The staple of the Japanese diet is rice, but another of the cuisine's key features is soy. Immature beans are boiled and eaten with salt as edamame, mature beans are made into tofu and soy sauce, and fermented into natto, amongst many other things.
Senz is a cafe that makes the most of this versatility, incorporating it into almost everything on the menu. It's only a few minutes from Itsutsubashi subway station – take the North 4 exit and turn left at the 7-11 convenience store. It was founded on the conviction that soy has many health benefits, and they only use high-quality, Japanese beans.
The first thing you notice at Senz are the friendly colors and modern feel. Above the counter is a bright sign showing a colorful array of drinks. The cafe might be small, with only a few seats, but it feels like optimism – all bright colors and healthy food.
The drinks are their widest range, and they're all made with soy milk, so they're suitable for vegans and anyone with a lactose intolerance. I highly recommend the citrus and cinnamon, (¥620) which seems strange at first, but after a few tastes I couldn't stop drinking it! It's refreshing and somehow energetic and definitely not a combination I've seen before. It's also one of the tasty options for anyone who dislikes banana in their smoothie. There are also hot drinks, like the soy chai latte, and for an extra ¥50, the smoothies can be made with black bean milk instead.
For something a little more substantial, Senz has various snacks and light meals. At lunchtime, between 11:30 and 13:30, you can buy sandwich sets, which are good value for money. And soy beans show up in the most interesting places! One sandwich contains soy mayonnaise, which is much lighter than its traditional counterpart. My only problem with the sandwiches is the white bread, which although not bad, doesn't exactly match the rest of the healthy theme.
One of my favorite things is tofa – a dessert which looks like a flower, made of slices of tofu. It comes in a plastic cup, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with a small handful of fruit. It tastes as good as it looks.
There is also a wall of produce, including the soy mayonnaise that they use in their sandwiches. Soy products include natto, aburaage (fried tofu), soy milk and dried beans for snacking. The fridge also contains sweet treats like pudding (flan). The culinary-minded might be interested in the fruit vinegar and oils on offer.
Senz packs a lot into a small space, just like its smoothies. Its a healthy, delicious way to taste a part of Japanese food culture that is often overlooked.
