Free Peddler Market/THE DECK Coffee & Pie
Because, where else can you have coffee and pie in the midst of a sleek, flea market-style setting except this place near Harajuku?
The mere mention of in-house roasted coffee and pie was enough to get us to this stylish new addition to Sendagaya – so new Google Street View still shows an old convenience store where it now stands… Here, coffee shop meets Urban Outfitters for grown-ups – pies and sundries somehow coexist in this intriguing new joint with furniture, clothes and accessories.
We started our experience by making a beeline for the pie, the menu offering both sweet and savoury. The sweet selection brings the usual apple, cherry, cream and custard-fillings with the pastry seemingly the star of the show, while the savory veg and meat options go from hearty to, in our case, something of a ‘fusion’ – we went for a meat pie filled with tomato, cheese and penne pasta, which came with a drink set as an option (¥830).
The decking out front, around a ten minute walk from Harajuku station
The coffee shop roasts and sells its own beans, so we recommend trying the pretty decent java along with the pie – oh and it comes in an insulated mug to keep those ice cubes intact while you dig in to the main event (and, we suspect, add a quirky talking point…)
The pie was huge – we were at first puzzled on how to tackle it in fact, but thankfully the dish came with a trio of tools, the knife-spoon-fork combo each somehow playing its part as we got involved. Turns out there’s no dignified way to eat pie, and while the flaky pastry crumbed all over the place, it was scrumptious and worth the trouble.
The place offers seats indoors, but also a spacious wooden front patio. Indoors there is a hippie-ish, free-spirited vibe with woven textures and patterns, tall homemade candles, thick art books, and home furnishings such as blankets, pillows and towels scattered around. Most of the brands are from the US, such as L.A.-based Fresco Towels and shoes from Two’s Company.
The concept seems to be to recreate a flea market with goods from all over the world, and there is a very earth-loving, organic flair – with Bob Marley playing in the background. We especially liked the range of natural skin care by Thai brand Thann.
Despite how bemused we were to find all those items and pie (pie!!) gathered under one roof, we absolutely love the concept and even if earthy sundries are not your cup of tea, that pie was pretty tasty…
Free Peddler Market (click for site)
by Vivian Morelli
