Where is a dog? (Kichijoji)

September 5, 2024 Kichijoji / Mitaka,Gluten-free

Vegan Menu Vegetarian Menu Gluten-free Menu

I was going to have lunch in Kichijoji and visit the Ghibli Museum with a friend, but she was allergic to wheat flour.

So I needed to find a gluten-free restaurant, and I discovered Where is a dog?.

Interesting name, isn’t it?

When I actually went there, I found that they offer not only gluten-free foods but also a variety of vegan foods.

Access

The North and South Exits of Kichijoji Station are the closest to the cafe.
It takes about a little more than 5 minutes on foot from Kichijoji Station to the restaurant

I will show you how to get to the cafe here from the North Exit.

After exiting the north exit of Kichijoji Station, turn left and turn left at the first intersection.

You will pass under the railroad tracks and turn right at the first intersection.

Pass under the railroad again and go straight for about 150 meters until you come to a traffic light.

Right after passing the traffic light, turn right.

Walk about 20 meters. and you will see Where is a dog? on your right.

 

Go to Where is a dog?

After meeting my friend at the north exit of Kichijoji station, where there is a roundabout, we head for the cafe.

We walked in the direction of Mitaka.
After walking for about 5 minutes, a distance of about 300 meters, we go to Where is a dog?

We arrived at the cafe a few minutes before 12:00 pm. and the store was not open yet.

It became 12:00 p.m., soon and they opened the door to let us in.

The exterior of the restaurant looks cute and cozy.

The restaurant is somewhat Ghibli-like, perhaps because it’s close to the Ghibli Museum and already filtered by the fact that we’re about to go there.

Inside of Where is a dog?

As I could see from the outside, the interior of the restaurant is small, with seating capacity for 20 people or so.
The actual number of seats was 18.

We were seated at the far end of the cafe.

Many pictures of cats hang on the wall.

Oh, sure!

There are lots of cats, but Where is a dog?

On another table, there are books on everything from children’s health to even Masanobu Fukuoka’s The One-Straw Revolution!

The books on display convey owner’s taste.

Bagels, breads, sweets, etc. were also displayed and they were available for takeout.
The kitchen is right behind, isn’t it.

Gluten-free and Vegan Menu of Where is a dog?

When we took our seats, “Could you try this bread?”, the manage offered us gluten-free bread.

It is rare to sample bread at a café.
This gluten-free bread must be the signature item of this cafe!

The taste was, Oh, certainly different from wheat flout bread!
It was moist rice flour bread.

Water is self-service, isn’t it.

When I opened the menu, I found that in addition to sandwiches and bagels made with gluten-free bread, there also a variety of foods such as pasta, curry, doria, etc.

At first I thought it would be gluten-free only, but in fact there was a variety of vegan items on the menu, which was a pleasant surprise!

There were vegan rice bowls, vegan curry, vegan sandwiches, vegan pasta, etc. on the menu.

I appreciated that the vegan menu items were marked VG in a green color, which made me easy to choose.

For drinks, some of them were not easily found in regular cafes, such as luo han guo coffee, moringa tea, mulberry leaf tea, and amazake (sweet sake).

They all look good for the body!

In fact, not only the drinks, but the dishes here are cooked without chemical preservatives and without additives.

Order Vegan Vegetable Sandwich!

There are so many different items on the menu that it is hard to decide.

But it was summer, and to be honest, I wasn’t that hungry.
Still, I thought I could eat a sandwich, so I decided to order a vegetable sandwich with a vegan mark!

My friend ordered the regular Bread Doria
There was no vegan veer. for this doria.

It took a little while to come, as all the dishes are handmade in the cafe.

And here is a Vegan Vegetable Sandwich!
The price is about $6 (880 yen) including tax.

I also took a picture of my friend’s regular Bread Doria.
This is not vegan but Gluten-free Bread Doria.
It is about $9.5(1380 yen) including tax.

Vegetable Sandwich was made with bread that was more moist than I had imagined!
I felt that same kind of bread of sample which I had a while ago was used.

I had an image that rice flour would be dray and coarse if not toasted, but this bread is moist without being toasted and goes well with the ingredients inside.

The vegetables between the breads were also fresh and crisp!

I see, this is Gluten-free Vegetable Sandwich, certainly nothing like a sandwich made with regular bread!

It was a compact sandwich, and the quantity was just right.
However, I felt that it would have been not enough if I had come here with an empty stomach.

When it comes to the volume, I felt Bread Doria my friend had would have been more satisfying.

Take-Out Menu

You can take away a part of the menu.

In addition to sandwiches, you can take out rice bowls, curries and even gratins.
This was actually surprising!

The bread, bagels, and snacks displayed in the cafe are also available for take-out.

So I bought a bagel (350 yen) and a mini loaf of bread (250 yen) for take-out.

Summary

The owner of the restaurant was very friendly and easy to talk to.

The owner asked me “How was our dish?.”

I also asked how long the store had been in business, She told me that it had originally been in Waseda and had been relocated and opened here.

“This is our third or fourth year here.”
She said.

I was also given detailed instructions on how to store the bagel and bread for takeout.

I was satisfied with the atmosphere, food, and service, and would like to stop by again if I ever come to Kichijoji!

I would recommend this hideaway cafe to those who are allergic to wheat and to vegans!

Oh, I completely forgot to ask the origin of the name of Where is a dog?