Leaven

At Leaven, you can build a sandwich to suit your taste, starting with the choice of fillings. Choose 2 fillings for a mini roll or 1 for campagne bread. Options include cheese and almonds, egg and shrimp, marinated mushrooms, prosciutto and sweet red bean paste with butter. Mix and match for something light or sweet and savoury. Diners have mentioned combinations such as ham and shiso on campagne, as well as marinated mushrooms; the filling can shape the whole meal. Sandwich plates come with salad and soup, making them an easy choice for lunch or brunch.

If you want the bread to take centre stage, campagne toast is worth a look. Blue cheese and honey make a combination that can work as either a light meal or a snack. Other choices include sliced-bread toast with mozzarella and basil sauce, and a bagel toast with Camembert, olive sauce and black pepper. One diner praised the crisp texture of the sliced-bread toast.

For something sweet, there is gateau chocolat, the chiffon cake of the week and baked cheesecake. One review describes the gateau chocolat as moist and chocolatey, with cream that complements it well. The white cheesecake struck some diners as mousse-like, while others noted a smooth texture reminiscent of rare cheesecake. Settle in with a cake and a blend or chai.

Coffee options include a medium-dark roast blend, dark-roast Ethiopian coffee and decaffeinated coffee. A diner who ordered the blend with gateau chocolat commented on the coffee’s depth and body. Tea, herbal tea and chai are also available, so you can finish your meal with coffee or choose tea or chai instead.

The quiet, relaxed interior seems suited to dining alone. Leaven is on the 2 floor in Koenji-kita, and payment is cash only.