Review: Mr Bean, Shibuya station

Before you get too excited, I should tell you that Rowan Atkinson’s face is nowhere to be found. Instead, you’ll be greeted with a super-cute little bean, happily proclaiming ‘Life’s simple pleasures’.

This is a little stall in Shibuya station, near the Tamagawa gate, close to the GInza line entrance, and is the first international outpost of Singaporean company Mr. Bean. Founded in 1995, it specialises in all things ‘soy bean’, most famously, soy milk. For a reasonable 150円 a cup, you can get hot or iced soy milk at your desired level of sweetness, or you can branch out into slightly pricier and more exotic drinks, such as Teapresso soy milk (200円 plain / 300円 with tapioca ) or acai banana smoothie (350円).

What I really love, however, is their 豆乳やき(Tōnyū yaki) – lit. baked soy milk things. Think about really amazing doughy round pancakey things with various fillings in the middle. Bring on the soy custard. There are savoury and sweet options, and range of seasonal specials. Grab one for a 160円  or buy five for a 100円 discount.

There are no seats, just a few tall tables, where you’ll see people clustered around. If you commute past it and think “Oh, I wonder if I should give it a try”, I recommend that YES, yes you should.

Mr. Bean 4/5
URL: http://mrbean.co.jp/
Where: 東急百貨店 東横店 1 Chome-1 Dōgenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tōkyō-to 150-8319

Author: Phoebe Amoroso

Phoebe Amoroso is a Tokyo-based reporter, multimedia journalist and storyteller. Hailing from the UK, she moved to Japan in 2014 and has since been shouting about the country to all who will listen. She divides her time between covering breaking news and producing feature stories for TV; writing about everything from business and tech to food and travel; and guiding hungry visitors who want to sample the best of Japanese cuisine. When not working and/or eating, she can often be found running up a mountain or cycling by the sea. View all posts by Phoebe Amoroso