446571 Mon Oct 01 11:25:24 -0700 2007 6 8 General Midwest Archive 0 2993055 While it opened several months ago, this past weekend, we finally paid a visit to this charming cafe, located in downtown Ann Arbor 113 E. Liberty. As we entered, we were greeted by the owner/baker Miyoko, who chatted with us for a good length about some of the new developments for her cafe. As we chatted, we tasted the pain aux noix which was studded with gold and black currants and delicious walnuts; as well as the pain au fromage Roquefort. Both were made using traditional bread making methods and organic ingredients. The baguettes and demi-baguettes were also well made, evidenced by their soft, creamy and well aerated interior and perfect crust. The bakery also makes fantastic croissants and pastries with traditional french flavors such as almond and raisin and chocolate, but I was pleased to see her add a Japanese touch by including pastries made with red bean paste and desserts like strawberry mochi. Equally welcoming are the prices. For example, the baguette costs $2.25 and the specialty croissants cost $3.50. Finally, a place in Ann Arbor where you can find quality, artisan bread/pastries that don't charge you an arm and leg! http://www.holybasil.wordpress.com Mon Oct 01 11:25:24 -0700 2007 74507 cafemonamie 1 2993308 Thanks for the report, cafemonamie. I'll have to check Cafe Japon out. If you've tried Jeff Renner's baguettes at Village Corner, I'd be interested in a comparison. Mon Oct 01 12:29:13 -0700 2007 2993055 18825 Summerfield 1 3011368 I think her price for baguettes is acceptable whereas for the croissants, too high. Sat Oct 06 19:22:34 -0700 2007 2993055 122457 willownt 1 3016535 I went there for lunch last week and thought it had potential. We tried a few different things on the menu -- one of the sandwiches, the cold noodle dish, the sushi assortment, and a few of the croissants with different fillings. My primary complaint was the service -- we were sit-down, not take-out, and our server was totally spacy. She came by and asked if we wanted a knife and additional plates to share our food. When we enthusiastically said yes, she wandered away, disappeared, and never returned with the knife or plates. We finally went up to the counter and asked for them. Same with the water -- she filled our glasses once, and then after awhile we just went up to the counter and refilled them ourselves. It's a small place, and we were there a long time, so in a way, it's not that the service was so horrible but just needed some attention. Put in a better light, perhaps it made it a bit more homey? Certainly the atmosphere was calm and pleasant. As for the food, I think we were all generally a bit disappointed with our sandwich selection -- it was the one with the fried potatoes in gravy included. I think it might have just been what we chose, as the bread was fine, just the filling was sort of heavy. The cold noodle dish wasn't memorable but I do think it was tasty. Sorry, the memory is a bit foggy on that one. What I DO remember is that everyone was a bit underwhelmed by the sushi assortment. For the price, and especially since it didn't include actual sashimi, I think we all expected something with a bit more punch. But the croissants and baguettes were good, and it's definitely strongest when treated like a bakery and less like a restaurant. Certainly has potential, so I'll try it again. Mon Oct 08 19:28:42 -0700 2007 2993055 31599 Misschacha 1 3729671 We haven't been to Cafe Japon yet, but I've had some pastries from there & the chocolate croissants rock and the red bean paste pastries are fabulous. The tea selection looks like something really special, too. I expect any service issues will be smoothed out as the restaurant gets more established and has more staff. As I understand it, the staff is still pretty bare bones. Wed May 28 22:22:29 -0700 2008 2993055 196115 lunabliss 2 3730011 Agreed on the pastry, which is now available at Morgan & York (the former Big Ten Party Store) too. I've had problems on several occasions going to the restaurant and trying to order food and drink other than pastries. They've been open a year and a half--not sure it's going to get "smoothed out," but I definitely see a bakery in their future, which AA has needed for a long time. Thu May 29 05:03:41 -0700 2008 3729671 13409 Jim M 3 3795931 I agree that Cafe Japon's restaurant/bakery combination has proven to be perhaps unworkable - in terms of consistency with the service provided. A year + seems ample time to smooth out staffing issues. Nevertheless, most of the restaurant items I tried had that good "homestyle" taste and preparation - including the katsu and bifteck sandwiches, the seaweed salad as well as the cobb salad. I haven't tried any of the sushi there. Their baguette is still *by far* my favorite in Ann Arbor, for the reasons I originally mentioned above. I mean, come on, *artisan* bread should not mean a 1/4 inch thick, hard-as-a-rock crust -- (and you know who I'm referring to!) Sorry, had to get that out. I've yet to try Jeff Renner's - the idea of only being able to have a fresh one on a Wednesday is a bummah). However, I will have to try it out one of these days. Thu Jun 19 17:47:02 -0700 2008 3730011 74507 cafemonamie