JiST Café
Stumptown Cold Brew
Cornmeal Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Fancy French with Oranges and whip
Tcho Chocolate Chip & Banana Pancakes
Pumpkin, Chai, Pomegranate Pancakes
Located in Little Tokyo, and serving breakfast as well as lunch from Tuesday through Sunday, JiST Café could easily be passed by as just another mom n’ pop shop amidst several others, but with local Chef Glen Ishii at the helm the heavily wooded spot is anything but typical to the area – an artisan collection of American Classics finding equal footing next to several creative Asian eats. Well priced given its location and ingredients, though perhaps a bit steep on $6 bottles from Stumptown, it was with great indecision that I perused the menu just after the small restaurant’s 8am opening and eventually inquiring in regard to portion sizes I was alerted to the option for singles as opposed to stacks – a bit more expensive but well worth it when the creations arrived tableside, artificial ‘syrup’ the only issue holding things back. Smiling in service, the sort of place where the owner calls everyone “boss,” it was as my main course trio was being readied that I partook in the first bites of breakfast and served at $2.50 for a truly mammoth slice the piping hot coffee cake was a masterpiece, an affair of melting butter imbuing the slightly savory crumb beneath a layer of streusel rich in cinnamon and brown sugar. Slowly working though the cake as more patrons arrived it would not be long before three more plates overloaded the table and although the French toast was golden, thick, and rich with custard it simply couldn’t compare to the pancakes – a crème fraiche base replacing traditional buttermilk with tanginess finding its foil first in rich chocolate disks amidst bananas, then in seasonal aromatics of pumpkin spice, cardamom, and cloves beneath a dollop of house-whipped cream.
RECOMMENDED: Pancakes, singles available at $5-6 each with full stacks $10-12 depending on style. Coffee Cake – $2.50.
AVOID: Selling for $3-4 elsewhere the $6 surcharge for bottles of Stumptown cold brew carries a bit of sticker shock – especially in a city where G&B is doing it locally both better and cheaper. Given the prices I’ll also admit a bit of disappointment in the artificial syrup, the option to purchase an upgrade should at least be offered to prevent ruining otherwise excellent cuisine.
TIP: Open 7a-3p Tuesday-Friday and 8a-3p on weekends with outdoor seating available, parking options are somewhat limited given proximity to the Courts – the meters on the street almost entirely full even on a weekend and limited lot openings, particularly on Sunday. Those willing to walk are best served to look a few streets away, closer to one of the several Little Tokyo malls.
http://jistcafe.com/
http://www.urbanspoon.com/e/restaurant_link/1837219