Our attempt to visit more vegan bakeries on this trip to Tokyo continued (and basically finished) with a trip to not one but two branches of Universal Bakes. The two branches are about a 15 minute walk apart, and in quite a quiet, residential part of the city, which always makes for a fun walk. Unfortunately for us, that means they were nowhere near Shinjuku, so it was a bit of a trek to get there, which is why we’d never been before. Ultimately, it was probably worth the trip.

Our first stop was Universal Bakes and Cafe. We got there right after opening on a Saturday to ensure we got a seat – information online seemed a bit vague about just how big it was. I can now report that there are only six seats indoors (a table of four and a table of two), and a few more outside.

We were there specifically to get a vegan curry pan, but there were none available. It seemed like a few dishes were unavailable still at that time – there was a sign behind the counter for French toast, but we were told it was too early for that too. There were lots of savoury items, mostly toasts with toppings, and a few sweet ones too but not many.

All three of us tried the chocolate raspberry muffins, which were excellent – nicely baked, a perfect top, and loads of chocolate. Mother HH actually felt it had too much chocolate and not enough fruit, but that’s not a complaint you would ever catch me making!

We also had a weekly special, the zaatar croissant. This was sublime! The croissant was so crisp and flaky, and the savoury seasoning was perfect. It looked like they had regular themes for the special – the week we visited it was UAE themed, hence the zaatar.

We got cafe lattes and a matcha latte, both were good. The matcha latte was nicely balanced, and whichever plant milk they used had a nice creaminess to it.

Dr HH did not want to give up on his long awaited curry pan just yet, so we made the short walk over to Universal Bakes 2, and found that it had more sweets…but also no curry pan. There was no indoor seating at this branch, but quite a bit outdoor, so if it’s good weather then you’re in luck. We got some donuts to take away and they were delicious.

Dr HH got the donut holes covered with kinako (roasted soy bean flour). He thought this worked really well in places of sugar. The donuts were still sweet but now with a bit of a roasted nutty taste on top of it. It’s always fun to try something totally different!

I could not resist the chocolate cookie donut. It was a bit crispier around the edges and denser than a regular donut, and the chocolate was absolutely delicious. I loved it! As someone with more of a sweet tooth, Universal Bakes 2 probably caters better to my tastes – but it was nice to have a proper sit down and drink at the main cafe too.

Maybe one day we’ll get to try the coveted curry pan. Is it too soon to start planning another trip?!