boulangerie onni

Curry bread and anpan sit a few trays from a Hoshino natural yeast baguette, which is the quickest way to understand what this Yokohama bakery is for.

Japanese buns beside hard breads

The counter is built for everyday eating rather than for a specialism. The soft side runs through anpan, cream bread, curry bread, melon pan, yakicurry bread, sandwiches, baked sweets, Danish, bagels, focaccia, shokupan and loaf breads, which covers a morning bun, a lunch sandwich and a loaf for the table without leaving the shop.

The hard side gives it range. Baguette, batard, olive baguette, Hoshino natural yeast baguette, graham bread, graham country loaf, yogurt rye and German-style breads are all part of the lineup, and several are made with beer or wine in mind rather than breakfast. That combination, Japanese bakery familiarity next to European bread technique, is what onni is. The bakery took the number 20 place on the Tabelog 100 in 2022.

A bread case, and a table to take it to

This is retail rather than restaurant, organised by bread family: hard breads, shokupan, Danish and croissants, prepared breads, sweet breads, sandwiches, baked sweets, jams and specialty loaves. You walk the case with tongs and a tray and build a few days of eating out of it.

It does not stop at bread. Jams, granola, cheese-related goods, tableware and mugs are sold alongside, which tells you how the bakery thinks about itself: not as a snack stop but as a supplier for the table at home. The name comes from the Finnish word for happiness, and the story it tells about itself is domestic, bread shared with the people you live with rather than eaten on the walk to the station.

Start with curry bread, then something sweet

Curry bread or yakicurry bread is the first order, the clearest savoury statement and squarely in the Japanese bakery tradition onni keeps beside its European loaves. Follow it with anpan or cream bread for the soft, sweet register, or melon pan if the visit is a snack rather than a meal.

Seasonal and prepared items are where the bakery shows its hand: sakura bagel, mentaiko French with yuzu, beef hash croquette sandwich, tamago sandwich, white asparagus and smoked salmon focaccia, strawberry milk Danish and peach brioche. For the table at home, take the Hoshino natural yeast baguette, graham bread, graham country loaf, yogurt rye or a German-style loaf, all of which are better with cheese and a bottle than eaten standing up.