bite to eat at a western style diner, there are a variety of choices in Japan.
I discussed Cafe Gusto in a previous post and now I’m going to discuss Jonathan’s Coffee & Restaurant, which is also owned and operated by The Skylark Group, a pioneer in the family restaurant business in Japan and is the company responsible for restaurants like Gusto, Jonathan’s Bamiyan, Yumean, Steak Gust, Grazie Gardens, S Gsto, Aiya, Tomato and Onion, Musashi no Mori Coffee to name a few.
It’s important to note that if you want a good deal, download the Skylark App for iOS and Android which offers coupons to any of their restaurants. (Just requires your e-mail, nickname, password but also best to use the area you visit the most, so you may want to google the prefecture and the ward).
Both Cafe Gusto and Jonathan’s have a major presence throughout Japan and probably Jonathan’s is the most recognized by people traveling to Japan, because the signs are in English.
Jonathan’s opens at 7:00 a.m. and from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the restaurant offers a Lunch Jona Set for Y1,099.
In some ways, both Cafe Restaurant Gusto and Jonathan’s Coffee & Restaurant are quite similar. Western style diner and different offerings for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a self-serve drink area.
You can select from the menu of what you want to eat.
[NOTE: I HAVE TO BRING THIS UP!!!!] Recently, when I went to a Jonathan’s, I had to play middle translator for an American family and a Japanese waiter.
The family were very selective on how their eggs were to be cooked and how their sausage was to be prepared. While these are western style diners, unlike in the US where we can be a bit more specific on how eggs should be prepared, bread to be toasted or meats to be prepared, this is not the case in Japan.
They prepare their food as it is to be prepared and special requests (unless it’s a family-owned restaurant) are typically not allowed.
I decided to order their Shaki Shaki Cabbage no Ham Egg Sandwich which includes a drink bar set for Y649. Inside the sandwich is crispy cabbage, ham and egg with potato (known to us in the US as fries, or England as Chips).
Overall, you can’t go wrong at eating at Jonathan’s Coffee & Restaurant. It’s inexpensive, a great place to bring friends and family to sit and eat and have casual conversations. But also, the fact that drinks are part of the set and it’s a convenient area for those who don’t want to spend a lot of money.
